Don Miguel Ruiz is the author of The Four Agreements and Beyond Fear: A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy. He was raised by a Curandera (healer) mother and a Naqual (shaman) grandfather in Mexico. He trained as a medical doctor but had his life turned around by a near-death experience in an automobile accident. Since then, Ruiz has taught the basic elements of ancient Toltec wisdom and spiritual practice, learned from the oral tradition of his people.

On this hour-long interview with Michael Toms, the best-selling author briefly discusses the four agreements: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. Follow these, says Ruiz, and you will experience the personal freedom and joy that is your birthright. The wrong path is to be consumed by fear. This leads to enslavement to a false story and imprisonment in a self-constructed hell.

Ruiz presents a breathing meditation that grows directly out of his code of conduct: it emphasizes the divinity of the body and the importance of envisioning love in the world. He believes that personal freedom for all is the collective dream of the planet.

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