Think Less And Grow Rich

Hi there.

I’m Richard Paterson, ex-monk, meditation teacher, transformational coach, spiritual life coach and author of two books, “Kick The Thinking Habit” and “Awaken The Happy You.”

After almost four decades of spiritual exploration and self-discovery, it’s now my passion to share with others some of the spiritual nuggets I’ve unearthed along the way.

For the past 20 years, I’ve been helping people find more peace, joy, and inner freedom—to wake up to a richer, deeper, more spiritually connected experience of life.

A Little Bit About Me
Captivated by the book “Autobiography of a Yogi” by Paramahansa Yogananda, I set off for India in my early 20’s on a mission tolearn to meditate.

I quickly fell in love with both the country and its rich spiritual tradition, and spent much of my 20’s and 30’s hanging out in Indian ashrams.

I was blessed to sit with some well-known spiritual masters during this time and to absorb their wisdom and teachings.

I had a passionate desire to be free of the drama and neuroses of my restless mind, and to experience for myself the inner state of unconditional peace and uncaused happiness which was the common thread they all spoke of.

In 2004, I decided to go all in, and embarked on a 6-month meditation intensive, which ended up being the catalyst that changed everything.

Two months into the retreat, I stepped outside one day and it was as if the lens I’d been seeing ‘reality’ through had completely changed. The world was vibrant and alive. I felt a deep sense of Oneness, an unconditional love for everyone and everything, and feelings of peace and joy that were beyond anything I’d experienced before.

I had learned so much about how the mind works, the true cause of human suffering and, most importantly, how to move beyond our limited thinking patterns to connect with our true nature, and I knew my purpose from then on was to share what I’d learned with others. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the past 17 years.

I took vows as a monk and moved to Mexico, where I spent the next 5 years running meditation classes and retreats.

Gradually, I became more and more drawn to the Self-Inquiry (Who am I?) teachings of Ramana Maharishi and other non-duality teachers, exploring the topic of who we are beyond the thinking mind.

For the past 10 years or so, I’ve been spending my winters at his ashram in Tiruvannamalai, Southern India—writing, meditating and attending live teachings with other spiritual teachers such as Swami Atmananda, Mooji and Lisa Cairns.

In 2016, I completed a 2-year mindfulness teacher training program with the UK Mindfulness Association.

Why Think Less And Grow Rich?
Within each and every one of us, beneath the level of the mind, there is a treasure trove of uncaused peace, joy, love and perfect contentment waiting to be discovered—your true Self.

Why are we not aware of it?

Because our busy thinking minds produce so much noise, so much static, that we fail to notice the still, silent presence underneath.

The key to unlocking this inner treasure is to become quiet enough that we are able to access the peace, joy and connection that is always there, beneath the surface level of the mind.

I believe this is the experience every person is looking for, consciously or not.

Guiding people there is the basis of my coaching work.

As Eckhart Tolle says:

‘The most decisive moment in your life is when you discover you are not your thoughts or emotions—that you can be present as the awareness behind thoughts and emotions.