“Dear Asha, why is this happening to me?” Sorrow and stress are universal, but difficult situations can also be opportunities―life trying to guide us toward greater happiness―if only we had the wisdom to follow it. To find the hidden blessings within the various situations in life, you need faith, trust . . . and sometimes, a wise friend to talk to. To many spiritual seekers, that person is Asha―who through her counseling and lectures has helped thousands worldwide gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the spiritual path. Based on letters to questing souls, this book showcases the clarity, compassion, and inspiration of Asha Praver―a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and a meditation teacher for over 40 years. Her responses will astound you with their universality. How to help others . . . How to see life as fair . . . How to be true to yourself. Here is an example of the practical wisdom in the pages of Ask Asha: • “Every apple seed contains within it the potential to become a fruit-bearing tree. It doesn't happen all at once though. It may be tiresome for the seed first to be a sprout, then a twig, then a sapling―but it is the fastest, in fact the only way to become an apple tree. • “So it is with the soul. Self-realization is our divine destiny, but we can't get there in one leap. Perhaps your repeated failure is not caused by lack of will power but from lack of patience―trying to reach the goal without first walking the path. • “If you reach too far beyond your actual realization, inevitably you will collapse back―perhaps to a place lower than where you started, if you define yourself now by your failure. You may think you are compromising your ideals to aim lower, but in fact that may be the surest route to success. • “Spiritual progress is both a science and an art. The science is comprised of the divine laws of the universe; the art is to know which to apply and when.” From early in her spiritual life, Asha's teacher, Swami Kriyananda, asked her to give spiritual counsel to new seekers. It is obvious why. She is a wise soul with a talent for putting deep teachings into words everyone can understand. This book is a gift to anyone searching for truth. -- Richard Salva, Author of The Yoga of Abraham Lincoln, Blessed Lanfranc: The Past Life of Swami Sri Yukteswar, and Walking with William of Normandy: A Paramhansa Yogananda Pilgrimage Guide Forty years ago, when I first met Asha at Ananda Village, I felt immediately that here was a wise sister I could go to for guidance. . . . Often over the years, when a question has arisen about Yogananda’s teachings or Kriyananda’s writings, I have heard someone say, “Let’s ask Asha.” And so when her new book—Ask Asha—appeared in my mailbox, my first thought was, "Of course, that’s what we’ve been doing all along." The letters [in this book]—each one an answer to a specific call for help—are masterpieces of clarity, wisdom, and compassion. Hers is a beautiful mind, and the reader experiences an expanding universe of understanding growing from one central seed thought into a flowering tree, one that ultimately bears fruit not only of comprehension but also of inspiration and motivation to do something real about the challenges we all face. Her writing is always graceful, often entrancing—one emerges feeling understood, cleansed, and committed to useful spiritual action. . . . The help that we . . . receive through these wonderful letters is not only for our own growth toward God, but that we might help all in our orbit likewise grow toward their own Self-realization. -- Nayaswami Prakash ― Clarity Magazine Through her counseling, lectures, and written works, Asha Praver has helped thousands of seekers around the world to a deeper understanding of themselves and the spiritual path. She is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda (author of the classic Autobiography of a Yogi), a lifelong meditator, a meditation teacher and mentor for over 40 years, and a spiritual director of the Ananda Community and Temple of Palo Alto, California. She is also the author of Swami Kriyananda As We Have Known Him and Loved and Protected: Stories of Miracles and Answered Prayers.