I  have a difficult time staying awake when I meditate!  Location, time of day, physical position do not seem to impact this.  After I am able to stop thinking, I am aware of a short time of silence, then I vision (or is it dreaming), then I start to nod off.  I feel a strong desire to nap.  Sometimes I indulge this desire, sometimes I force myself into wakefulness.  I enjoy sleeping, going to bed around 10, falling asleep right away, awaking once or twice during the night but falling right back into sleep, and awaking between 5 and 6 each morning.  I’m generally alert and not tired during the day.  Any insights or recommendations?

How do you balance giving without expectation to being taken advantage of?  After many years in an unbalanced long term relationship and many discussions where the lack of balance and attempts to address my needs are made secondary, if referred to at all, I am considering a major life change.  But in meeting my needs, I will cause great pain for those around me.  This internal and external dialogue has disturbed my peace for years.

Recently I during a jyotish reading I was told I was an old soul.  The way it was described to me I would not be reincarnating.  This made me feel sad and purposeless, and I really don’t know if I want to believe it. I feel I would miss all the color and beauty of the earth. Do you have any insight or knowledge about the term ‘old soul’.

It is obvious that men and women are different on the physical, emotional and even cognitive levels of being. My question is, how are we different spiritually? Do men and women have different needs and attributes on their Spiritual paths? In what ways are they different?

I have always been a very spiritually inclined person. For the past three years I have seen very close relatives die of natural causes, murder and now suicide. I have learned the process of grieving, but with this one it has just left me with so many questions, about life in itself. I have always believed in destiny and Karma. My question to you is: How do I make this type of death make sense to my spiritual and emotional grounding? It’s just so confusing since it’s completely unnatural. I would appreciate any input you can give me to start on my spiritual path again.