ABOUT JOHN
‘Rebellious by nature, pure at heart' - The Times of India
'Bold as love’ - Bina Shah - New York Times Correspondent
’One of the world’s foremost meditation teachers’ - Cygnus Review
‘The path of your own life is the real teacher.’
John Siddique is the author of nine books, including 'Signposts of The Spiritual Journey' and 'SO.’ He is a much-loved spiritual teacher, yogi, writer, and poet, best known for his integrity, humor, and feet-on-the-ground wisdom. His profound, accessible teachings help people around the world, from every walk of life, find greater peace and fulfillment. His meditations have been downloaded over 3 million times. It is important to note that John has no allegiance to any nationality, sect, religion, or philosophy - nor is his work about gathering followers. His deepest wish is that his teachings are a space for transformation so that you may know and live life with meaning and authenticity from your soul through self-realization.
At the heart of John's teachings lies the movement toward authenticity and awareness, which are the prerequisites for human happiness, survival, and evolution. An essential part of this awakening consists in transcending our sense of fear and separateness through love to discover the wholeness that is our true nature. John's work strongly promotes the need for us to take an actively conscious role within our own lives and through our structures of community and society.
Besides his books, John is the creator of two hugely popular meditation courses: ‘Self-Acceptance Through Authenticity,’ which has over 30,000 students using it, and ‘Magical Moments,’ which is aimed at families looking to bring greater meaning and connection into their home lives. His work has been featured in Time Magazine, Women and Home, The Tablet, Platinum, The Spectator, and many others, as well as in The Guardian Newspaper and The BBC.
John holds an MA in Literature and Creative Writing from Manchester Victoria University and is an Honorary Fellow of Leicester University. He is the former Poet Laureate of Canterbury and was Poet in Residence at California State University, LA, for The British Council. John is a founding board member and commissioning editor for the Royal Literary Fund initiative WritersMosaic.
John initially had a difficult early life and rebelled against school and society. His study of meditation, yoga, and inner healing began at thirteen, first from books, then in the deep practical study of the great religions and practices. He began teaching meditation at the age of 22. John is an initiated yogi; his teacher was Sri Swami Satchidananda Saraswati, who studied under both Ramana Maharshi and Swami Sivananda. In 2014, after a series of profound shifts in consciousness, including a near-death experience, John felt that he had to set aside all labels and begin sharing the teachings with people as he now does.
John's down-to-earth approach is informed by his practice, insight, love, and family life, and his teachings are underpinned by his compassion for all beings.
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“The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.
His constant practice is humility.
He doesn’t glitter like a jewel
but lets himself be shaped by the Tao,
as rugged and common as stone.”
Gratitude to my teachers
Though I am not aligned with any formal religion or tradition, I bow in love and gratitude to those who have walked before and beside me as guides through their teachings, presence, and inspiration:
Stephen Levine, Donald Shimoda, Paul Brunton, Ramana Maharshi, Sri Nisargadatta, Pema Chodron, Ram Dass, Swami Janakananda, and most especially beloved Sri Swami Satchidananda and my students, who perhaps are my real teachers.