As a teenager, Steve Briggs met his guru at a meditation retreat in the Swiss Alps. After studying English Literature at the University of Arizona on a tennis scholarship, the author received an MBA and a Ph.D. in Vedic Studies and traveled internationally instructing thousands in the art of meditation.
Steve is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi (Amma), whom he met in India in 1996. He has been practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) for the past 46 years and credits his guru, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, with showing him the path to enlightenment.
Steve currently coaches the Maharishi School boys’ tennis team. His players have won four state high school championships, including the 2014 triple crown. Steve has trained two national champions and a top 50 ATP professional tour player.
In 1994, Steve Briggs was sent to India to teach TM to corporate executives. During his seven years in India, Steve traveled repeatedly to the high Himalaya where he encountered many yogis and sadhus.
- The author’s first book, India Mirror of Truth, was a popular memoir about his time in India.
- Steve’s second book, The Tale of the Himalayan Yogis: The Nirvana Chronicles, is a novel set in India and Tibet.
- Website: stevebriggsauthor.com
Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group.
Interview recorded September 24, 2018.
Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.
YouTube Video Chapters:
- 00:00:00 – Introduction with Rick Archer
- 00:04:56 – Tennis and the Zone
- 00:08:54 – The Search for an Advantage in Tennis
- 00:13:10 – The Role of Myelin in Performance
- 00:17:38 – The Beginning of Tennis
- 00:21:39 – Witnessing Consciousness & Athletes’ Experiences
- 00:25:35 – Immersed in the World of Kali
- 00:29:51 – The Power of a Higher Vibration
- 00:33:41 – Perception Without the Senses
- 00:38:14 – Exploring Consciousness and Awakening
- 00:42:39 – The Meaning of the Mantra
- 00:47:19 – Devotion towards Higher Beings
- 00:51:49 – The Erosion of Fear and Emotional Discipline
- 00:56:10 – Shifting from Head to Heart
- 01:00:40 – Breathing Your Way to Enlightenment
- 01:04:55 – The Importance of Variety in Daily Life
- 01:09:02 – The Connection Between Emotions and Health
- 01:13:04 – The Importance of Checks and Balances
- 01:17:12 – The Dangers of Intense Spiritual Practices
- 01:21:21 – Meeting Babaji in Different Forms
- 01:25:27 – A Mysterious Encounter in Varanasi
- 01:29:26 – Encounters in the Himalayas
- 01:33:45 – Levitation and the Human Relationship to Laws of Nature
- 01:38:01 – Proper use of extraordinary abilities
- 01:41:57 – The Reality of Gurus and Ethics
- 01:46:25 – The correlation between higher states of consciousness and ethical behavior
- 01:50:21 – Trusting Your Inner Wisdom
- 01:54:34 – Feeding the Dogs and Learning Humility
- 01:58:38 – The Restless Devotee
- 02:02:53 – The Buddha Tradition and Feeding Tigers
- 02:07:09 – A Fellow Traveler on the Spiritual Path
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | Email | TuneIn | RSS | More