Yoga With Jennifer Bell-Harding

07/18/2025

Recovery after brain injury isn’t linear — it can feel confusing, isolating, and exhausting. But you don’t have to walk it alone.

This September, I’m offering a new yoga therapy class series for individuals navigating life after concussion, trauma, or brain injury.

Through mindful movement, guided breath, and gentle stillness, this series supports:
- Re-integration of mind and body
- Emotional regulation and resilience
- A sense of inner grounding

These classes are small, trauma-sensitive, and fully adaptable.

💬 If someone in your circle is walking this path, sharing this could mean everything.

If this resonates with you, there’s more to explore: www.joanndalfonso.com

07/18/2025

How to lead peacefully: Verse 30 of the “Tao te Ching” by Stephen Mitchell.

Pronouns updated by me.

Whoever relies on the Tao in governing (citizens)
doesn’t try to force issues
Or defeat enemies by force of arms.
For every force this a counterforce.
Violence, even well intentioned,
Always rebounds upon oneself.

The Master do their job
and then stop.
They understand that the universe
is forever out of control,
and that trying to dominate events
goes against the current of the Toa.
Because they believe in themselves,
they don’t try to convince others.
Because they are content with themselves,
they don’t need other’s approval.
Because they accept themselves,
the whole world accepts them.

02/13/2025

I am curious why Magnetricity (the flow of magnetic monopoles as the magnetic equivalent of electricity) has not been pursued as an alternative way to generate energy to heat our homes and transport us? It would reduce our dependence on fossil fuels even make solar panels more efficient. Scientists have known about it since 2009.

Major Energy Discovery

02/05/2025

Yoga Sutra 1.33 from Patanjali says:

“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.”

maitri karuna muditopeksanam sukha duhkha punyapunya visayanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam

Nischala Joy Devi interprets this sutra as representing four locks that block us from our natural peaceful state.

The four locks are:
sukha (happy people who we are a little jealous of),
dukha (unhappy people who bring us down, or we look down upon),
punya (the virtuous people being noble who we resent or criticize), and apunya (the not-so-virtuous people who trigger us, and oppose our core values aka evil).

Using the driving example:
1) people happily driving the speed limit when we are late and in a rush
2) people stuck on the side of the road
3) seniors driving cautiously
4) reckless drivers with no regard for others safety

Patanjali offers 4 keys to open these locks so we can remain peaceful, centred when encountering others.

The four keys are:
maitri (friendliness or loving-kindness),
karuna (compassion),
mudita (delight), and
upeksha (disregard or equanimity)

Using the driving example:
1) smile, slow down and let the happy driver be the ‘pace car’
2) have compassion and stop to help the driver on the side of the road*
3) exercise patience with senior drivers, delight in their independence.
4) honking your horn (confronting or trying to argue with) a reckless driver will unlikely change their behaviour and likely escalate the situation. AVOID these drivers. Calmly contact the authorities who are trained and equipped to keep the peace.**

*Recently my car was stuck on a slippery hill and a kind pedestrian saw me struggling and slipping. He QUICKLY gestured to me, with out hesitation, “do you want me to push your car? I gave him the thumbs up with sincere gratitude. My spinning tires may have sprayed him with dirty slush, for which I am sorry. HE WAS SO COMPASSIONATE, it was his first impulse.

Sources: The Secret Power of Yoga by Nischala Joy Devi

**I am not sure if this is an official Oprah video or just a compilation but it speaks to the idea behind this sutra. Silence is GOLDEN. Retain your equanimity when confronted with some who is just looking for a reaction.

...

01/29/2025

Today is a black moon and look how the smoke from tradaka candle turned the moon black! This is the second new moon in January, black moons are rare. Good time to set an intention and let go of the expectation.

01/21/2025

Join us this Thursday, January 16, at Active Living for Seniors for a discussion about Long Term Care Options with Marie-Claire Chartrand of Greywave Consulting!

Marie-Claire will dive into the differences between private and public long-term care, how both work, and how to make the best choice for you and your loved ones.

Presentation begins at 10 AM followed by exercises at 11 AM.

Join us in person at 6225 Summit St (Faith City Church)
or online via Zoom:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/95992998007?pwd=WGlEQ1FqVThtZWV1TjIwV1lLNFhNUT09

01/15/2025

Connecting with nature on our Winter Yoga Day at the cottage.
Ikabana representing love that emerges from conscious communication. Roses in a coral inspired vase created at Crescent Clay
Look how branches grow from the core of trees!
Pomegranates also made at Crescent Clay with orchids.
Listening to trees.