Ever practice Tonglen meditation? I often do. Especially lately. It's powerful stuff..

Changing pain to compassion.

Come to the movies with me!

Shanti Uganda Society (www.shantiuganda.org) will be hosting a special screening of Yogawoman (www.yogawoman.tv) and holding a silent auction at Denman Cinema's on February 28th from 6pm - 9:30pm in order to raise funds towards improving infant and maternal health, providing safe women-centered care and supporting the well-being of birthing mothers and women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda. Featured in the film, Shanti Uganda uses yoga to improve the spiritual, physical and emotional well-being of communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, poverty and war in Uganda.

YOGAWOMAN is a groundbreaking feature film about the powerful impact of yoga on women's health, fitness, emotional well-being, and personal growth. In record numbers, women are finding strength, vitality, peace and power through yoga. Reclaiming this ancient spiritual path from its traditionally male form, the result is a radical transformation of modern yoga as we know it.

YOGAWOMAN gathers 50 of the world’s leading yoga experts in an exploration of this global phenomenon that has changed the face of yoga forever.This screening will benefit Shanti Uganda (www.shantiuganda.org) and tickets can be purchased through Event Brite or at the Cinema on the day of the event.

If you had one wish for Christmas what would it be?

John Lennon answers in the video below:

Peace on Earth.

That implies no violence.

No starving children.

No violent minds.

No violent households.

No frustration.

No fear.

"We think the future is made in your mind"

Every Dec 1st two things come to mind when I awaken...

The AIDS crisis and the Montreal Massacre (Dec 6 '89) and I just can't help it.

And I believe its a good thing as neither one should ever be forgotten.

Its world AIDS Day and HIV/AIDS Awareness week in Canada.

I remember the years before this horrible disease was discovered and changed our lives forever. I was just reading that there are 34 million people in the world living with HIV and that 80% do not have access to treatment.Thats so tragic.The numbers of people here in Canada (and everywhere else) continues to rise.

Apparently most teens believe that there is a cure for HIV...and of course there is not. More reason to educate our children is that: According to the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (“CANFAR”): “A quarter of Canadians with HIV are not aware of their infection and young adults (aged 15-29) account for approximately 26 per cent of all people diagnosed with HIV in Canada."

**Don't forget The Shanti Uganda Society **and all they do in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Shanti's Mission statement is:

"The Shanti Uganda Society improves infant and maternal health, provides safe women-centred care and supports the well-being of birthing mothers and women living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda." and helping is so easy and the ways are countless.

click here for more info.

One last note is that ALL Vancouver Whole Foods locations will be donating 5% of their net sales today to Aids Vancouver Grocery! Click here for more info on that.

Have a FAB day friends and Happy December! Hard to believe its here already.

Let's help those less fortunate stay warm over the winter months.

Do you have any blankets, hats, mitts and scarves etc that are just taking up space in your closets that you'd like to donate to keep someone warm this holiday season?

My partner Silas and I can make it really easy for ya...

If you come to any of my classes on a Tuesday Wednesday OR Thursdays (sorry not my Monday classes), you can bring them to me and we would happily take them to a shelter for you!

Some years we are more successful than others in doing this, but we are hoping to collect lots, and we always have plenty of time over the holidays to make deliveries.

If you do not come to my yoga classes and live in in the Vancouver area feel free to Facebook me OR email me at yoginilori@gmail.com and we can arrange for a pick up!

Please DO NOT drop items off at my workplaces. They can not accept them. Happy Holidays friends. Stay safe xx

Hey look. It's all of our lives.

A really beautiful ad for marriage equality.

Happy International day of peace today. Spread it far and wide! Be it!

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace. Jimi Hendrix

Papergirl Vancouver. The Art of giving Art.

What is Papergirl Vancouver?

"Papergirl is an art project from Berlin.

In the style of American paper-boys, rolled art pieces will be distributed by bicycle in the streets of Vancouver to random passers-by. Is that not the most amazing thing you have heard in a very long time??

It is to me. I love it!

Art should be accessible to everyone. That is the spirit behind Papergirl, the pedal-powered and volunteer ridden project that combines art, philanthropy, and bikes!

A redefinition of street art, Papergirls volunteer cyclists criss cross the city delivering art directly into the hands of perfect strangers.

From August 22 to 27 the Roundhouse Community Center (click here ) will display an assortment of donated artworks before the art is bundled up and given away on the street. It’s the art of giving away art.

THIS is the coolest thing in the world and YOU can get involved! For more info click here

Ever see The story of stuff? Its worth a watch, right along with all the other story of stuff videos.

Here are some links to some of the other Story of stuff videos

Cosmetics click HERE

Electronics click HERE

Bottled water click HERE

Cap and trade click HERE

Man invents machine to convert plastic into oil

This is amazing! A girlfriend sent this to me this morning and wow...

Read the subtitles, it's in Japanese.

I can't believe The Briefing is just 5 days away!!

Heres the trailer for The 2011 Briefing at UBC.

Are you going? Can you go? I am so sad I can't go but I'll be there in spirit. I've got my yoga classes to teach that night, and I've never been one to miss those!

It takes place Tuesday January 25 from 5-8pm at UBC Woodward 2 and you can register here for a toonie, and make your voice heard!

It's called The UBC Dollar Project (click here for more info).

You can hear about 8 different community projects and vote for your favourite one! And YES Shanti Uganda is one of them! **click here for Shanti's site**

I love the whole concept so much. The fact that you can pay a dollar and make a HUGE impact in the world. Thats so beautiful to me.

And to me, just listening to the speakers and hearing their passion, while learning about the world around me and the various causes being discussed would be so fascinating to me. If you can go, go!

I can't wait to hear all about it! And being an Ambassador for the organization and feeling so passionately about it, I am rooting for The Shanti Uganda Society all the way! We need that fence asap, and every single bit helps! For more info on Shanti's Fence Project click here

To keep up with Shanti Uganda and all the good they do, and their various projects etc, you should sign up for their newsletter. Its lovely and will make you feel really, really good inside. much like yoga. Namaste.

The Shanti Uganda Society

This video is a couple of years old now but if you haven't seen it you should check it out. It is truly wonderful what this organization does and has accomplished, and is still doing. Although they have reached some goals, please consider helping if you can..

Shanti Uganda's website is here (www.shantiuganda.org)

It feels so good to be a part of this. Let's all help!

They just have so many ways to help and so many gorgeous items you can purchase. Gifts you can buy to enjoy yourself personally, or gifts you can buy and give to others! Click here

And gifts of action. All which give and give and keep giving!

-To sponsor a midwife click here

-To donate supplies click here to see what's needed

-To volunteer locally click here and in Uganda click here

-to donate to help build the fence that is now needed click here

-To purchase the beautiful jewelry and textiles made in the women's income generating group click here

And with the New year approaching so quickly check out Shanti's beautiful Inner peace Prenatal Yoga 2011 calendar here - you may even be in it as some of the lovely moms from my prenatal classes volunteered their time! This calendar is so lovely.

Click here for their December newsletter or here for their blog to stay up to date with the latest happenings!

The bottom line is that there are countless ways to help!

Lets give some gifts this holiday season that give twice :)

Namaste..