Dear reader COMMUNITY Over the last decade, we have become better at knowing what brings us contentment, well-being and joy. We know, for example, that there are a few core truths to the science of happiness. We know that being kind and altruistic makes us happy, that turning off devices, talking to people, forging relationships, living with meaning and delving into the concerns of others, offer our best chance at achieving happiness. But how do we retain happiness? It often slips out of our hands as quickly as we find it. So, when we are exposed to good things, or learn them, how do we continue to burn with them? And more than that, when our world goes dark, when we’re overwhelmed by illness or heartbreak, loss or pain, how do we survive, stay alive or even bloom? In the muck and grit of daily existence, full of disappointments and a disturbing lack of control over many of the things that matter most, our finite relationships, fragile health, fraying economies, our planet in peril, how do we find, nurture and carry our own inner, living light, a light to ward off the darkness? The happiness we seek is the happiness we are. Instead of chasing happiness, what if we’re to seek ourselves? THE SHANTI YOGA COMMUNITY CENTRE Everyone should be able to like where they live, love, work, socialise and relax. We all want/need a space where people are healthy, effective, productive, empowered, and motivated to do great work in support of their own wellbeing, that of their family’s and community’s, and the organisation’s mission and shared values. In a short period of time, and under intense pressure, we (and organisations all over the planet) have had to respond to extraordinary circumstances and changes, which have put old ways of doing things under the microscope. These changes are playing out in real time, throwing long-held assumptions about how we live, love, laugh and last together into a giant, relentless, new mix. The usually dynamic and interactive process of participating in the life of the Shanti Yoga centre, and tapping into its vibrant, effective, and healthy energy, has just not been that possible for some individuals to participate in, when they have been challenged by having to manage their own physical and mental health issues, arising from the prevention and aftermath of the virus, and life in general. There have been challenging times for all, and for everyone, despite the adjustments that have had to be made to continue to nurture a space where people enjoy coming to, we have not lost focus on the things that matter most, including environmental sustainability, celebrating diversity and inclusion, encouraging physical and mental well-being, team building, enabling self mastery, and other important agreed-upon initiatives, shaped by yoga's yamas and niyamas.