Swami Sri Yukteswar wrote in The Holy Science, “The first and most essential thing on the spiritual path is to uncover the natural love of the heart; without that one cannot take one step on the spiritual path.”

The opening of the heart must be understood as an opening toward our true nature. It is not something we acquire or impose on our nature. It is something we uncover through our spiritual growth. 

Sri Yukteswar described the obstacles that prevent us from uncovering that natural love as the “meannesses of the heart.” There are eight such obstacles: hatred, shame, fear, grief, condemnation, race prejudice, pride of pedigree, and a narrow sense of respectability.

The meannesses all relate to those things which emphasize and affirm the ego. Once these obstacles are removed, we experience what Sri Yukteswar describes as “magnanimity of the heart” — great love for people, for life, and for God.

In this morning workshop with Darshan Lotichus, inspired by his new book Awakening the Natural Love of the Heart, we will explore how to transcend the “meannesses” which keep us from experiencing and expressing the heart’s natural love.

A trained musician, Darshan will guide us through this exploration with music and chanting, meditation, and storytelling from his book. 

Cost $45