October/November Issue 2018

Oct/Nov Issue 2018 Oct/Nov Issue 2018 6 Volume 14 Issue Volume 14 Issue 6 $4.95 $4.95

CANADA’S SOUTH ASIAN & MULTICULTURAL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FRED HAYNES HAYNES YOGI YOGI AMANDEEP SINGH AMANDEEP SINGH SARAGARHI BALL SARAGARHI BALL

Fundraising for Veterans Veterans Fundraising for

WHY YOU NEED TO VOTE WHY VOTE www.aajmag.ca www.aajmag.ca

FROM THE PUBLISHER Dear Readers, I would like to begin by thanking our core AAJ Media Group, dedicated ambassadors, talented contributors and staff. Our publishing venture began with a simple idea yet determined to follow our mission to help shape the perception of the South Asian community across Canada positively. Now, 21 years later, we have a full Media Group ( Television, Radio, and Magazine ) shaping the world we live in.

This issue is another wonderful example of our intuition being put to good use. In every page, you will see the uncompromised quality and our exciting features about the upcoming Municipal Election.

We are proud to present this special issue on Civic Elections and hope that everyone will participate in the election.

Suki Pangalia CEO

REGIONAL TEAM P: 604.590.0007 E: info@aajmag.ca AAJ Media Group Surrey, BC

ISSN 2371-2481

AAJ Magazine is published by AAJ Media Group, doing business as AAJ Magazine Inc. AAJ is a magazine that is published every two months. Any reproduction of the magazine, editorial content, images or advertisements cannot be reproduced or reprinted in any form, without written permission of the Publishers. The views expressed by the writers in this publication are not the views of the Publishers or AAJ Media Group. The Publishers assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Copyright 2018 AAJ Magazine Incorporated. All rights reserved.

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Publishers Suki Pangalia Jim Kalsi Executive Assistant Reshma Mohammed Office Manager Varnnitha V. Editorial Dr.Suman Rosy Mann Dr.Arun Garg Patrick Walsh Nina Bhuddhev Mike McDonald Rupa Gopinath

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Design & Layout Yosof Hakimi Advertising and Sales Suki Pangalia Navkiran Brar Photography Aziz Ladha Images Credits Aziz Ladha Unsplash Pexels AAJ Television Programming Assistant : Neha Singh AAJ Television Executive Producers: Channi Singh Jasminder B. Suki Pangalia

NATIONAL TEAM Thank you Jim Kalsi Kshitija Kekal Abhishek Dobhal Sarah Zafar Jay Nair Aziz Ladha Nasimah Nastoh Sonali Pangalia Prem Patel Sanya Dhingra Geeta Dhingra Sarah Uppal Karen Nagra Kerry Gibson Jas Kooner Hershy Hse Sue Zhang Nasima Nastoh Qasim Bajwa Zahra Hashimi Sanj Grewal

British Columbia, Greater Vancouver Atika Bano 778.686.1588 Yosof Hakimi 778.317.7027 Zahara M Kelly Upptal Jay Nair Victoria Sonali Pangalia 604.341.3016 Bhinda Jaswinder Saggi 250.891.3174

Calgary Sunny Singh 587.501.4804 Saskatchewan, Manitoba Winnipeg Karen Brar 204.510.9298 Ontario, Toronto JP Budwal 647.887.6031 Etobicoke Channi Singh 416.970.1010

Kamloops Krishna Lakkineni 250.574.7988

Ottawa Sal Rafi 613.889.5682

Alberta, Edmonton Aman Gill 780.907.2207

Quebec, Montreal Manvir Singh 514.770.7465

Mike Brar 780.339.4477

JEFF WHITTIER

20 Cover Story Why you need to Vote

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Fred Haynes For Mayor of Saanich

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Fundraising for Veterans

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Interview with Bansuri player and Craftsman Jeff Whittie

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A mother’s Role in the Biology and Perception of raising children

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Mental Wellness and Health through Self-Empowerment

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GSBC Presents Navrati Festival

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My Name was January

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Moti Bali Running For Council

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Namaste Canada

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A MOTHER’S ROLE IN RAISING CHILDREN

6 WHY YOU

NEED TO VOTE OCT 20

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What to look for in the 2018 Civic 44 Elections West Coast Tagore Festival 2018

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Heritage Expressions on Nritta

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AKTV

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NAVRATI FESTIVAL

The Science of Healing in the Siri 54 Guru Granth Sahib Shen Yun

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FRED HAYNES

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54 YOGI AMANDEEP SINGH

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HOME STAGING...

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the difference between for sale and sold

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P: 604.657.6612 F: 604.207.0444 E: rita@aneleganttouch.ca

www.aneleganttouch.ca AAJ MAGAZINE

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TODAY

Why you need to vote on Oct. 20 Who is the largest group of registered voters in the coming local elections?

In most municipalities in B.C., those who skip the polls will outnumber those who show up to vote.

It’s not business voters, nor is it labour voters. It’s not Liberal, Conservative, NDP, or Green voters. It’s not Baby Boomer voters and it’s not Millennial voters.

In 2014, only 43 per cent of registered Vancouver voters showed up to vote compared with 57 per cent who were busy doing more important things between the hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on election day, not to men-

It’s the non-voters.

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tion

advance

voting

periods.

In fact, Vancouver was tops among B.C.’s larger cities. For example, Surrey, Prince George, Kamloops, and Richmond were all about one-third (33 per cent), while Burnaby was barely one-quarter (26 per cent).

Some places have higher turnout rates, but they are the exception.

Anmore (54 per cent) and Bowen Island (65 per cent) were the only places in Metro Vancouver to top 50 per cent, joining only 32 other municipalities province-wide to have more voters than non-voters. Tiny Zeballos was tops in B.C. with 89 of its 102 voters making it to the polls for an 87 per cent turnout rate. Zeballogonians should be teaching civic courses to the rest of us.

Strangely, for a level of government that is “closer to the people,” it has lower turnout than provincial and federal elections.

Looking at Vancouver, just under 180,000 voted in the 2014 local election, compared to an estimated 260,000 who voted in the 2017 B.C. election, and over 315,000 who voted in the 2015 federal election.

Gregor Robertson won with less than one in five of Vancouver’s 470,000-plus eligible voters voting for him, and received far fewer votes than Justin Trudeau’s and John Horgan’s Vancouver candidates. He also received fewer votes than Christy Clark’s candidates city-wide. While it makes no legal difference, wouldn’t it serve the city’s interests for its mayor and council to have a stronger democratic mandate?

So, given higher turnouts federally and provincially, we know then people are perfectly capable of voting. Why do they tune-out during local elections?

Local candidates don’t get as much publicity and there isn’t as much money spent on advertising and getting the vote out. The issues are, arguably, not as compelling and exciting. Do you want to talk municipal sewage or do you want to talk about the future of Canada? Provincial and federal politics are leader-focused and

conflict-driven. They boil down the choices to essential “truths.” Local elections are different. They’re not as emotional, and, therefore, less interesting. “I guess I’ll vote for Boring … if I get around to it.” In many cities, last time, there was not a hot race for mayor, which dampened turnout. But there were still races for councillors and school board trustees.

If anyone should be motivated to increase voter turnout, it’s the candidates themselves. That’s why you will see some candidates make emotional appeals whether it is “solving the housing crisis” or speaking to issues outside local jurisdiction like “stopping Kinder Morgan.” Voters need a reason to get off the couch and get to the polls — they may get that message over the airwaves, but the most effective way to induce turnout is to receive a personal plea from a candidate or a volunteer. It makes it personal and tangible. It’s no longer an abstract concept — someone is talking to “me.” That’s why the message and the ground game are important. How many people are these campaigns really touching? The ones that talk to the most voters have a much better chance of winning.

Even if the messages seem boring, local government elections are actually very compelling. They’re compelling for your financial security, the services you receive, and the livability of your neighbourhood. They’re compelling because they show that people actually give a damn about their community.

People who run for office are virtually all non-career politicians.

There are few full-time gigs in local politics, especially outside

biggest of B.C.’s cities. Local politicians are your neighbours, your insurance agent, or your kid’s soccer coach. This is not a field you enter to make money. People who run for local office must be patient as the wheels of democracy grind slowly on, especially during a sixhour public hearing where people are yelling at them. They are not saints either — they make mistakes and sometimes do boneheaded things. But they are stepping up, and if they can find their way on to the ballot, we should at least be able to find our way to the ballot box.

— you can go to the kids’ soccer game, walk the dog, grab a coffee, fix the fence, and still schedule 10-15 minutes to vote. You know what? If you’re reading this, you probably are voting. Get on someone else’s case and make sure they vote too.

After you have all that done, tune in to Global BC1 at 8 p.m. on election night for live coverage to see if the voters prevail over the non-voters this time. Now that would be compelling.

On Oct. 20, make a plan to vote.

It just takes a little multi-tasking

Mike McDonald Mike McDonald is chief strategy officer with Kirk & Co. and former chief of staff to former B.C. premier Christy Clark.

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TODAY

Fred Haynes

For Mayor of Saanich Hello. I am Fred Haynes and after serving four years on Council, I am very excited to be running to be the next Mayor of Saanich.

needs. In addition, it requires advocating effectively at times with higher levels of government to get great things done for Saanich.

idence-based approach to policy.

He and his wife Cathy have three college age sons, who motivate him to create a vibrant future for all.

I believe that being Mayor is about providing leadership, working in consultation with all elected councillors to build consensus around solutions. It also means listening effectively to residents and staff and to actively addressing community

About Fred

In his first term Fred delivered outstanding results by working as a collaborative problem solver.

He successfully brought forward initiatives on housing, economy, diversity, community safety, environment, and solved thorny issues,

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Fred is an independent, remarkably effective first term councillor with decades of community service. A business owner with a Ph.D. in diabetes, he takes an ev-

including the long-standing Gordon Head cattle feedlot problem.

Experience that matters Experience on council is invaluable for a candidate for Mayor.

These past four years, Fred has studied and learned a tremendous amount how Council works and how to be effective in that group. He has educated himself on how to deliver positive results for residents. Fred found it possible to build consensus even with a diverse range of opinions. Building win-win solutions that tackle old problems in new ways is one of his strengths.

Of his successes, one Fred is very proud of is helping secure federal funding for co-op housing. He worked on the “You Hold The Key Campaign� with the BC Co-operative Housing Federation and Saanich Council. Fred took a successful resolution to the Canadian Federation of Canadian Municipalities annual meeting to help secure extended Federal financial support for this essential component of housing. Separately, he achieved a similar outcome after lobbying for improved Federal support for renovation tax credits for seniors.

These enable seniors to better age in place, and stay in their homes.

Having a mayor who can successfully work with higher levels of government on behalf of residents is key to solving issues that are local, but outside municipal powers.

For rural Saanich, Fred has made a practical difference to local

farmers. Working with our farmers, Council and the Peninsula and Area Agricultural Commission, he was able to change our bylaws so that farmers can better protect their crops from predation by deer, geese and rabbits.

A housing advocate, Fred had great success with increasing on-campus student housing.

Working with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, he won unanimous support for a request from the Mayors and Councilors of BC to the Provincial Government. The outcome was some $450 million in financing from the Province wide to address this. The University of Victoria is responding with plans to build some 770 new housing units. This helps us all, as the off-campus students will be able to move on campus, freeing up precious rental homes.

Other key housing initiatives by Fred include advancing opportunities for garden suites in Saanich, small lot family homes, and more multifamily rental housing. There is housing crisis and we need more diversity in our supply. As a director on the Coalition to End Homelessness Fred is also working on supported housing initiatives. If elected as Mayor, he will continue to this important work.

Meanwhile, as our population grows we need to balance urban development with the maintaining and improving our urban green spaces and our agricultural lands. With good foresight and progressive planning Fred

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believes we can build an amazing sustainable future together. This includes respecting the Agricultural Land Reserve and our Urban Containment Boundary. It includes environmentally responsible planning and gentle infill where appropriate, particularly on transit corridors.

Economic development is also vital. We need to build our business and commercial activities in Saanich. This will help take

the pressure off of our residential tax base. It will help reduce the need of annual tax increases.

Mayor and Council must also respect the tax payer, which means spending within our means.

Guiding principles: Fiscal responsibility; Environmentally responsible housing; Protecting rural Saanich and our natural areas; Support local businesses; Working together.

SUNNY DAYS AHEAD The opening of the Teck Acute Care Centre at BC Children’s Hospital last fall welcomed patients into an innovative, purpose-built, state-of-the-art hospital.

It’s transforming pediatric care. But our work isn’t done. BC Children’s Hospital is one of the few pediatric medical centres in North America with a world class acute care centre, research institute, mental health facility, and soon, rehabilitation centre, all on a single campus.

Demolition has begun in areas of the 1982 hospital building, to build a new home for Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children. Sunny Hill, currently located in East Vancouver, is the only rehabilitation centre of its kind in BC, a provincial resource providing specialized services to children with complex medical, physical and developmental needs.

The relocated facility will combine increased accessibility and innovative technology to meet the needs of their unique patient populations. Thousands of children and their families from across BC come to Sunny Hill each year, seeking assessments, diagnoses and rehabilitation for conditions affecting their development.

Some of these conditions include: cerebral palsy, genetic conditions, autism, vision and/or hearing loss, acquired brain

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injuries, traumatic injuries affecting mobility, and children with prenatal exposure to alcohol or other drugs.

perseverance–these words personify the children and families we see here every day at Sunny Hill.”

“Sunny Hill is there when a child is born with or develops a condition such as cerebral palsy or autism,” said Dr. Nancy Lanphear, the head Developmental Pediatrics at Sunny Hill. “It’s also there for the families who never thought they would need us, until the day their child is in a car accident or suffers an unexpected stroke or cardiac arrest.”

The relocation of Sunny Hill is part of the final phase of a three-part redevelopment project undertaken by the BC Children’s and BC Women’s Redevelopment Project. To support this final phase, the Foundation has committed to raising an additional $12- million to help create and enhance a state-ofthe-art environment for Sunny Hill’s unique patient populations, including an enhanced gym with seamless indoor/ outdoor spaces, a larger multi-level therapy pool and an outdoor mobility garden. The Enhancement Initiative will also ensure that patients have access to the technology, equipment and program enhancements that they need to ensure their best possible health outcomes.

Sunny Hill is often the next step in the health care journey for children and their families once their acute medical issues are cared for at BC Children’s Hospital.

Sunny Hill kids are not “sick” in the traditional sense of the word, but rather they are learning or relearning how to communicate, walk and live their lives.

The unique nature and complexity of their needs may make it difficult to find all the support they need at home or in their community.

“Sunny Hill is the place where kids and families learn how to accept and eventually thrive with their “new normal,” continued Dr. Lanphear. “Courage, strength,

On November 3, BC Children’s Hospital Foundation’s A Night of Miracles Gala will celebrate its 10th anniversary by fundraising for the Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children Enhancement Initiative.

2018-10-03 3:47 PM

TODAY

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Saragarhi Ball Fundraising for Veterans

The Canadian Arm Forces is manned by some of the best Men and Women in Canada. They come from all walks of life regardless of their ethnic background, religious affiliation or political preference. Race, color or creed has no bearing on who can be in the Canadian Armed Forces.

I recently sat down with Mr. Chow and Mr. Nijjer at Aaj Studio and was able to observe two well disciplined people who made me proud to be a Canadian in their presence. As a result of my conversation with them I thought I would share a few thoughts of how and when Mr. Chow and Mr. Nijjer decided to Join the Canadian Armed Forces.

In the Fall of 2005 Mr. Chow’s Father a Veteran in having served for thirty seven years in the Canadian Navy sat down with his son and in only the way a Father can had a quite conversation and suggested he take a look at the Canadian Armed Forces. The idea being that in serving your country Canada you could benefit by having your education paid for.

The view was that if there was an offer to join you can always turn it down, no obligation or

commitment

was

necessary.

What was there to loose and maybe a whole lot to gain.

Mr. Chow put in his application in to see what the military had to offer.

He was pleasantly surprised that university would paid for along with a salary and other benefits.

After twelve years here he is with a full occupation as a Naval Warfare Officer on a temporary post, “Attractions and Diversity Officer” recruiting new dedicated young people with a desire to serve a higher calling.

Mr. Chow Goal is in the future to return to the fleet and to be a Captain of his own ship one day.

Mr. Nijjer joined the military twenty four years ago to serve his country Canada. As a Sikh he comes from a long tradition of Sikhs who served in Military service when called upon to do so and in a volunteer capacity.

Meaning without being asked they join to serve a higher call

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TODAY ing putting themselves in harms way to defend our way of life.

Mr. Nijjer enjoys travel where boredom does not exist. Having been in sports the opportunity of keeping up his fitness routine is a welcoming activity.

Mr. Nijjer is married to a beautiful lady who also served as a Nurse in the Military and is now in Charge of Community Nursing in Victory BC. Canada.

Mr. Nijjer is very proud of his son who has applied to also join the Canadian armed forces.

Mr. Nijjer has a passion to serve his community and is involved

in producing an event to assist Veterans. Saragarhi Military Ball supported by the Indian community to raise money for the Veterans should prove to be a success as it is a worthwhile cause.

Mr. Nijjer concerns are that the young people need Mentors and sees the military as an option and answer to the growing number of gangs on our streets with youngsters who have no purpose and direction in their life.

We at Aaj wish you good luck and happy/safe sailing on the winds of life.

Thank you for your service and this brief but pride lifting Interview.

Patrick Walsh Vancooner Patrick Walsh is a talented writer using his ability to reach others through poetry, Philosophy and in general articles on any subject in an educational and informative way. His objective is to bring truth as his primary objective in representing others and his own Ideas.

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TODAY

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TODAY

Interview with Bansuri player and Craftsman Jeff Whittier

J

EFF WHITTIER began his study of North Indian classical flute in 1971 at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California with G.S. Sachdev.

He performs the Indian classical tradition called “Gayaki Ang” or the style of playing based on Hindustani vocal music. As well as being a performer and teacher of the bansuri, or bamboo flute, he is also a master craftsman of the instrument. In a 50-year career of flute-making he has provided flutes to some of the most famous musicians of India, including Pt. Vijay Raghav Rao, G.

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S. Sachdev and Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia. His flutes are also used in the orchestras of Broadway shows including “The Lion King,” Miss Saigon” and “Aida.”

Interviewed by Leslie Schneider.

How did you become interested in Indian music?

During 1967 I was living in Haight-Ashbury when Ravi Shankar gave his performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. The next morning, the Grateful Dead

blared the reel-to-reel tape of that performance out of their window on Haight Street. A large crowd formed in the street to listen to it, including me. As far as I can remember, that was the 1st time I ever heard Indian classical music.

A few weeks later Linda Ronstadt and Kenny Edwards of The Stone Ponies, who were friends of my roommate, brought a sitar to our apartment. Kenny was trying to learn how to play it, à la George Harrison. There was a record shop in the South of Market neighborhood which carried a few Indian records for $2.99 each, and I bought

LP’s of Sharan Rani playing Lalit & Kaunsi Kanara, Panna Lal Ghosh’s Shri & Yaman, Pt. Ramnarain’s Patdeep with a dhun in Khammaj, and the Ali Brothers singing Kalavati & Gawoti. I listened to those recordings over and over, which is why I still remember them today. That was my introduction to Indian classical music. my roommate, brought a sitar to our apartment. Kenny was trying to learn how to play it, à la George Harrison. There was a record shop in the South of Market neighborhood which carried a few Indian records for $2.99 each, and I bought LP’s of Sharan Rani playing Lalit & Kaunsi Kanara, Panna Lal Ghosh’s Shri & Yaman, Pt. Ramnarain’s Patdeep with a dhun in Khammaj, and the Ali Brothers singing Kalavati & Gawoti. I listened to those recordings over and over, which is why I still remember them today. That was my introduction to Indian classical music.

How did you become interested

in

Indian

music?

In the late 60’s I lived at Mt. Shasta. I became interested in bansuri and met a disciple of Panna Lal Ghosh’s son-in-law Devindra Murdeshwar who showed me the basics of bansuri playing and manufacture. At that time I had friends who were studying at the Ali Akbar College of Music in Berkeley and they gave me material to practice. In 1971 I began studying full time with G. S. Sachdev and Ust. Ali Akbar Khan at AACM. During the first 5 years or so of that study I had the time to prac-

tice three or four hours a day and developed the basic knowledge of flute music and technique. After about 5 years of that I realized how much I didn’t know, and had to make a decision as to whether or not I would put in the time and effort to complete the task.

Obviously I decided to go ahead, but now almost 50 years into it, I know it will never be complete.

The more you know, the more you see needs to be done. I’m still making progress, though. Daily riaz is so much a part of my life I don’t feel right if I don’t practice.

branched out somewhat away from Indian music, but I still only perform classical and light classical pieces. For myself, I’m not interested in fusion, but I make flutes for many fusion players.

In 1975 I found the bamboo on Kauai which I have used to make bamboo flutes ever since. It was not native to Hawaii but it was brought by the ancient Polynesians who used it for a variety of purposes. They planted the stands of bamboo I use more than 1,000 years ago. As of right now, 2018, I have made about 41,000 flutes. About 32,000 of those were made from the bamboo I cut myself in Hanakapiai, a valley on Kauai. About 1,000 were made from the same species from Fiji, another 6,000 from a related species imported to me from Assam, with the rest being from various sources. Good flute bamboo has long nodes with a meter or so between the knots. Hanakapiai is my home-away-from-home and I feel a deep connection to it. I’ve spent about a year of my life there cutting bamboo. Now I’m getting old to carry 40-pound backpacks of green bamboo, but I’m still there in spirit. Today I make a number of different kinds of flutes, and several Broadway musicals such as The Lion King and Miss Saigon use my flutes in their orchestras. In flutemaking I’ve

After I had studied for about 20 years, I began teaching. Here in Silicon Valley there is a large population of South Asians, and most of my students are Indian, with the occasional Pakistani and Afghan.

I teach in the traditional way, by ear, and with endless repetitions.

I begin with easy material and gradually move to more difficult pieces and rags. On bansuri we play the komal notes – the flatted notes – by partially opening the holes, and that is a difficult technique to master. I try to establish a respect for classicism in my students. Many people today fail to distinguish between the rag and the scale used for the rag. That is to say, they simply regard the rag as a scale or mode. In truth, every rag has its own vocabulary and grammar, and people don’t want to put the practice in to master that. Each rag has been defined and refined by generations of master musicians who played that rag, and has hidden nuances which must be learned from someone who is proficient in the tradition. Indian music has been cheapened by people who simply reduce the rag to a scale.

Do you also teach this this oral tradition and feel a responsibility to help others to learn and sustain the musical form for the future?

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TODAY How is teaching itself also valuable to you as a performing artist?

Teaching music is a vast experiment in cognitive science. Each student learns differently. A teacher has to try to find the method or material which will allow the individual student to progress. In that way, you have to be your own best critic. A common-sense constant reappraisal of whatever you’re playing and teaching is constantly in order. There are at least two different kinds of practice. The first is improving and mastering material in which one is already proficient and the second is trying to assimilate new skills and material. There’s always something else to work on. The skill of self-evaluation is critical for the student, teacher, and performer.

What are some of the insights you have gained from daily practice and the betterment of your craft both as an artisan and performer/teacher?

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The thing I tell my students over and over is, “When you get the piece right, that’s the beginning of your practice, not the end of it.” However well one plays, one can always make it better. With flutemaking, the most important factor is respect for the bamboo itself. The flutemaker cannot simply impose his will on the bamboo. I have learned to pay close attention to each piece of bamboo in order to bring the best flute out of it. Probably the first 1,000 flutes I made, around 1970-

72, weren’t very good. Then I got the hang of it. Bamboo is an irregular substance. It’s not like a pipe or a plastic tube. Those irregularities can ruin a flute, but they can also enhance it if handled well. No two flutes are exactly alike, just like people. The principles of acoustic science must guide flutemaking, yet at the heart it remains an art.

Have you noticed changes in the audiences for the music or in the students teach over the last few years or more Yes. Back in the day, audiences paid close attention to the alap, the meditative beginning of a piece which explores the rag.

Now they fall asleep during the alap and wake up for the tihais.

Luckily, I can play a lot of tihais.

It’s part of the dumbing-down of classicism for the smartphone generation. I have had a couple of students ask me, “Is there an app that will tell me what rag a piece of music is composed in?” I tell them that’s what their own brain is for. Smartphones have ruined people’s concentration. The problem with people ignoring the alap is now so well known that I have seen Facebook memes ridiculing it. Indian classical music is meant to be a perfect balance of rag and rhythm and neither should dominate to the exclusion of the other.

FAMILIARITY As one of our financial services professionals, you are rooted in your own community. You know your clients well. That’s how you can help them make informed decisions and look to the future with confidence and peace of mind.

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TODAY

A mother’s Role in the Biology and Perception of raising children

W

e began you and I with the ingredients of blood, water, DNA, a life line as the umbilical cord.

I am learning today, as the umbilical cord must be cut at birth so does the closeness once the hormones become active and the

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need to replace the mother ties.

This is a design by nature which makes this adjustment difficult for both mother and child. While I understood the biology, I missed out on the psychology and perception of mother and child. Bruce Lipton (2005) that two cells in a petri dish require the environment to

grow and then must be left alone to strive on their own. I know I did something right in raising my son because there were times when his wisdom was far more accurate than mine. While my daughter was driven by effort and refused to see her potential. I have been sentenced for ‘loving too much’,

I did not know there was such a thing. After going to ‘Bad Moms’ school, I found that what I did was called ‘helicopter parenting’.

Once again nature took over as both mother and children will suffocate in this petri dish if they are not let out. If challenges are opportunity to grow, then this was clearly where I as a mother learnt to grow up and follow what I wanted to do but did not have the chance because I lost my communication skills among my cells.

I found strength where I thought I did not have, and those who knew me and my children thought this transition would kill me or send me to the third floor. It was just the opposite. I dance, sing, and write which has given my clients hope and courage to be who they are and not what their roles are in the family. What provided me the most stability was trusting my parenting and faith that my children have the foundation needed to find who they are one cell at a time.

Rosy Mann Rosy is on a journey and will take anyone who is willing to self-discover!

She has a Bachelor of Science (Population Health) and a Black belt in Nia.

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HEALTH

Mental Wellness and Health through Self-Empowerment Canada india network initiative (CINI 2018 )is behind us and it achieved its target. CINI 2018 was designed as a catalyst for building Healthy Civil Society through innovation, Technology and engagement. Canada India network Society, which conceptualised and organised the initiative also has its vision of building links between Canada and India through health.

CINI 2018 was its 3rd conference, each one building on the success and lessons of the previous one.

Even prior to the conference, it was felt that major need of action is in Community care and especially in chronic diseases. This is the area which covers most chronic diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression, addiction, chronic musculoskeletal dis-

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ease, stroke, renal diseases, and biggest one of all diabetes. The conference focused on 3 aspects of chronic diseases starting with Diabetes, Mental health, mental wellness and palliative care.

Mental health , especially ever increasing gap in mental diseases, loneliness, gap in the society due to technology have created a major health and wellness issue and conference has identified it as its main pillar for the conference.

Conference was designed to seek solution and most importantly, after the conference, work with both local and global providers of service to lower the burden of mental diseases. We were fortune to have 2 key speakers from British Columbia who have passion and commitment to work in this

Area. Dr Nitasha Puri a dedicated General Practioners, originator of local south Asian clinic to treat patient with alcohol and substance abuse addition and special commitment to the health of the community . Dr Suman Kollipara, veterinarian by training, information technology expert by profession and a seeker by higher calling. Dr Suman, as popularly called by his followers, can be seen in active workshops in the community to build mental wellness based on foundational teachings of Master Sunita ji. Both of them agreed to share their experience at the conference. Following is brief summary of Dr Suman’s work its vision and a footprint to build healthy civil society. The clinic, under the direction of Puri is already off and

running and CINI 2018 will work with Fraser health to further enhance its value in Care. The work of Dr Suman is critical to promote self-empowerment, and engage members of the community in mental health and wellness as described below briefly. The session was chaired by dr Victoria lee VP at Fraser health responsible for mental health and champion d by dr Anson Koo, Chief Psychiatrist and Regional program medical Director of the program.

Mental Illness is the silent killer of modern times. With the winds of change in time, we are driven by the speed of technology. Our minds are racing at an unimaginable & unpredictable speed on par with the power of computing, far greater than the neural networks can accommodate, twisting and squeezing the brain.

This is ultimately derailing the thought process, sometimes excited and sometimes depressed filled with turmoil and suffering.

We are in the new age of illness that is invisible yet making a detrimental and tangible impact on the quality of our lives, impacting all age groups, teens, adults & seniors, leading to Anxiety, Depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar disease, Addictions, Dementia, and other mental disorders. We know that there are many cutting edge therapeutic approaches in the form of pharmacological and behavioural interventions using drugs and counselling as a means of fixing the problem, yet we are unable to get to the bottom of it resulting in devastation of families and productivity in workplace costing our economy big time.

The solution to this problem may need some introspection and reflection along with travelling back in time to look for traditional alternative therapies involving Yoga, Meditation and other mind

alerting and altering practices.

We at Peace Tree Innovations Society have been on the ground for over a decade now working at the grassroots transformation of Mental Illness. We also have been supported extensively with guidance from Master Sunita who has been helping humanity for the past 4 decades across the globe in healing simple to complex illness using ancient wisdom tools of Yoga, Breathing and meditation. She had pioneered a healing program called ‘Sookshma’ which translates to ‘Subtle’. She believes that the root cause of mental illness whether it is anxiety, depression or addictions is deeply rooted in the mind, which most of the times is linked to inability to handle stress and challenges in life.

Her program is built on the foundation of Self Compassion and Self Love. In the rat race of life we yield to so many pressures starting from childhood and with the advent of social media, the peer pressure and social stressors take a toll on the human mind and the nervous system as a whole. These stressors in the family, in school, at work place and society as a whole eventually take a toll by manifesting into most of the mental illness. Unless we fix the root cause of cleansing and purifying the mind of these conditioned fears and traumas we will only be touching the tip of the iceberg.

And Sunita’s system of healing grounded in the ancient wisdom of understanding the mind has worked for decades now. Ancient wisdom goes deeper into the Mind and looks at various aspects of the mind and its functions. The steps involved in Yogic breathing and Meditation aim at decluttering the mind, cleansing the mind of its vices and bringing the mind to complete rest.

This state of relaxations results

in the change of psychology and physiology of the person over a period of time. Educating ourselves with wisdom clubbed with the modern medical approach can bring greater outcomes in tackling this challenge. This time tested wisdom also is now standing up to the tests of skeptics and scientists equally very well.

With the evolution of Neuroscience it is very clear that Neuroplasticity is real and our conditioned thought patterns fire the same set of neural networks over and over resulting in hardening of the behaviours over a period of time. There is enough evidence to show that mental illness infact brings structural changes in the brain. But the good news is that there is tremendous amount of research which suggests that the reversal of these illnesses is also feasible with studies showing changes in the brain structural areas of Prefrontal cortex as well as Amygdala with the practice of Mindfulness and Meditation.

The brain’s “fight or flight” center, the Amygdala, appears to shrink with the practice of meditation.

Amygdala is the primal region of the brain, associated with fear and emotion, is involved in the initiation of the body’s response to stress. Similarly thickening of areas in the Pre-Frontal cortex were noticed after few weeks of meditation practice. Prefrontal Cortex is responsible for Self-regulation, Self-awareness and Decision making which are critical

in recovery from Mental Illness.

We at Peace Tree also had an op-

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HEALTH initiation of the body’s response to stress. Similarly thickening of areas in the Pre-Frontal cortex were noticed after few weeks of meditation practice. Prefrontal Cortex is responsible for Self-regulation, Self-awareness and Decision making which are critical in recovery from Mental Illness.

We at Peace Tree also had an opportunity to conduct Sookshma Self Compassion Healing programs for Inmates at the Surrey Correction Center, Daytox Addiction treatment centre as well as Inpatient Unit at Psychiatric Unit in the Vancouver General Hospital. The narratives of the participants speak volumes about the impact these self-empowerment tools have on the outcome of their disease. We have seen many who have come to Sunita for healing from psychiatric illness as well as addictions heal completely after 8-10 week intervention of the Self Compassion Healing Meditation program.

At the crux of healing is the play of the Mind. The day to day mind that we use is the ‘Thinking Mind’ which is busy and occupied with thoughts and emotions. We hardly give any rest to the mind. Our sleep is supposed to bring the relaxation to the mind, but because of the information bombarded lifestyle where we go to bed with our mobile devises and social media, and we wake up with them, the mind and the brain hardly gets any rest. The subconscious minds are constantly active and spinning dream after dream in the sleep. And we wake up tired every morning because we have not rested our minds completely. The modern lifestyle has fast tracked this mind and over a period it simple shifts its gears to Anxiety, working overtime and over stretched. People go through this

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vicious cycle of unrested mind and one day simply collapse with illness. This is worst in teenagers, because the neural networks are very tender and still pruning to create a fully formed brain. Instead of nurturing and caring for these tender minds, we are stimulating them with information and percolating with vices in form of bad habits. Teenagers are exposed to toxic emotions by seeing things that they should not be seeing, hearing things that they should not be, and tasting things that they should not be, literally putting all the senses to the stress test. The end result is the mind which is distracted and polluted with wrong knowing and improper decision making. We have put senses on fire and we accept drinking, smoking, video games filled with violence as normal. As a Society we have gone way too far in the abuse of mind starting early on in the childhood. What we have is a perfect recipe for a disaster in making, teens admitted to hospitals for panic attacks, anxiety, depression, addictions and eventually committing suicides.

Contrary to the ‘Thinking Mind’, there is another side to the mind called ‘Witnessing Mind’. When we take step back and observe the same mind, we have a game changer. The same Mind that is busy and constantly thinking also has the ability to witness itself.

This witnessing simple awareness is the foundation of age-old wisdom practice of Meditation.

We now can see the 2 sides of the Mind, the thinking side and the witnessing side. It is like the same coin with 2 sides. This simple shift in the awareness has the potential to break the obnoxious cycle of anxiety, depression and addiction. The suffering and trauma in the mental illness is because people are entangled in the thoughts

and emotions. The entanglement is so deep that they have forgotten their ‘True self’ lost in the darkest corners of the mind. The moment we teach them the new skill of witnessing, they break the cycle.

They are surprised to see that they have the ability to regulate their own thoughts. They realize that they are not emotions and suffocating thoughts. They realize the freedom to choose their thoughts and emotions instead of getting victimized to them.

This process needs some training as the conditioning of the mind, neural networks and thought process has to be changed. We need to drag them out of those dark corners, not by counselling but through the inner works of the mind done in silence but filled with compassion, unconditional love and deep empathy. We have seen case after case where people walk out of the sessions with relief and a new breath of life.

All of this simply boils down to Self-Empowerment. If we as a society come together and embrace certain habits daily that reinforces mental wellness we can all sail though the current storm of mental illness. No wonder Meditation and Mindfulness are the buzz words of the millennium. The ancient wisdom is truly coming to rescue us from the perils of human extinction.

Yes, this may sound exaggerated, but we are in the path of self-destruction and unless we take a step back we will be soon dead

alive. We may continue to exist at a physical level with myriad comforts, but at the core we are killing the human spirit of love, compassion, empathy and forgiveness. When we truly start to appreciate ourselves, love and show compassion to the precious self, care for the self, and realize our true self, we can extend that love and compassion to others.

All that is needed is to shift the attention from outside to the inner world, to clean the mind, and shift from the vices of the mind to the virtues. It is time that the Medical systems start to embrace a holistic approach to mental illness. We together can change the destiny; we can redefine the mental wellness. We all clean the bodies every day with bath. Meditation is a way of cleansing and purifying the Mind so that we can tap into our peak potential. We take our bodies to gym for keeping them fit. Meditation is a way of taking Brains to Gym to keep it fit. It is high time that we take the power back to our self, instead of becoming slaves to the technology. Instead of becoming slave to the mind, we can sharpen and tame the mind as a tool to create wellness inside out. Human brain has always been at the forefront of evolution, and today we have ability to marry ancient wisdom practices with modern science to take Human Mind and Brain to the new frontiers.

For healthy civil society, there is unique opportunity to support

Fraser health’s major commitment to population based community care in mental health, substance abuse, addition. CINI, though focusing on South Asian population, has a broader goal and vision of total healthy society and all the lessons are applicable to society as whole. CINs will work with mental health and addition program of Fraser health to connect work of Dr Suman and support mental wellness and mental healthy living through the work he is doing. Dr Suman recently spoke at WHO conference on Mental Illness and Non Communicable Diseases and it is clear that need is phenomenal. On one hand society is coming close through Technology; same Technology is creating a human connecting gap, resulting in major mental illness, loneliness and social inequities. This is the next frontier of action for healthy civil society.

CINI2018 stated goal is to, catalyse action, connect dots and people, and build collaboration for positive outcomes. Through CINI 2018, we plan to work with our partners in developing capacity, knowledge in lowering the burden of mental illness. A special fund Canada India Network health Fund was launched through Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation, we hope to support work in mental wellness. Upcoming new building at Royal Columbian hospital is a great opportunity to provide the forum for such an action.

Dr.Suman Kollipara Dr. Suman Kollipara is co-founder of a Non-Profit, Peace Tree Innovations Society (www.peacetree.ca), Center for Wellness and Oneness, that works on grassroots transformation of wellness for conscious transformation of individuals, families and organizations He comes with a unique background of Veterinary Medicine, Computer Science & 11 years of training in Sookshma Self Compassion Program under an ancient living Master Sunita.

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ENTERTAINMENT

GSBC PRESENTS

Navrati Festival

T

he auspicious occasion of Navratri will begin in just two weeks and The Gujarati Society of British Columbia cordially invites you to attend its Navratri Festival this year. GSBC is a non-profit society which was founded in 1969 and we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary

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next year. We are operated exclusively by volunteers and through donations and sponsorships and want to extend a sincere thankyou to all our sponsors particularly our Platinum Sponsors, G&F Financial Group and Bharat Jewellers.

This year we have organized three days of Navratri on October 12, 13 and 17 at the Riverside Signature Hall in Surrey located at 13030 76 Avenue. And for the first time ever we will enjoy music from an Indian band featuring singers Asif Jeriya and Yutika Verma (Indian Idol 6 Finalist) and three talented

musicians.

Last year, an estimated 2,500 people attended our Navratri program enjoying an evening of prayers, Gujarati food, garba and raas, and the companionship of community. We are limiting ticket sales this year to ensure an enjoyable evening for all. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door (subject to availability) and includes a full Gujarati dinner prepared by our Senior Ladies Cooking Team lead

by Kamla Ben Ladva. Kids 10 and under enter FREE. Doors open for pooja at 6:30pm followed by garba, dinner, aarti and raas.

To purchase advance tickets please contact:

Burnaby Sarojban Desai: 604-523-9360 Kala Chauhan: 604-291-9070 Coquitlam Seema Kanji: 604-318-5381

Dandiyas will be available for purchase at the event for $5 per pair.

On November 10, 2018 GSBC will be hosting its annual Diwali Celebration at the Riverside Grand Ballroom in Richmond located at 1231 Burdette Street. GSBC members will get the privilege of purchasing their Diwali Celebration tickets during Navratri from 8-10pm and thereafter tickets will be available to the public by emailing info@gsbc.ca. This event is always sold out so don’t delay.

Tickets are $35 for members, $50 for non-members, $20 kids 6-12 years old and FREE for kids 5 and under. To become a member or pay your annual membership fee visit gsbc.ca/membership/. In addition, we will be presenting our first ever GSBC Entrance Scholarships worth $1,000 each to two recipients who have demonstrated academic excellence and service to community and school. Our Scholarship Committee is very busy vetting the applications and will announce the winners at the event.

Surrey Bharat Panchal: 604-551-6684 Nirma Desai: 778-896-3548 Vancouver Slice of Chicago 5812 Fraser Street 604-327-3007

GSBC wants to thank Aaj Media Group for being our exclusive media partner. Our mutual relationship has lasted for many years and we are proud to be working with such great people who enjoy bringing the community together. For more information or to donate, visit www.gsbc.ca.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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The much-anticipated documentary film, My Name Was January, has now been submitted to film festivals around the world.

soul rests in each and every one of us.

The film is directed by two former Journalism students from Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, Elina Gress and Lenee Son, and produced by Sher Vancouver.

January Marie Lapuz was a transgender woman of colour who was murdered in September 2012 in New Westminster, British Columbia. A grassroots, community-driven, “Justice for January” march followed shortly afterward.

The film has already been accepted into an amazing 12 film festivals in its first month of release since September 2018. The film has garnered 2 award winners, 3 semi-finalists, and 7 official selections so far.

My Name Was January picked up an award for Best Documentary Short Film at the Aphrodite Film Festival in New York City, as well as an Award of Recognition in the LGBT category at the Best Shorts Competition in California.

It was also a semi-finalist in the Best North American Documentary category at the Alternative Film Festival in Toronto and was a semi-finalist in the Best LGBTQ Film category at the Los Angeles Film Awards.

SYNOPSIS When a trans sister, January Marie Lapuz, is brutally murdered in her own home, a community reacts and her friends and other trans women of colour come to share and voice their issues, concerns, and challenges.

January was seen as a bright light in the lives of many. This is a story of January, a friend, a daughter, a person. This film will not only bring justice to January, but to all women who have lost their lives. January had a beautiful soul, and now part of her

BACKGROUND

January was born in Santiago, the Philippines on April 9, 1986, and later immigrated to Vancouver, Canada with her adoptive mother. She was an advocate for trans rights and was known as the “bright light” among Vancouver’s LGBTQ community.

January’s glowing heart has inspired and touched many across the community and through sharing her story, we hope to emit her light, legacy, and advocacy.

This documentary feature film is a celebration of January’s life, among other trans women of colour. This film is about remembering the impact that January had on the lives of everyone she encountered. This film is about uplifting the narratives and lived experiences of trans women of colour. This film is about collectively liberating all marginalized and oppressed people.

Trans women of colour are being murdered at an unprecedented rate and it is critical we stand in solidarity with trans women and fight for justice and trans rights, support trans narratives, and push for the eradication of transmisogyny.

Sher Founder and Producer, Alex Sangha, is seeking donations to submit the film to more film festivals and to pay for post-production costs.

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS AND DISTRIBUTION The film has been selected into an amazing ten (10) film festivals in its first month. Surprisingly, five of the film festivals are located in California with four in Los Angeles alone.

In addition, the film was selected as a Semi-Finalist at the Alternative Film Festival in Toronto where it was nominated for an award in the Best North American Documentary category.

Furthermore, the film was selected as a Semi-Finalist at the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Most notably, My Name Was January picked up an “Award of Recognition” in the LGBT category at the Best Shorts Competition in California, and most recently picked up the Best Documentary Short Film at the Aphrodite Film Festival in New York City.

The exclusive Canadian rights of the film for the educational market has also been acquired

by Moving Images Distribution which is a local non-profit social justice distributor in Vancouver.

A discussion guide for teachers is currently being prepared to go with the film. The film will be formally released for sale to high schools, colleges, and universities in 2019.

Alex Sangha Alex Sangha is an award-winning social worker based in Surrey, B.C. He was recently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) from the Governor General of Canada for founding Sher Vancouver which is a social, cultural, and support non-profit organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender South Asians and their friends and families.

TODAY

Moti Bali “Re-imagining the future of White Rock, a vibrant community that promotes diversity, affordable housing, gainful employment for youth and living in harmony with our neighbors including the Semiahmoo First Nations Community.�

I have been a proud resident of White Rock for over 26 years.

During this time, I have given back to this great community through numerous volunteering efforts.

These include: Chairperson of Community in Bloom, Vice Chair of the Arts and Culture Committee,

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Director on the Board of the Newbridge Academy (a school bridging the Chinese immigrant community, and, the White Rock Society), President of the White Rock Tennis Club for three years, and volunteering at both the Sea Festival, and, Tour de White Rock, as well as the

White Rock/South Surrey Hospice Society. To further support the growth of our multi-cultural community, I founded and have been President, over the past four years, of the Multicultural Festival of Lights in White Rock.

My wife Rama and I, find ourselves very fortunate to live in this community, but our community is changing. We have been married for 53 years and as parents of three children and four grandchildren, we want to ensure the change is for the good of the community and will support families with affordable housing and well-paying jobs. We want a community that supports and listens to its residents, a community that is progressive but responsible. That’s why I am running for Council.

My commitment is to speak with and listen to the residents of White Rock, to seek out their views, bring transparency to council, and ensure this community changes in a way that we can all be proud of.

I believe my work in the private sector along with my many years of service to this community, make me a strong candidate and someone who will make White Rock a better place for both families and businesses to grow.

I look forward to hearing from you and earning your support. Below is a more detailed biography.

I was born in Uganda, East Africa and moved to Canada in 1972. As a child, public service was ingrained in me by my father, a doctor who performed pro bono medical procedures to those less fortunate. In high school, I was student president, and my passion for athletics and the outdoors led me to climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as part of the Outward Bound program, and to this day I continue to live by the motto: “To Serve, to Strive, and Not to Yield.” This drive and commitment later afforded me the opportunity to compete nationally in both tennis and badminton and work as a sportscaster in radio and television. I obtained a joint Bachelor Degree in Economics and Political Science from Jai Hind College in Bombay, India where I was named ‘Top Athlete’ and ‘Best Student’ for three consecutive years. Next, I became a Principal of City High School in Kampala, Uganda which gave me the good fortune to lead and inspire students to strive for academic and athletic excellence.

In Kampala, we lived next door to the President of Uganda, Idi Amin.

We left in 1972 when he expelled

all Asians with British citizenship of which category we belonged.

For my public service contributions I was given a special citizen exemption to remain in the country, but chose to leave, given the political injustices and turmoil.

I first lived in North Delta and worked three jobs in order to sponsor my wife and two young children (at the time). I coached tennis, worked as a security guard at the peat moss plant, and, worked as a shift supervisor in the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Data Centre. It took me two years before I was able to sponsor my wife and daughters to this beautiful country we now call home. We became Canadian citizens in 1977 which was the same year that our son was born.

We then moved to White Rock in 1992. In Canada, I continued to compete at the provincial and national level in tennis, was the captain of the Stanley Park Tennis Club and, later became the President of the Sunshine Hills and the White Rock Tennis Clubs.

I also volunteered as a tennis coach at Matsqui prison whenever I had the time. All of these

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experiences and opportunities have made me realize how fortunate we are to live in a democratic society with endless possibilities; I have been blessed to have worked with and learned from so many wonderful and inspiring Canadians along my journey.

At first, life in Canada was very different from the affluent life I had previously had in Africa, but I was determined to remain optimistic, work hard, provide for my family, and show our children that anything is possible if you are willing to work for it. Both my wife and I were fortunate to have worked in the banking industry where opportunities were provided to those interested in advancing and working hard. Our careers allowed us to take leadership positions and provide comfortably for our children. The lesson to our children has been to work hard, work honestly, and give back to your community whenever you can. I do my best to lead by example. We came to this country with very little and eventually achieved success through dedication, commitment, and an unwavering belief that if you want something badly enough, you can obtain it through hard work and perseverance.

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My volunteering is a reflection of my desire to make a positive difference in the community that I live in. I am willing to put in the time and energy towards this endeavour. This past year I was honoured to be a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship Award for community service, and an Outstanding Canadians On The Peninsula Award from The City of White Rock, but I am not done yet!

If elected as a councillor for the City of White Rock, I pledge to continue to devote my time to represent all residents of White Rock with the goal of making this community a great place to live for all. I look forward to continuing to serve, work with, and learn from the amazing citizens of White Rock.

AWARDS Paul Harris Award from Rotary International Outstanding Canadians on the Peninsula Award from The City of White Rock

Photography & Videography

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ENTERTAINMENT

Namaste Canada W ith great glamour and festivity, Namaste Canada 2018 entered its 3rd year this fall as it continues its journey in bringing beautiful Indian cultural richness to Canada. It was wonderful to watch all the ladies dressed in their finery, dance costumes and exquisite jewellery adorning Michael J Fox theater with all the glitter from India.

Young children dressed in their beautiful costumes were skipping around having a great time.

The entrance was decorated with beautiful Rangoli, brass lamps and sitar music flowed through the hallway and auditorium. Gold, red, green and other beautiful col-

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ors were everywhere, it was like a slice of India. The program started of with the lighting of the lamp followed by the Indian and Canadian National Anthems and the inaugural speeches by both Indian and Canadian dignitaries. The Stars of the North Drum group performed a song that flowed into a group vocal performance by Pandit Jasraj School of Music. The grand Chanda Mela drum performance by the Vancouver Malyalee Samaja ended with the presentation of certificates to the participating organisations. The inaugural cultural program started off with a classical Bharatanatyam piece presented by Mandala Arts, followed by a Bhangra

dance from the Royal Academy of Bhangra before the intermission.

The second session started off with Shiv Tandav by Varad Ashram Inter Cultural Service Humanitarian World Association and later we had vibrant performances by Kashmiri group and Bharatiya Tamizh Sangam. This section included performances from various states of India, including a folk dance from Haryana, Dandiya Raas from Gujarat, Nryutendrajalam from Malyalee Association, a Telegu folk dance, and the famous Bihu dance from Assam. Thamil cultural association presented a Senthamil Nadu folk dance, and there was a Gid-

dha dance from Punjab. We also saw a dance on Shiva by Nandanum school of Bharatanatyam before the session closed. All these beautiful dances were presented with authentic costumes, slide projections, and beautiful stage decorations, while the acoustics of the hall enhanced the sound of the music and footwork.

Besides these wonderful performances, delicious food, snacks, excellent chai and coffee were all served at nominal rates. The dosas, vadas, and chaat were all very fresh and tasty. I had the pleasure of meeting Mrs. Raishma Bhan, who along with other beautiful ladies, presented the Kashmiri dance. This was the first time that the Kashmiri group participated in Namaste Canada and they did a fabulous job.

UBC student Vaishnavi Sridhar had this to say ”Namaste Canada beautifully showcased the colors of India in the Metro Vancouver area. All the performances were a feast to the eyes and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I especially loved the beautiful performance by the Developmental Disabilities Association and the high energy Kalbelia performance by the India Cultural Association of Vancouver. I am eagerly looking forward to Namaste Canada 2019.”

Mrs. Sonal Munshi from Margi Dance Academy of Kathak dance said “Namaste Canada is a platform provided by CGI Vancouver to bring the Indian ... community together to celebrate and share our common heritage and Indian culture. When you think from [the] community perspective, ‘no duplicate’ policy, in terms of participating associations and the

dances, adopted this year was a big plus point as most states got a chance to perform and the community got a chance to see some of the state dances they may never have had a chance to see. I wish and hope we will see even more diversity in the years to come.

The community came together… . A true ‘India in Vancouver’ experience for all but especially for younger generations to experience the ‘Unity in Diversity’ and to see the vast, rich, and diverse cultural heritage of India. To have an ‘Indian Experience’ in a very positive way. I saw during rehearsals that the participants were very enthusiastic. They worked hard even with their busy schedules. For me, it was a wonderful experience working as a part of the team Namaste Canada 2018.”

Mrs. Raishma Bhan of Kashmiris of Greater Vancouver group had this to say, ”I would like to start off by thanking [the Consulate] for offering our Kashmiri group an opportunity to be a part of this amazing event. Our very first experience of performing on the stage has been extremely positive and a great confidence booster. The interactions with the Namaste Canada team were professional and supportive. On the whole, I and my group had an amazing time rehearsing, performing and being a part of this magical team. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate our Consul General, Ms. Abhilasha Joshi jee, for organizing such an amazingly successful event. Also kudos to all the volunteers who worked numerous hours to make this event a success.

We hope to continue this relationship for a very long time to come.

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ENTERTAINMENT Jai Hind.�

The final session in the evening brought more vibrant music, colors and many more exquisite dances to the stage. It was a great combination of folk, classical, and Bollywood dances that enthralled the audience. It began with Yakshagana of Karnataka which is an ancient folk art with elaborate costumes, makeup and drama.

Next came the beautiful Varnam in Mohiniyattam style. The Garba dance, Sambalpuri dance, and Kolattam dance followed to balance classical with folk. The Developmental Disabilities Association

touched the hearts of everyone in the audience with their presentation. The Koli dance, also called the fisherman/woman dance, from Maharashtra brought nostalgic memories of Mumbai shores to me. The exquisite and well choreographed Raas Lila in Manipuri style was performed very gracefully. The Rajasthani Kalbelia costumes and dance were mesmerizing. As always, Shiamak Davar’s dance presentation provided the spectacular event a glamorous, Bollywood style finale. Best wishes for Namaste Canada 2019.

Rupa Gopinath Mrs. Rupa Gopinath is a classical Indian dancer, teacher, choreographer and CEO and Artistic Director of Mihika Arts.

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TODAY

What to Look for in the 2018 Elections Politics in general is a controversial subject leading one to believe that subject matter, issues, content spoken about are staged for an audience as entertainment to earn applause and hopefully a vote for the one entertaining seeking office.

Skeptics who are more inclined to rely on facts are more likely to make an intelligent choice when it comes to their vote. Facts of is-

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sues presented must be based on reality. The reality of the environment that the public are living in and concerned about. Facts alone without data to validate the facts and data that can lead to a resolve if possible must be considered.

A leader must have the ethics to observe the facts no matter how perplexed the content and the demands put before them for or against by different invested in-

terest. The relationship with those who are elected to office must be one that does not become personal but is based on service to the overall community.

Elections should present an opportunity to present the issues to the those desiring to manage the affairs of Man and to allow for the public to study their views, policy proposals and in general their willingness to stand up to invest-

ed interest in favor of what is the greater good for the general public.

A study of who should be in office must include many factors.

Personality is only one. Integrity of reason to do what is just in one’s decisions should be another demonstrated over time.

Intelligence is also another factor. How fast can a leader resolve a problem, and can they do it while giving orders that can be respected and carried out.

Usually science is not necessarily considered when looking at what is in the greater good.

Who benefits in the majority profitably is senior in importance looking to favor one group or another and so we don’t see those with integrity and intelligence rise to the top.

In this upcoming election look at the facts as they are presented by all parties, what you believe are the real facts troubling you, your friends and the general public. Looking at if there was a study by any of the Candidates of the issues and look at what actions were taken if any.

Check thoroughly the results they have gotten in past ser-

vice on any Government post or public position in a company or organization. Measure up each person with statistics and quality production that can be observed openly. Do not take negative or positive opinion with pressure by friends or family as a standard to choose who you feel would BE best suited for the position.

If you follow the above principles, you will have a better chance at electing the right person to office in the up-coming Civic Elections.

Patrick Walsh Vancrooner Patrick Walsh is a talented writer using his ability to reach others through poetry, Philosophy and in general articles on any subject in an educational and informative way. His objective is to bring truth as his primary objective in representing others and his own Ideas.

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ENTERTAINMENT

West Coast Tagore Festival 2018 Vancouver Tagore Society organizes social, cultural, and intellectual events while promoting diversity, intercultural harmony, and universalism and raising awareness of Eastern philosophies. These are guided

by Rabindranath Tagore’s teachings of universal humanism, transcendental spirituality, and philosophy as expressed through his poems, songs, writings, plays, lectures, art, social reforms and other works.

O

n Sept 8th 2018, the evening began at the Gateway Theatre with a tribute to Lee Tan, the Founding- President of Vancouver Tagore Society, who recently passed away. The tribute was presented by Tirthankar Bose and Duke Ashrafuzzaman.

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The rest of the night was hosted by Tanmai Bhatia and Zahur A s h ra f u z z a m a n .“A n o n d o l o ke Mongol Aloke” and “Aguner Poroshmoni” were the two beautiful songs sung melodiously by the students of Vancouver Tagore Society workshop series. Poem

Gitanjali-11 by Rabindranath Tagore was recited as a woven tapestry of words led by Mandakranta Bose in English, followed by other readers in French, Kurdish, Arabic, Middle English, Mandarin, Spanish, German and Korean, which the audience found fascinating.

Next, Alex Parappilly and Ashvini Sundaram gracefully presented a Varnam extract. Akaaljot Singh on Tabla and Satpreet Singh on Dilruba were able to grip the audience with their performance.

and carried a lot of emotion. Keka on harmonium, Sabuj Majumdar on guitar, and Tapas Biswas on tabla were superb accompaniments. The story was expertly narrated by Anuradha Mitra.

The second half of the program was an exquisite presentation of a musical theater Raindrop: A Quest for Love. The story revolved around two parallel plots of love between humans and natural elements. The main character, Dhora, is a flamboyant young woman whose heart yearns for love as she searches for her soulmate, but her strong sense of mundane responsibility stops her. Later Dhora is conceptualized as the drying village soil that pines for rain from Shyamal the Dark Cloud. The concept and script by Shankhanaad Mallick and Sajid Hasan were excellent while the set design added immensely to the musical. The vocals by Shankhanaad, Keka Senguptaand, and Avik Ranjan Dey was soul-stirring

Arno as Dhora was outstanding. She was very expressive in portraying the innocence of the young girl and the maturity of the young woman discovering her love. Her talent and grace make her one of the most skilled classical Indian dancers I have seen in Vancouver. Young UBC student Vaishnavi Sridhar said ”This was my first time attending the West Coast Tagore festival. I loved the festival, it was very well organized. The “Raindrop” by the Vancouver Tagore Society was definitely my favorite. I am looking forward to the festival next year”.

After such a wonderful show, I too am looking forward to next year’s West Coast Tagore Festival.

Rupa Gopinath Mrs. Rupa Gopinath is a classical Indian dancer, teacher, choreographer and CEO and Artistic Director of Mihika Arts.

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Heritage Expressions

On Nritta....

The Suspended Consummation of the Tale

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T h e

B A N D I S H

N e t w o r k

For the purposes of this essay, the nicest way of setting out for what I am aiming at – and, I hope, the most convincing one – involves the comparison at certain telling points of the nritta with the Natya. There is, in any case, nothing unusual about this procedure, though I hope in this case to draw a few contrasts that will serve to show what, in essentials, the difference may be, and what those essentials are.

I propose to begin with the obvious statement that the Natya is a representational and referential form of dance that is often delineated as ‘dance-drama’, and that the thing to which it refers is the tale it represents, together with the sentiments and discursive meanings associated with it. It refers, that is, to something other than itself, something that must necessarily have existed – in the realm of story-telling – before it could be danced.

The Natya , therefore, is not the thing it represents, but only one way of representing it. It represents that thing, moreover, by means of the techniques, grammar and conventions of the dance, which may be summed up as the cooperativedynamics of abhinaya and bhava.

Now, these are techniques, conventions and a grammar that is shared with the nritta, although they may not all be present in it.

The Nritta thus uses the selfsame units and motions in dancing flux, but in a non-representational way: the nritta, on the contrary, is what it represents.

In so far, we may fairly say, that the Natya refers to something that is not itself, it constitutes one possible manner of that thing’s being made to appear

through a symbolic enactment.

The Natya places before us a representation of the thing that it dances into apparitional being, but the nritta makes present to us the thing-in-itself because the thing that it represents is at the same time a being the thing whose appearance it also is.

What, then, is this thing-in-itself that the nritta itself is? Before I go on to try to answer this question, let us dispose of one of the common approaches to ‘placing’ the nritta in the context of the whole repertoire, which is that of considering it an opportunity for the dancer to demonstrate her skill – a virtuoso piece in the manner of the cadenza.

If the Nritta were intended only for this end, its whole purpose would be to draw applause for the relative perfection by the dancer of a dancer’s craft, which would make of it an interlude of mere craftsmanship embedded within the broader unfolding spectrum of a communicative work of art. The thing-in- itself that it must in such a case be would be merely a display of technical mastery – and we know that good technique, even perfected the technique, while it is an unmissable aspect of any piece of finished art, falls far short of being the whole of it. If, then, the nritta were only a matter of presenting a sequence of technical excellencies, no matter how exquisitely done, it could be nothing more than the sum of its workmanlike parts, while the sum of the parts of a vital work of art regularly generates more than itself : it has, that is, something vital to say.

Returning, then, to the question above, we might perhaps

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agree that, whatever the Nritta may be as a thing-in-itself, that thing must add up to more than the sum of its technical parts if it is to do the work that art is expected to do. It must yield a felt life imbued with the meaning of some sort, even if that meaning is inexpressible in the language we ordinarily use for rendering itcommunicable, even to ourselves – it must render at least the kind ofmeaning that we associate with music or abstract poetry, or, indeed, with mystical experience Which is to say that the morethan-the-sum-of-its-parts inherent in the thing- in-itself that the nritta is must be an element of intentionality: the intention to pass on a meaning so ineffable that it can only be construed by a logic surpassing that of ordinary thought and speech: the logic of form and formlessness itself, as in mathematics. This might be one reason why the nritta is so often described as ‘pure’, with the implication that it is an unvitiated form of dance, uncontaminated, we might reluctantly say, by everyday meanings and the taint of the coarseness of story-telling. (I

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put it this way in order to evoke a just notion of the level of subtlety which I take the best exposition of the nritta to occupy).

But if I were to leave my consideration of the nritta stranded at this point, I would have gone no further than others have, who have likened its pleasures to those resulting from the play of a set of geometric and algebraic equations, in this case based on the fluid structures and the rhythm and tempo of the music and dance. Instead, I would like to offer a fancy that I have for some time entertained around this question, and it is this :

In the Rasleela, the story of the divine dance between Krishna and Radha one of the most often-recurring themes enacted throughout the spectrum of the classical Indian dances – there is a point beyond which the unfolding of their relationship never dares, because it never can go.

For all the lovelorn passion that they bear and suffer for each other, Radha and Krishna never

arrive at the crisis of consummation, though every facet of their love, from the most carnal to the most spiritual, often depicted as mutual isomorphic symbolisms, is explored in anticipatory fashion, as can be seen in the most poignant Radhamadhavan poem, Jayadeva’s Geet Govind.

There are good reasons, both ostensible and mystical, why this final consummation must always be delayed. Proper to the humane sphere of the story, we have the mundane moral reason that Krishna is already married to Rukmini, Radha to Ayana. By the principles of a good didactic myth, this snag in the progress of the tale makes for a nicely tantalizing quandary that is also a perpetual endpoint.

It leaves the hearer of the tale stuck in a deliciously insoluble conundrum in which perpetual irresolution marks a ticklishly lingering climax-in-anticlimax.

So far as the mystical dimension is concerned, however,this permanently unresolved motion-in-stasis denotes what, in the spiritual life of people, is irresistably true : that the striving for union with the divine is never finally satisfied but is characterized, rather, by an unending yearning for ever more intimacy. How could it be otherwise, since what is divine is infinite in its possibilities for exploration? But, so far from being a necessary postulate which only the mystic can genuinely grasp, it is easy enough to transfer this sentiment of suspension to the dimension of the search for human certainty about ultimate meaning in any sense of the idea.

And it is this protracted remaining in the state of unconsummated union with whatever final truth may reveal itself to be – as

my fancy leads me to believe, or at least to wish to believe – that is expressed in the otherwise ‘meaningless’ language of the pure dance. For its duration we are caught up in the smitten yearning for an experience of truth-in-love that can spoken by means of no other lexicon than that provided by the purity of the storyless nritta, and through its being that experience-in-itself.

No wonder, then, it seems to me, that the Pallavi in the Odissi repertoire must always receive its consolatory compensation in the Moksha that regularly succeeds it.

Donovan Roebert is a South African artist and writer. His published works include writings on Buddhism and cultural philosophy. Two of his novels were designed and written as literary an-

alogues for classical Indian dance.

He has been interested in all aspects of the dance since his teenage years and writes about Indian dance for the love of it. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Donovan Roebert. His work is thought-provoking and has resonated with as a painters brush strokes with word. His essays are to him as my canvasses are to me, and I feel yet again, so moved with the creative essence.

The poetic essence entwined with the deep stir, has been a delight to read, absorb, & make available as part of our series, We look forward to more of Donovan’s

sharing essays.

We are inspired by the aspiration to inspire....’ Expressively yours, Nina

Nina Buddhdev Honorary Title, (OCP) Obsessively compulsively passionate.

Recipient of the ‘SAHM’ award.

(Stay at Home Mom) Artist Management by Vois Créatives. “Nurturing beautiful careers & building upon the success of established artists with the expertise in vital areas, intrinsic to the classical arts & our shared values AAJ MAGAZINE 51

ENTERTAINMENT

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“Dream Team Management presents YouTube Comic sensation AKTV They had his first Live show in Vancouver B.C. beginning his world tour. A night filled with live comedy, video premieres and live skits. Performances by AKTV, LAZARUS, DR. ZEUS, JAZ DHAMI and special guests.

This hilarious entertaining live show is coming to a theatre near you.” Written by A’teef Imran Meghji. Photo

by A’teef Imran Meghji

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TODAY

The Science of Healing in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib 54

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he Sikh Gurus were masters of spiritual alchemical science. They gave birth to the science of Shabad — the use of sound to upgrade human consciousness. When you chant Shabad, which is the highest frequency, you create the most powerful biofield quantum frequencies that are possible in the human realm. In this way, Shabad can change your DNA; this science is contained in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS). Not only can the Shabad change your personal DNA, but the SGGS even states that this science can change the genes of your generations. The Guru says, one who enwombs the Shabad, his 21 generations are saved. These teachings were brought to the West by Panth Rattan Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Bhai Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji. In 1968, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji traveled from his home in India to Canada. He was a sage who was given the title Panth Rattan by the Sikh Panth because he embodied the clarity and strength of a precious jewel.

His vision was that every individual on the planet deserves to realize this: happiness is a human birthright.

Following in his footsteps, Yogi Amandeep Singh travels the world in humble service to his master’s vision. Yogi Amandeep Singh also reveals how the science of Shabad offers us a simple way to be happy. Throughout his youth, he committed to in depth studies of dharmic teachings. He

grew up taking journeys to the Himalayas to learn from many sages.

Yogi Amandeep Singh received B.Sc (with Honors) in Information Systems and Software Engineering as well as advanced degrees in Counselling, and Comparative Religions. He worked as a professional for years before chosing to fulfill his destiny. He left his fulltime job to dedicate himself to sharing the healing sciences of the Gurus.

Over the past 18 years, he has been traveling the world and has helped countless people in 27 different countries. He has become a leading authority on the philosophy and history of ancient wisdom traditions.

“The teachings of Siri Guru Garnth have the power to help overcome addictions, reduce stress and depression, and give anyone a higher purpose,” says Yogi Amandeep Singh, who works in the field of addiction recovery.

He teaches, “when breath is not aligned, we become depressed.

To overcome depression, align the breath. When breath is shallow, life is shallow. When breath is deep, life is deep. Only when the breath is long and slow and deep, our life purpose can reveal itself. All of these teachings come straight from the scriptures.”

Every year, Yogi Amandeep Singh leads yatras to India to honor the roots of Sikh Dharma. He has led Westerners to Hemkunth Sahib, the Golden Temple, Goindwal, and more. When he travels to

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places like Japan, he is adept at interweaving Buddhist teachings with Sikh teachings, sustaining the virtue of oneness.

He sits with Zen masters in Japan and Sufi masters in Persian lands. Wherever he goes, he reveals the beauty of Guru Nanak’s Path and how it is harmonious with all wisdom traditions.

Yogi Amandeep Singh teaches how to weave the Shabad Guru (sound) and the Pavan Guru (breath of life) to achieve Wahe Guru (ecstatic wisdom). The ancient science describes the 84 meridian points on the roof of the mouth. When the tongue strikes these points again and again, the pineal gland secretes an acid the ancient sages call Rasayan, or nectar. In physiological terms, the tongue’s repeated strikes to the roof of the mouth stimulate the hypothalamus, which in turn communicates to the thalamus and the pituitary; then the pineal gland secretes dopamine. Science has tested this and repeated results have shown improvements

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for people with stress, anxiety, depression, and Alzheimer’s. Scientists in research universities from Harvard to UCLA have proven that meditation heals modern day mental health problems.

The way Yogi Amandeep Singh describes Shabad and Rassayan is “When you are chanting Shabad and pay close attention to the way your tongue touches the dome of the mouth, miracles happen; eventually the activation of the pituitary gland gives birth to strong intuition, clarity in decision making, and improved concentration. When your tongue moves, the world moves.

When you move your tongue consciously, you can move through your world consciously.”

Yogi Amandeep Singh adds, “When sounds are recited in a specific manner with the Shabad Guru interwoven with Pavan Guru, this gives birth to ecstasy. The Pavan Guru is the breath, but not just the oxygen you breathe – it’s the carrier of Prana

or life force energy. Pavan Guru is described as a teacher in Guru Nanak’s Japji because you must pay attention to the ways the life force moves you. Shabad Guru is the sound frequency. When sound and breath as a carrier of the life force are interwoven, this gives birth to Wow! Ecstasy.

Yogi Amandeep Singh’s work involves focusing on dissolving modern-day stress, depression, and addiction. He helps us to see the practical tools and techniques the Siri Guru Granth Sahib gives to people so they can dissolve any mental illness to achieve their life’s highest purpose. For more teachings, visit Yogi Amandeep Singh’s YouTube Channel and website.

Yogi Amandeep will be holding a free workshop in Surrey, BC in January 2019.

Website www.yogiamandeepsingh.com

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ENTERTAINMENT

SHEN YUN REVIVES MIDDLE KINGDOM’S RICH CULTURE

Dance and music extravaganza portrays the essence of Chinese traditional culture Shen Yun Performing Arts came into being in 2006 when a group of leading classical Chinese artists living overseas came together in New York with one wish: to revive the authentic culture of China and share it with the world.

These artists knew that ancient Chinese culture was rich in qualities and wisdom that would benefit humankind. But it needed a renaissance as it had been all but wiped out by various communist campaigns like the Cultural Revolution, which uprooted traditional beliefs and destroyed ancient treasures, bringing the Middle Kingdom’s traditional 5,000 years of civilization to the brink of extinction.

In ancient times, China was known as “The Land of the Divine.” It refers to the belief that the divine, through the various dynasties over the ages, transmitted a rich and abundant culture to the Chinese people. Chinese culture is thus considered to be “divinely inspired.”

For thousands of years, China was profoundly spiritual; Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism were at the heart of society.

In those times, people believed that by following the teachings of these three disciplines they could elevate their mind and gradually bring their internal realm to a divine state. In Chinese, this process is called cultivation. At its core, Chinese culture is a culture of cultivation, a tradition of spiritual self-discipline and veneration for the divine.AAJ MAGAZINE 59

In fact, Chinese medicine, astronomy, dance, music, painting, literature, poetry, food, and architecture are, at their highest realms, based on the teachings of these three disciplines.

While Shen Yun showcases this profound culture through music and dance, its performances seek to portray the essence of the culture and the beauty, goodness, and truth inherent in it. Every story-dance embodies and celebrates the virtues that were at the heart of Chinese civilization for thousands of years, such as loyalty, courage, truthfulness, compassion, and piety.

Audiences pick up on this, and are often left feeling uplifted and inspired by the show.

India Connection During the Tang Dynasty, a young monk named Xuan Zang (also known as Tang Monk and Tripitaka) set out on foot on a journey to what is now India to bring the Buddhist scriptures back to

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China. Tang Monk’s long and perilous pilgrimage was told in the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” published in the 16th century.

T h e Ta n g D y n a s t y i s o f t e n considered China’s cultural golden age. It was a time of great prosperity, military prowess, religious pluralism, and a flourishing of the arts and sciences.

The great emperor Tang Taizong personally asked Tang Monk to travel to India across the mountains, collect the sacred texts, and bring them back to China. It took the monk 17 years to complete the journey, and he brought back with him 657 scriptures written in Sanskrit. He then spent the rest of his life translating them.

In the novel, as in history, the Tang Monk is a symbol of pious devotion.

He overcomes 81 tribulations, which are metaphors for the trials a person encounters on a spiritual path.

Over the years, Shen Yun has

portrayed various aspects of Tang Monk’s arduous journey to India with his special group of bodyguards: the valiant but impetuous Monkey King (also known as Sun Wukong), the lustful Pigsy, the taciturn Sand Monk, and the White Dragon Horse.

Shen Yun’s story-telling dances are like little excerpts from Chinese history.

They may be about the Yellow Emperor of antiquity, a modern-day tale, heroes, deities, or colourful characters that have appeared throughout the millennia of dynasties.

Shen Yun also presents dances from some of China’s more than 50 ethnic groups—such as Mongolian, Tibetan, and Manchurian—as well as Chinese folk dance.

A Show Like No Other

Classical Chinese dance, an ancient art form refined over the ages, is what enables Shen Yun to tell these stories so well. It consists of gravity-defying leaps, spins, high-flying jumps, and tumbles, and is one of the most comprehensive dance systems in the world, according to Shen Yun’s website.

“Both emotive and energetic, it transcends the barriers of nationality and language. It is the perfect medium for sharing the wisdom and values of five millennia of Chinese civilization,” the website says.

Shen Yun’s digitally animated backdrops serve to extend the stage and enhance the story-telling, even portraying underwater kingdoms and heavenly realms. Its success depends largely on the performers’ split-second timing—and they get it right every time.

The music is provided by the Shen Yun Orchestra, which is unique in that it combines classical Western and Chinese instruments.

Alongside Western symphonic mainstays like brass, woodwinds, strings, and percussion, Shen Yun incorporates ancient Chinese instruments such as the pipa (Chinese lute), the dizi (bamboo flute) the pengling (handbells), and the erhu, a two-stringed instrument played with a bow.

The costumes, which often draw gasps of admiration from audience members for their vivid colours and graceful, flowing styles, are all handmade. Shen Yun’s costume artists collect countless designs of traditional attire, ranging from those of emperors, ministers, and generals to the everyday clothing of the common people. Celestial fairies, Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Daos, and other deities are also portrayed in their respective regalia.

Shen Yun’s vocal soloists use the bel canto technique to sing Chinese text— something unparalleled in the modern world, according to the website. The

original lyrics, which are translated on the backdrop, brim with philosophical reflection about human life and contain deep layers of meaning, often moving audience members to tears.

Each show also has a solo erhu performance—a huge crowd-pleaser.

The erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments, with a history of over 4,000 years. Though it has only two strings, it can convey a wide range of emotions.

She also managed the start-up process and later project-managed the design and construction of the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, where Shen Yun will be playing four shows from Feb. 28 to March 2.

N e w Yo r k - b a s e d S h e n Yu n Pe r f o r m i n g A r t s h a s f i v e touring companies that per form simultaneously around the world.

For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

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COMMUNITY

AAJ 21ST ANNIVERSARY

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