“In meditation, effort must be applied in a direction opposite to what we are used to. Our ‘effort’ must be to relax ever more deeply. We must ultimately release the tension from both our muscles and our thoughts. When we relax so deeply that we are able to internalize the energy of the senses, the mind becomes focused and a tremendous flow of energy is awakened. Meditation is a continuous process, and can be said to have three stages: relaxation, interiorization, and expansion.” – John Novak, Lessons in Meditation.

Do you volunteer?

Do you volunteer? Over the holiday season or throughout the year?

Pretty much everywhere you go this time of year you can see people giving of their most valuable commodity. Time.

Speaking as somebody who has volunteered pretty much my whole life I can tell you that everybody wins. Not only the person/people you are giving the time to, but you too benefit. Hugely. I'm not exaggerating in saying that it might just be one of the most valuable experiences of your life.

If you give of yourself, good on ya!

And if you don't you should do yourself and the folks in your community a favour by giving of yourself. There is only one you. And the world needs us! All of us.

We all have causes we believe in and topics that interest us. And we all have skills and ways of helping unique to us. Everyone can benefit! I almost feel guilty volunteering. Nothing makes you feel better! It adds such a richness to your life. I believe it releases endorphins too. And from a karmic stand point you can't go wrong. We will all need help in this life and thats a fact. So why not help?

I have an array of organizations I love to help but the two biggest are The Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada (website here), including their BrainWAVE Program ( website here), and the one and only Shanti Uganda Society (website here). *Both of which are always looking for volunteers!

If you ever had any questions for me or wanted to be pointed in the right direction feel free to contact me, anytime at yoginilori@gmail.com I'd really love to help you get started. You will not regret it!

Happy holidays and namaste xo

take some time to get quiet and don't be afraid to be who you really are

Every day we slaughter our finest impulses. That is why we get a heart-ache when we read those lines written by the hand of a master and recognize them as our own, as the tender shoots which we stifled because we lacked the faith to believe in our own powers, our own criterion of truth and beauty. Every man, when he gets quiet, when he becomes desperately honest with himself, is capable of uttering profound truths. We all derive from the same source. There is no mystery about the origin of things. We are all part of creation, all kings, all poets, all musicians; we have only to open up, to discover what is already there. ~Henry Miller

Staying Simple

Be blessed

in the basic awareness
of knowing
you do not know
the answers,

In this humbleness
is strength
guiding all
toward their own true nature,

Not the weakness
of complicated cleverness
that disguises the ego
as the master,

Be willing
to blend peacefully
into common-place cycles of life
with sensible precaution
of the silent destiny
always at work,
regardless of your particular opinion,

There lies comforting understanding,
within faithful surrender to the unknown,
invisible, inevitable presence,
that a clearer pattern exists,

Containing the joy
of simply being
amidst the unforced process
of the Tao.

Gordon Neumann