Blissful Brain

The Blissful Brain is published by Gaia Thinking. For more information on how to order your copy, please click here.

Guardian G2: Mind over matter by Andy Darling

"Neuroscientist Shanida Nataraja has proven meditation does more than clear your head, it can put both halves of your brain to work, improving your concentration, memory, and decision-making...". To read more, please click here.

The Times: Calm down dear by Angela Pertusini

"Claims by the neuroscientist Shanida Nataraja regarding the benefits of meditation have been backed up by rigourous scientific research and are explained in her acclaimed book The Blissful Brain: Neuroscience and Proof of the Power of Meditation". To read more, please click here.

Just this Day event: A Day of Silence and Stillness at St Martin's in the Field on 23rd of November 2011

Shanida Nataraja will be participating in this exciting event that aims to explore the power of silience and stillness in our busy world. For more information, please click here or visit the Just This Day website.

Mindfulness in the Workplace: Brain based approaches to improving employee resilience and productivity at Robinson College, Cambridge on 10 February 2012

Shanida Nataraja will be speaking at this day event that brings together leading experts in mindfulness to discuss how it could help organisations improve productivity & resiliance. Speakers include Professor Mark Williams, Michael Chaskalson, Ruby Wax, Margaret Chapman, and more (for more information, please see click here.

Perennial Philosophy

In 1945, Aldous Huxley published a book entitled “The Perennial Philosophy” in which he proposed that common elements could be found in the traditions and lore of primitive cultures worldwide, as well as in all the major World religions. Whilst at their exterior, the World religions appear to differ considerably, each being associated with often wildly different dogma and rituals, at their core, their esoteric teachings have striking similarities. Huxley referred to this core of common teaching as the “Perennial Philosophy”. There are several main tenets of the Perennial Philosophy.

i. There is an Ultimate Reality that is both universally immanent in creation and transcendent to it. Therefore, the limited reality that wecan apprehend with the five physical senses is embedded within, and sustained by, a limitless Ultimate Reality.

ii. This Ultimate Reality cannot be reached or described using the rational mind. It is therefore inherently incomprehensible and paradoxical.

iii. There is something in the deeper eternal “Self” of a human being, distinct from the personal ego or “self”, which is similar to, or even identical to this Ultimate Reality.

iv. This Ultimate Reality is the ground of all being, through which we are all interconnected.

v. Through a spiritual and moral practice, often involving the purifying of emotions and desires (i.e. detachment) and introspection, the individual can become experientially aware of and achieve union with this transpersonal reality. vi. Once an individual has become aware of their connection with this Ultimate Reality, this awareness is accompanied by a growth in compassion and wisdom.

The identification of this core of common teachings within all the major World Religions reveals that the perceived differences between religions are only valid at a cultural level (i.e. with regard to dogma and ritual). Historically much conflict has arisen out of perceived differences in religious beliefs and practices or attempts to impose the beliefs of one Religion over another. The common spiritual teaching shared by all the major World Religions refutes the continued assertion that one belief system is more valid than another, and opens up a way of reconciling practitioners of different religions through the acknowledgement of common spiritual beliefs.

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