Author shares tips to find balanced life

By Wanda A. Adams
Assistant Features Editor

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LifeFest Maui at Wailea 2003 A three-day health and wellness fair; featured presenters include best-selling author and mind-body specialist Dr. Deepak Chopra, personal trainer Bob Greene, macrobiotics authority Dr. Michio Kushi, light and color healing expert Dr. Jacob Liberman, author and skin expert Dr. Howard Murad, wellness expert Dr. Julian Whitaker. Also: seminars on wellness topics, "Celebrity Power Walk" ($25), benefit gala dinner ($125), canoe regatta, health expo, fitness clinics ($105 and up), continuing education classes for physicians, closing reception ($45). Sept. 12 to 14 Wailea Resort, various locations Fees vary depending on event; most workshops in $20 to $35 range; $165 Power Pass includes all lectures and panel discussions, plus Celebrity Power Walk. lifefestmaui.com; (808) 875-8411; write to info@lifefest maui.com.

Chopra will be among keynote speakers at the first LifeFest Maui health and wellness fair next month, where he plans to discuss the concepts in his upcoming book, "Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire," due out in October, which explores "harnessing the power of coincidence, intuition, creativity, vision, miracles and healing."

In a quick telephone interview from his California office, Chopra talked about finding balance in an overly busy world.

Q. How does someone begin to improve their mind-body-spirit balance?

A. I think for the beginner the most important thing is to take a little bit of time every day to be silent and quiet — maybe 15 minutes of simple breath awareness meditation, and then sit quietly and ask oneself, "Who am I and what do I want?" Doing something as simple as that every day can start a major transformational journey.

Q. What are the components necessary to life change?

A. No. 1 is you must have a desire for change. No. 2 is you must know what you want exactly. People say, "I want to change," but when asked "What do you really want?" they don't really have a clear idea. They usually name things that they want because they have an idea that with those things they would be happy. But as Buddha said, "There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way." ... Happiness must be the No. 1 criterion when you make your decisions. Are the actions you take on a day-to-day basis creating happiness for you and those around you? If you ask yourself that question, then you spontaneously start to make appropriate choices.

Q. How do you manage to follow your own advice with so much travel and so many projects?

A. First of all, I'm very passionate about what I do and, secondly, I don't take myself too seriously, nor does my family take me too seriously. Thirdly, I find time to play. Fourthly, I practice meditation on a daily basis so even though I am passionate about what I'm doing, there is part of me that is quite detached and has no concern with outcome. I don't have any anxiety in my life. When people seem anxious to me, I try to remind them that, if you understand the way time operates, in a few decades we'll all be dead, so why worry?

Q. What is your current passion and project?

A. I am the founder of something called the Alliance for the New Humanity, which has as its goal to create a critical mass of consciousness in the world that will look at the issue of conflict resolution through nonviolent means, at restoring the ecology of the planet, and getting rid of economic disparities. There are a number of Nobel laureates who have joined us, and we are launching our first conference in December in Puerto Rico. We want to create a grass-roots movement that says we want a different world for our children and our grandchildren and for ourselves.

That's what I'm working on, and I'm writing four books: "Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire"; "The Book of Secrets"; "Fire in the Heart," a spiritual guide for children; and "The Soul of Leadership," a spiritual training for leaders.

Q. From the sublime to the ridiculous, your most recent book is "Golf for Enlightenment" —Êwhere does golf fit into all this?

A. Golf, I find, is a wonderful way for me to tune into this playful part of myself and also to silence my mind. It's a form of meditation for me, and as soon as you hang up with me, I'm going to play golf.