<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Return to Om]]></title><description><![CDATA[Return to Om: Cultivate Inner Peace]]></description><link>https://www.returntoom.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:12:07 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.returntoom.com/pl/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[“I can’t meditate! It should be easier…” - sounds familiar?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mainstream has taught us that meditation is easy: sit for 5 minutes, breathe a little, and you’ll have a stress-free life. When it doesn’t work like that, we think we’re bad at meditating. Or that this is all bullsh*t. Well, it’s not. I’ll use the word “yoga” a lot here. When Patanjali - the guy who wrote the actual manual on this, the Yoga Sutras, says yoga, he doesn’t mean poses (asanas). He means the whole path, preparation included, that leads to and culminates in a still, meditative...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoom.com/post/i-can-t-meditate-it-should-be-easier-sounds-familiar</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a997dff13bff9e719e27744</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:23:15 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Joanna Janke</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Moving Past the Guru: When Teachers Fail to Embody What They Teach]]></title><description><![CDATA[How Do You Teach Meditation? I've been asking myself this question before starting my certification, but my more important self-inquiry was: what do I want my students to carry away from our sessions together? I don't believe in the power of knowledge on its own - not because knowledge isn't valuable, but because meditation without experience is just philosophy. I believe in lived experience. If I hadn't experienced the process myself - the struggle, the deeper states, the effects - if I...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoom.com/post/moving-past-the-guru</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69949e017e0fff3296150eef</guid><pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 17:41:31 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Joanna Janke</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Personal Growth Is Not for the Faint of Heart]]></title><description><![CDATA[I often reflect on hardness versus softness as two opposing forces in life. While many people see the world in terms of good and bad, I tend to see things through the lens of soft and hard. My long journey of healing and personal growth has shown me that the only way to truly live is through softness and flexibility, not stiffness and rebellion. That’s the exact opposite of what I used to believe, even just ten years ago. I was always in opposition to something, convinced that resistance and...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoom.com/post/personal-growth-is-not-for-the-faint-of-heart</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696529457c7cb9076759d18e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 12 Jan 2026 17:03:01 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Joanna Janke</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beyond the Hug: Rethinking Spiritual Culture’s Touch Rituals]]></title><description><![CDATA[You’ve probably seen those photos: the ones from retreats, workshops, or festivals where people hug, sit close together or lie skin-to-skin in circles. Or maybe you’ve been to a retreat like this yourself. Every time I see these images, I pause. There’s something that draws you in, that makes it look like connection and healing are happening through the touch and closeness. And I get it - the people who run these gatherings truly believe in what they’re doing, and you can see that. For some,...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoom.com/post/beyond-the-hug-rethinking-spiritual-culture-s-touch-rituals</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6994976e48e1ffd8ef76d70b</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 23:00:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Joanna Janke</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>