Vijay Warman, the owner of Mystic Mandala, in Plano, says his journey to becoming a local spiritual guru began in his childhood in Dehli, India, growing up in a home with no television and only his father’s books on metaphysics to read. As a result, philosophers such as Lao-Tzu, author of the Tao Te Ching, and Kabir, a 15th-century mystic, poet and saint, became his role models. “What Kabir spoke about 600 years ago is still pertinent today,” he states.

As an adult, Warman worked in the fashion industry and lived in several cities across south Asia and New York City before his job brought him to the Dallas area, where he found an outlet for his spiritual interests by hosting his own radio show, Sufi Rockers, on 104.9 FM. On the show, he plays music and talks about his heroes Lao-Tzu and Buddha. “Doing that radio show and preparing for it and reading about these mystical warriors made me realize there’s much more than the corporate world,” says Warman.

He saw that he had something to teach others and decided to follow his heart. “I had to do something to help people find their own paths,” he says, and launched Mystical Mandala in 2013, a center for spiritual guidance, specializing in feng shui and vastu shastra. “The vastu shastra is the Indian version of feng shui, with the guiding principle that the northeast corner of the house is the most auspicious and should be kept uncluttered,” he explains.

Warman notes, “I’m a firm believer in decluttering. The clutter around our house clutters our mind. In the laws of Western economics, the more money you have, the richer you are. In the laws of spirituality, the less possessions and worldly things you have, the richer you are.” In his former career, he traveled 100 days a year, but today he stays at home and cooks for his wife and two children. He stays grounded by getting up at 4 a.m. and studying his texts and meditating. He also prefers to sleep on the floor.

Warman thinks the main problem of today’s society is everyone is wanting to be someone. “The person we want to be is always out there somewhere else,” he says. “The way out is to become ordinary. To just be.”

He’s planning a December 6 reprise of the successful Holistic Festival of Life held in July, a unique combination of holistic health vendors, speakers and breakout sessions, along with music, dance and other entertainment, and plans to make it a biannual event after the first one drew more than 4,000 people. “Once you’re on this path of spirituality, there is no time to waste,” he says. “It’s like going to the hospital. Once you realize you have not lived correctly, now is the time to do something about it.”

Mystic Mandala is located at 2121 W. Springcreek Pkwy., Ste. 119, in Plano. For more information, call 972-750-1419or visit MysticMandala.guru.