By guest author Mike Kuplevatsky The fundamental nature of happiness and our relationship between our inner world and the external world most often intertwine. Without realizing it, our happiness is often governed by the external world. For example, if someone frowns at us, honks a horn at us, calls us crazy, disagrees with with some of our viewpoints or thinks badly of us, our happiness most often instantly becomes interrupted. That can play out into violence towards ourselves or to … [Read more...]
Asha of Ananda on the True Attainment of Happiness
by Kara-Leah Grant It was the peak of the hippie era when Asha discovered her life path and the teachings of Paramhansa Yogananda, who wrote Autobiography of a Yogi. While she never studied directly with Yogananda, who died in 1952, Asha ended up spending over forty years with a disciple of his, Swami Kriyananda. Asha has devoted her life to bringing spiritual understanding to others through teaching, counselling, and writing. Asha means “hope” in Sanskrit. Her formal title is … [Read more...]
May 5th-6th: Wellington, Laughter Yoga Workshop
This experiential (and often life-transforming) workshop is ideal for personal development and anyone interested in running a Laughter Yoga group (certification upon completion of workshop). A combination of positive psychology and how to access unconditional laughter is taught, to give participants valuable tools for every day life. Laughter Yoga is a deceptively simple yet very powerful form of exercise, combining laughter exercises with yogic breathing. Ultimately, Laughter teaches you … [Read more...]
What’s Love Got to Do with Meditation?
by guest author Peter Fernando, Meditation and Mindfulness In many traditions, the practice of kindness and love is an integral part of the meditative journey. You may wonder, 'why?' Sometimes the way that the concept of 'mindfulness' is presented can make it seem like a utilitarian technique to become more efficient, or more functional in the world. This is certainly a part of it, of course. But then there's the love thing. You can't go too far into any authentic contemplative tradition … [Read more...]
It’s ok to be happy you know?
I'm so excited right now. And really happy. There's joy spilling from my fingertips. I've had Massive Attack blasting in the morning as I dance my way through making breakfast and Madonna getting in to the groove when I get ready to go out... Not only have I found an awesome house to live in city-side, but I've also got three super-duper roomies moving in. Plus I'm building up my one-on-one yoga clientale, and LOVING teaching my students. I'm doing writers coaching via Skype … [Read more...]
DVD Review: Love and Happiness
See the end of this review for a chance to win a copy of Love and Happiness. I’m a sucker for snail mail. I’ll take just about anything if it’s going to come in the post. So when I was offered up a copy of Swami Govindananda’s Love and Happiness DVD I jumped at it. A few days later a lovely brown package showed up in my mail box. Unwrapping the packaging, I flipped it over to read the description on the back, I opened the case looked at each of the six discs, then put the DVD case on … [Read more...]