Reflecting on the traditional models of spiritual development, what is your notion of a spiritually advanced individual? Think of those by whom you have been deeply inspired or who you feel are spiritually mature. What is it about them that makes them spiritual according to your judgment? Is it their loving presence or practicality and stability in difficult circumstanceS? Is it compassion or wisdom, renunciation or charisma?

I think of the people I have been influenced by the most spiritually and I think its has to do with their loving presence. To me, the reason we are here is love, so someone who personifies love to me, such as Mother Theresa, is someone who is spiritually advanced. Someone who has so much love in her heart that she can live where she did and care for the people that no one else would, even when they were dying, is akin to God to me. It is what inspired me to go in to social work, which I feel is more of a labour of love more than anything else. I believe the highest calling anyone can have is to be of service to others, as one who services others services the world, and helps to create a better place to be in.

2. What spiritual goals have you set for yourself and how do you go about realizing them?

My focus in life is to be absolutely present, which I admit is such a hard thing for me to do. I try to go about realizing this by monitoring my mind and being aware of what I am doing and what I can do to change how I think and feel and observing my thoughts and stuff like that. I try to focus on my breath and have bells of mindfulness in my life that I use to remind me to stop for a moment to breathe.

3. In Bhagavad-Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna to describe to him the characteristics of an enlightened or Self-realized adept. What do you think of Krishna's answer?

I'd say it's pretty straight forward and classic... which I guess is why we say this is Classical Yoga no? In reading this I feel as if I have read it before - different texts talking about working towards the same goal of freedom and transcendence.