Spirituality & Psychology —Relationships (2-disc set) (2013)

Relationships are not vehicles to fulfill our personal needs and expectations. They are vehicles through which we experience karma, and they are opportunities to facilitate growth until we ultimately experience our true selves. And these relationships continue until the karma is resolved.

The mind that becomes an obstacle for meditation has embedded samskaras (habits or tendencies) from past lives and early childhood that determine our habitual responses in relationships. Approaching the mind from both psychological and spiritual perspectives is very important for daily living as a supplement to the Yoga Sutras. This approach provides the tools and practices that allow us to heal and expand our relationships now and avoid creating future karma.

Our spiritual practices will ultimately remove the layers of the mind that cause us misery and obstruct our relationships. In the meantime, practical psychological approaches will heal our relationships and facilitate growth. Through this recording, Dileepji and Dr. Ellen Balis explore the following topics:

• When are a child’s samskaras formed, and when does he or she begin to act on them?
• How does the karma of the parents impact the child’s development?
• How should you raise a child to instill positive samskaras?
• How can we modify our tendencies in order to improve our relationships?
• What steps can we take to resolve difficult relationships and prevent future karma?
• How can we resolve anger that is poisoning our relationships?
• How do our spiritual practices impact our relationships?
• What can we do to burn off karma?