Chopra Center Staff Spotlight

Vijay is The Chopra Center’s director of IT and technology, as well as a certified Primordial Sound Meditation certified instructor. He will also soon complete his certification to become a Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga teacher. We send blessings of love, peace, and happiness to the new family.

Every once in a while, SynchroDestiny manifests itself in a transformational way. Eighteen months ago, Vijay Singh attended the SynchroDestiny program in Sedona, Arizona, with the hopes of taking his life to the next level. He was an IT consultant in Arizona, running a successful software company, but he knew that there had to be something more in life . . . he just wasn’t sure what it was. Fast forward to today: Vijay is now the director of IT and technology at the Chopra Center, and he and his wife live along the beautiful San Diego coastline. In this short period of time, Vjiay has become a certified Primordial Sound Meditation instructor and is on the path to becoming a certified Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga teacher. Namasté recently sat down with Vijay to talk about life, meditation, and the power of SynchroDestiny.

Where did you grow up?
In India. My dad was in the army, so we moved a lot, living in places throughout northern India. I was born in Benares, which happens to be one of the most sacred places in India. During college I lived near the Himalayas and would go on six or seven-day hikes in the mountains. I especially remember the time I hiked to Gangotri, the source of the Ganges River. My parents, older sister, two older brothers, and their families still live in India.

When did you come to the U.S.?
When I finished my studies in industrial engineering at the University of Roorkee, I worked in India for about 18 months and was then offered a job in Marshall, Minnesota. It was quite an experience going from living in a large city in India to living in a small town with a population of roughly 12,000, but in general I found that the people there were very friendly and warm. I lived there for a few months before moving to Connecticut, where I worked as a computer consultant for IBM. Since then, I’ve lived in many other places in the U.S., including Austin, where I met my wife, Reena.

What drew you to the Chopra Center?
At the beginning of 2007, I went to the SynchroDestiny event in Sedona, Arizona, where I got to meet Deepak Chopra, David Simon, and David Greenspan (aka davidji). It was an amazing experience, and I came out to California to volunteer at the Chopra Center for a few days – and fortunately for me, I’ve never left!

At the time, I was running my own software company in Arizona, but it wasn’t really fulfilling at a deep level. I wanted to work in an organization that had a bigger impact on the world and the things I really cared about. I had been meditating regularly for seven years, learning about Ayurveda, and reading all of Deepak Chopra’s books, and I knew I wanted to be here.

What do you love most about your work here?
I love being part of the Chopra Center and its overall mission of helping people heal and find more meaning and purpose and happiness in their lives. It’s rewarding to be able to use technology to serve the Center, our guests, and our teachers.

As a meditation instructor, it’s fulfilling to be able to teach a practice that I have done for so long and that has made such a big difference in my life. It’s an amazing gift to teach meditation to others, and I feel quite honored to be a conduit for this wonderful knowledge and practice.

I particularly like dispelling the myth that meditation is a difficult practice that can only be mastered by a few infinitely patient and enlightened beings. In my Primordial Sound Meditation classes, I get to see people first experiencing the practice of meditation and realizing that it’s actually a simple practice that’s easy to learn. And the longer you meditate, the more the practice deepens and benefits you.

Do you have a favorite Chopra Center program?
I would say Seduction of Spirit, our meditation retreat with Deepak and David. I attended the program last November in San Diego, spending six days meditating and learning advanced practices for higher consciousness with a wonderful group. It was truly amazing.

What is your primary dosha and how do you stay in balance?
Pitta-Kapha. To stay in balance, I follow the basic principles of an Ayurvedic daily routine. In the mornings, I do a self-abhy using Pitta-balancing oils, and I meditate. I eat a light breakfast and have my heaviest meal at lunch, which is the Pitta time of day when the digestive fires are strongest. Yoga also helps me stay centered. I’ve been practicing yoga for about four years and find it balances me as well as deepening and improving my meditation practice.

Do you have a favorite Chopra Center product? Yes, the Pitta-balancing abyhanga massage oil and the Satwa sandalwood incense.

Who are your archetypes?
I have several. First is Krishna, the Hindu deity said to be a reincarnation of Vishnu, the god of creation. Krishna is known as the creator who upholds the truth. Saraswati is another archetype for me, representing wisdom and knowledge. My third archetype is Arjuna, a warrior who also stood up for truth, fighting evil, and doing everything he could to change the world for the better.

What was your most transcendent moment?
It was actually when I decided to work at the Center. For the first time I felt that I was going to use my strengths for something substantial and very close to my heart.

What are your favorite books and why?
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra. It lays out the principles of the universe in a simple, practical way, and I use the wisdom and practices it offers to align myself with the laws, making my life more harmonious and effortless.

Another favorite book is The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, also by Deepak. To me, it’s not so much about manifesting your every wish as it is a guide to thinking about what you desire and aligning yourself with the universe’s highest intention. When you connect to your soul’s purpose and have intentions that bring joy and fulfillment to yourself and to everyone affected by your intentions, you awaken to the opportunities that always surround you.

Who would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
Krishna. It would be amazing to have a one-on-one conversation with the creator of the universe!

Do you have a favorite quotation? Yes, it’s one by T.S. Eliot: “We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”