It is magical to experience something familiar and beloved in a new way. For Ranch-goers who had never encountered Swami Veda until last night, and for Swami Veda devotees who had never experienced the Ranch until yesterday, enchantment abounds.

Last night and again this morning, Swami Veda led powerful guided meditations to a large and eager crowd. In lectures that followed, he imparted ancient wisdom while radiating humor and charm and, most of all, love.

There were so many revelations for so many of us in what he said. How to pick only a few to share? It’s difficult, but okay, anything worth doing is difficult so here goes…

Last evening Swami Veda told the story of a man who traveled – at great expense, so he said – to the Swami’s ashram in Rishikesh to “finally learn the secret of meditation” after trying for years. Swami Veda told him, “Relax your forehead.”

“What,” said the man. “It cost me a fortune to get here. Is that why I came all this way? Relax my forehead? I already know that.”

“But you are not doing it,” observed Swami Veda.

A few days Later Swami Veda encountered this man at the ashram. “How is your forehead?” he asked, noticing scant improvement.

“Well,” said the man. “The thing is, relaxing your forehead is really HARD!”

As Swami Veda pointed out to all of us, it is in our power to calm the mind and access reservoirs of inner joy. But how can we do this if we can’t even relax one small set of muscles. Swami Veda, at 76, has not a single wrinkle on his brow. As he noted, he does not teach anything he himself has not experimented with.

While we’re somewhat on the subject of health and longevity, I’ll share something Swami Veda told us this morning. (Of special interest to math-lovers if you know any.) Every 24 hours the average person (i.e. not the self-aware meditator) completes 21,600 breaths. But each of us is allotted a certain number of breaths per lifetime. Slow the breath in meditation, and extend your years (as well as the quality of your life).

Finally, what would a blog be without some “buzz.” Here at the Ranch guests are completely intrigued with the first of these four ashram weeks. Each of the many events is well and happily attended. Overheard in the lounge: “Leave it to Deborah Szekely to be on the cutting edge.”