By Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network
The Festival of Inner Lights, with live artistic performances and a guided meditation for Mother Earth, will take place within the magnificent setting of the Art Gallery of Burlington in the heart of the city. The Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network is pleased to present this free event to come together with our fellow community members for an afternoon of music, art, and connections.
It will be a joyful and enlightening celebration with artists from around the globe, and other spiritual connections that unite and elevate our spirit. Our featured Canadian band, called the Nirmal Lights, will delight everyone with traditional songs from Ukraine, Iran, Turkey, Romania, and India including captivating Diwali bhajans (devotional songs expressing spiritual ideas).
The audience will experience a diversity of musical instruments such as accordions, violins, djembe (African drum), and guitar as well as soothing voices singing Christmas carols from around the world.
Our special guests, who are coming from Montreal for this occasion, include talented French-Canadian artists like Ekaterina Lavrentyeva, originally from Ukraine, and Özlem Gibeau, who embraces her Turkish roots and has been adopted by the Métis of Canada (Les Griffons du Kebek).
Lavrentyeva was recently recognized with the City of Saint-Lambert’s 2023 “Heart in Action” award for her work in acting an interpreter to Ukrainian refugees arriving in Quebec, for helping collect all the necessities these new arrivals would require, and for highlighting Ukrainian culture through her own art. This will mark Lavrentyeva’s second visit to honour us with her music and gorgeous singing; she previously performed at our March Festival of New Beginnings, and we are so pleased to welcome her back to Burlington on Dec. 10.
This free festival is scheduled for Sunday, December 10, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the Shoreline and Rotary rooms at the Art Gallery of Burlington. Everyone is welcome!
This collective gathering will also mark the culmination of 100 Seeds of Joy, a transformative journey aimed at fostering mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being across the Burlington community. Initiated by the Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network volunteer team and inaugurated by the Mayor of Burlington in March 2023 on Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Day, the 100 Seeds of Joy initiative is meant to carry on the legacy of Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi, the revered founder of Sahaja Yoga Meditation, and commemorate her 100th birth anniversary.
Initially, the 100 Seeds of Joy project aimed to host 100 free workshops and events for this year, but our team of volunteers has gone above and beyond for our beloved Burlington’s 150th anniversary. In fact, we reached the exceptional achievement of over 150 free mental health events that were offered in a variety of formats, reaching out to people of all ages and bringing to them the benefits of spontaneous meditation: instant de-stress, calmness, inner peace, self respect, confidence in themselves, and ultimately, experiencing joy and hope.
Recently, the Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network was honoured to speak to European Sahaja Yoga groups on our 100 Seeds of Joy initiative, as towns in Belgium, Poland, and Italy wish to create their own 100 Seeds of Joy projects within their own communities. “Thank for throwing the seeds across the ocean!” was amongst the feedback we received, and we look forward to seeing how those towns spread that ultimate message of joy and hope to their neighbours.
Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi’s movement is not restricted to any one religion or culture. As Anjali, one of our volunteers explains, “What we do is not Hinduism, it’s not Christianity, it’s the essence [of humans], it’s how energy is connected” inside of each of us, and how that energy connects us to each other and everything around us.
Carmela, another of our volunteers, says, “Everything we really need is inside of us — that’s what I really love.”
The 100 Seeds of Joy initiative, placed in the beautiful tapestry of Burlington’s culture, welcomes everyone to this momentous event that promises to present the essence of unity, cultural richness, connectedness, and holistic wellness. We request you to join us and also joyfully spread the word. For further information, please contact us at https://100seedsofjoy.com/contact/, call us at 416-294-5118, or email us at 100seedsofjoy@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network
100 Seeds of Joy Community Initiative
