As I began teaching yoga in Costa Mesa, California in the 1970s, I met a nun named Sister Margarita. She was middle-aged, full of love and joy — a very happy person. Her main message was that the Christian life was not meant to be one of sin and regret but full of joy, seeing and acknowledging the wonder of life.

Baba Hari Dass was a globally famous master yogi. When I first met him in 1971, he hadn’t actually spoken for 17 years. On the day we met, he communicated by writing on a small chalkboard. We meditated for hours together. He became my friend and we corresponded for many years.

Metaphysicians hold the view that we exist for the delight of God. One of life’s great joys is tuning in with and recognizing Spirit. We can then allow It to create and manifest through us. Explore some of the main ways to experience God’s delight in you.

From a jnana yoga perspective Spirit is the only reality and we are all forms of that one substance. Jnanis seek to go within, find the original substance and become conscious of that all-encompassing Spirit.

Yoga practice brings both the experience of harmony and wholeness and its expression in daily life. Through yoga, you can contact the soul, the core of your being. Each morning is a fresh chance to allow love, light and goodness to express. Explore three marvelous ways to play the game of life. Through yoga you can live more consciously — aware of Spirit and soul in all circumstances.

Spirit already exists within, waiting for us to recognize It. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali describes the process toward the final goal of enlightenment. Discover the steps which lead to finding and living in your true self.

Chanting a mantram can calm the mind/emotions and take you to higher levels of consciousness. The mantram Ami Yantra, Tumi Yantri (I am the instrument; You, O Lord, are the operator) helps you develop the sense that the Divine is expressing through you.

Raja yoga is for those who seek enlightenment by awakening their spiritual faculties and attuning with God’s will. They practice character development, mental focus, and attunement with God in meditation. Through raja yoga practice you can discover that you are a spiritual being, living in a world of Spirit.

Explore how progressing through the four steps of meditation can lead to an experience of the true self. After awakening to the inner self, this realization must be consolidated by bringing Spirit into every level of your being. Discover how the process of awakening and consolidation can lead to freedom in Spirit.

Mantrams (mantras) can calm your mind and take you to superconscious awareness. They are a marvelous aid in meditation and can take you from objective, outward consciousness into spiritual awareness. Enjoy chanting Chinmoy Dham, Chinmoy Ham (this place is Spirit and I am Spirit too).