A Journey Within: Experience Meditation Like Never Before! By Author Sanjay gupta

In an age where mindfulness is often reduced to mobile notifications and five-minute fixes, River of Love: Meditation Beyond the App by Sanjay Gupta dares to go deeper. In this enlightening conversation, the author—backed by over a decade of personal practice—shares why he believes the world needs to reconnect with meditation’s ancient roots now more than ever.

From demystifying pranayama and mantras to offering practical tips for long-term meditators and curious beginners alike, Sanjay invites readers on a soulful expedition beyond the screen. With wisdom rooted in India’s rich spiritual heritage and written with the clarity of lived experience, River of Love is not just a book—it’s a call to slow down, breathe consciously, and awaken to a more balanced, compassionate way of life.

Join us as Sanjay Gupta reflects on the inspiration behind his work, the challenges he overcame while writing, and how this book can serve as a beacon of calm in our increasingly chaotic world.

1. Can you provide an overview of your book and how it addresses key challenges in the world today?

Overview of the book: River of Love: Meditation Beyond the App offers a wide as well as deep look at what meditation is, its ancient Indian roots, and insights and experiences from my decade-long journey into this realm. It inspires the reader to look beyond the apps or quick-fix approaches to the beautiful, healthy, and profound discipline called meditation. It is my sincere hope and wish that the book will help a growing tribe of aspirants and meditators to initiate, continue, or deepen their practice. The book should also whet the appetite of readers wanting to know about meditation in greater detail.

2. How the book addresses the world’s key challenges:

There’s an ever-growing need globally for people to stay healthy, especially when it comes to their mental health. Regardless of their profession or industry, more and more individuals face growing stress from balancing work and life, trying to survive in a world that is getting faster, and more aggressive and competitive. River of Love… offers people a way to cope with such challenges through meditation and how they can initiate practicing this holistic discipline—or, if they are already into it, how they can deepen it for further benefits. The book can bring a bit of calm and mental poise in the chaos and noise of everyday life. It will also uplift people spiritually no matter what religion they follow (or even if they are agnostics and atheists!

3. What inspired you to write this book, and what specific expertise or experiences do you bring to the subject matter?

I have been meditating regularly for more than ten years, which I believe gives me a little bit of confidence in talking about it publicly and sharing my experiences with a wider audience. What inspired me to write River of Love was a growing belief in my heart that there’s an acute need for a comprehensive yet easily accessible and readable book on mediation’s ancient origins, varied forms, and benefits along with some fundamental concepts like pranayama and mantras that go closely with the discipline. I noticed that while there are several titles already available in the market, I couldn’t find one that put things clearly and comprehensively without advocating a certain ‘brand’ or ‘type’ of meditation. I also felt that I could add valuable perspectives from my own daily meditation practice—as a regular person rather than a guru or baba with a cult following (nothing essentially wrong with being a guru or having a great following, though). There’s a growing global interest in meditation, and yet a lot of people still struggle with confusion or they are unsure of how to make a start. So, maybe the time is ripe for a book such as River of Love. The subtitle ‘Meditation beyond the App’ also hints at the need to look deeper and discover the greater joys and benefits of meditation that can’t be simply obtained from an app or a superficial understanding or practice of what meditation is and can be.

4. Could you share some of the most valuable insights or takeaways that readers can expect from your book?

Here are some key insights and takeaways from the book:

• Meditation, called dhyana in Hindi and Sanskrit, is a part of ancient sage Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga. The book traces the ancient origins and practice of meditation through interesting stories and insights drawn from varied sources, including Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, the life of Buddha, and many more.
• One of the most important fundamentals of a good meditation practice is pranayama, which is to regulate your breathing. The book describes in detail how breathing well enhances meditation and makes it more fruitful.
• The book offers insights into the role of reciting mantras and doing meditation with the right bhava (intention). Other key aspects such as chakras and kundalini are also touched upon for a more holistic and useful meditation practice.
• People often give up meditation after trying it for a while. The book gives practical tips on how they can sit down in meditation for a longer time—with ease and for a more fulfilling session—through the author’s own experiences.

5. Can you highlight any case studies or real-world examples from your book that illustrate the principles you discuss?

I’m not sure if this question is fully relevant for my book but, if it helps, let me state that River of Love draws upon authentic sources such as The Upanishads, BKS Iyengar’s Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Hatha Yoga Pradipika and many more (full list given in the Bibliography). And then there’s my own case study! My decade-long experience as a regular meditator.

6. Are there any particular challenges or obstacles you encountered while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?

My main challenge was what to select from the vast corpus of literature already available on meditation and yoga. So, I did some extensive research, reading various books and texts. Next, I carefully picked what I thought was most essential or integral to the practice of meditation. Finally, I put down my research along with my own meditative experiences in the shape of this book. Another challenge was choosing an appropriate title—and River of Love came to my mind in one of my meditative sessions (more details on the title are given in the introduction to the book). I also had to be careful in describing my own experiences objectively, precisely, and humbly.

7. What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book, and how do you envision it making a positive impact on their lives?

I think this has been amply explained in answers to the Qs 1 and 3 above. But let me echo what I said in my introduction to the book: I have compared meditation to a river full of love and I do hope this book will help people take a dip and come away with a sense of cleansing and serenity—and a higher state of wellbeing. It should satisfy their curiosity about what meditation really is and what all it involves from a holistic point of view. And it should help them meditate better and longer for a more fulfilling life, in terms of mental as well as spiritual health. It is my sincere belief that if more people around the world meditate regularly, their collective effort will give real meaning to the famous words about ‘making the world a better place’.

8. In a rapidly changing environment, how does your book stay relevant and adaptable for readers over time?

My book is about meditation—a discipline that has been practiced for millennia. There is no reason to say it’s going away anytime soon. However, as we live in increasingly chaotic, aggressive and noisy environments, the need for peace and wellness through meditation is more urgent than ever. The core principles and elements of meditation will remain the same, but people will have to adapt to practicing it in a deteriorating environment and in less-than-ideal conditions (no more secluded, peaceful forests but concrete jungles!). And adapt they must, if the goal is to live a peaceful, joyous, more fulfilling life that is at ease with nature and other sentient beings—including other humans.

Get your copy now and embark on a journey of self-discovery!