Vedic Worldview

It’s very fashionable to talk about boundaries, especially in the context of relationships or expectations of others. One could argue that boundaries are useful, but once they become a cage, they become a problem.
In this episode, Thom unpacks the difference between living inside sharp routines and cultivating real unboundedness, the kind that actually refreshes the nervous system and expands your capacity to meet the need of the time.
Thom also explains why “control” is a false strategy in relationships, what it really means to meet another person’s conscious receptivity, and how empathy becomes a practical tool for clearer expectations, cleaner communication, and less suffering.

Episode Highlights
[00:45] The Problem With Sharp Boundaries 
[04:19] Why Classic Approaches To Freedom Fail 
[07:34] The Shocking Truth About Repetitive Thinking 
[10:56] How To Break Free From Boundaries 
[15:10] Making Unboundedness A Daily Routine 
[19:17] The Goal Is Not Permanent Meditation 
[20:11] Q - How do we show up differently in relationships as we expand consciousness? 
[20:45] A - Meeting The Conscious Receptivity Of Others 
[24:48] The Illusion Of Control In Relationships 
[29:19] Using The Inner-net For True Connection 
[31:14] Q - How do you explain boundaries in toxic relationships? 
[31:42] A - Sharing Accurate Expectations With Others 
[32:54] Q - What about when there's resistance to clear expectations? 
[33:29] A - When To Use Dhanurveda Principles
You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/TufGThQ8qD4
Useful Links
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Registration is now open for Thom’s only rounding retreat for 2026, in Sedona from May 21-25.

This is your one and only opportunity this year for deep rest, stress release and consciousness expansion through industrial-strength meditation, along with twice-daily knowledge sessions with Thom.

You’ll enjoy delicious retreat-friendly meals and the beauty and healing powers of the Red Rocks of Sedona. 

Register before February 28th and you’ll save $500 on your retreat fee. 

You can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

In this bonus episode, we're giving you a window into one of Thom's recent retreats. 
You'll hear right away that the atmosphere with Thom is intimate, warm, and wonderfully jovial. 
On retreat, you get to explore subjects that go far beyond what we cover on the podcast, and you'll hear stories from Thom that you simply won't hear anywhere else. 
We would love for you to join us at Thom's only rounding retreat of 2026, in Sedona, May 21 to 25.

Please sit back and enjoy this taste test of the retreat experience, then find out how you can join us in person at thomknoles.com/sedona

Registration is now open for Thom’s only rounding retreat for 2026, in Sedona from May 21-25.

This is your one and only opportunity this year for deep rest, stress release and consciousness expansion through industrial-strength meditation, along with twice-daily knowledge sessions with Thom.

You’ll enjoy delicious retreat-friendly meals and the beauty and healing powers of the Red Rocks of Sedona. 

Register before February 28th and you’ll save $500 on your retreat fee. 

You can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

In spiritual circles it’s very trendy to speak of “raising frequency” or accessing “higher vibrations,” but what if higher vibration isn’t mystical at all, but a precise description of physics at work?

In this episode, Thom explores how order, coherence, and peace naturally emerge when we reduce excitation, rather than seek to raise it.

Drawing on the laws of thermodynamics, Thom demystifies the subject and explains the fundamentals of sustainable change.

Episode Highlights
[00:45] Q – What Is “Higher Vibration”?
[01:16] A – Excitation and Thermodynamics
[03:46] Why You Can’t Force Peace
[06:29] Superfluid Helium Seeks Unboundedness
[08:45] Superconductivity in Simple Terms
[10:05] Meditation and Society
[13:41] The Meissner Effect

You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/8KUIB4Plifk

Useful Links
[email protected]  
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Registration is now open for Thom’s only rounding retreat for 2026, in Sedona from May 21-25.

This is your one and only opportunity this year for deep rest, stress release and consciousness expansion through industrial-strength meditation, along with twice-daily knowledge sessions with Thom.

You’ll enjoy delicious retreat-friendly meals and the beauty and healing powers of the Red Rocks of Sedona. 

Register before February 28th and you’ll save $500 on your retreat fee. 

You can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

Productivity is often seen as the holy grail of business success. Though organizations obsess over productivity gains, often they miss the fact that these gains come with a hidden cost.
In this episode, Thom explores why healthy mission, creativity, and inner stillness are not distractions from productivity, but its deepest source.
When work feels meaningful, participation becomes voluntary, effort becomes effortless, and productivity takes care of itself.
Episode Highlights
00:45 Productivity is an Illusion
04:01 Making Participation Attractive
06:23 Great Output Comes from Healthy Process
10:17 The Four Aspects of Organizational Mission
14:15 Make Everybody a Believer of the Mission
18:48 The Role of Vedic Meditation in Organizational Productivity
23:02 Q: Are Corporate Missions Manipulative?
23:23 A: Use Your Discrimination Capability
25:07 Q: How do we reconcile ease with being productive?
25:23 A: Frictionless Flow Feels Effortless
26:03 Q: Can we trade off being productive for stillness?
26:46 A: Get corporate support or choose personal control
31:26 Q: How can we remove the pressure to feel productive in life?
32:01 A: I Get To...

You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/plvJKA1k_zk
Useful Links
[email protected]  
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Registration is now open for Thom’s only rounding retreat for 2026, in Sedona from May 21-25.

This is your one and only opportunity this year for deep rest, stress release and consciousness expansion through industrial-strength meditation, along with twice-daily knowledge sessions with Thom.

You’ll enjoy delicious retreat-friendly meals and the beauty and healing powers of the Red Rocks of Sedona. 

Register before February 28th and you’ll save $500 on your retreat fee. 

You can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.

Delayed gratification is often touted as one of the secrets to a fulfilling life. 

The famous marshmallow experiment concluded that children who were able to delay the reward of a marshmallow for a larger reward of more marshmallows had better outcomes later in life.

But is this really the case? Are we actually better off favoring long-term good over short-term pleasure?

In this episode, Thom explains that this is more than just a philosophical question, it’s actually a question that has implications for evolution of the species.
And the answer might surprise you…

Episode Highlights
00:45 It's All About Knowledge
03:26 Evolution is Not a Straight Line
07:41 We Have to Have a Blend
12:07 There's No Such Thing as Perfection in the Relative World
14:19 Disruption Causes Adaptation to Occur
17:46 Q: What can you tell us about freeze reactivity?
17:58 A: Catatonia is the Extreme
20:38 Practice Vedic Meditation to Remove Irrelevant Neurochemistry
You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/B3a7BvY50Tw
Useful Links
[email protected]  
https://thomknoles.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles
https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoles
https://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles
https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

Registration is now open for Thom’s only rounding retreat for 2026, in Sedona from May 21-25.

This is your one and only opportunity this year for deep rest, stress release and consciousness expansion through industrial-strength meditation, along with twice-daily knowledge sessions with Thom.

You’ll enjoy delicious retreat-friendly meals and the beauty and healing powers of the Red Rocks of Sedona. 

Register before February 28th and you’ll save $500 on your retreat fee. 

You can find out more at thomknoles.com/sedona.