Covid News!

Hello! I hope you are having a relaxing summer! I thought it was about time for an update, so here it is.

From In Person to Online Programs:

The covid chaos started unfolding just as we were wrapping up the Winter 2020 mindfulness classes and programs (all in person at the Himalayan Meditation Centre). I had a few weeks to convert and modify all the scheduled Spring programs to an online format. Like millions of others, I adapted to the new reality of working online with video chat. I was actually quite pleased with the way things turned out. Sure, it's not the same as interacting with people in person, but overall, I discovered many benefits of working online. Although it took a little time to get used to it, the intimacy was not lost with technology. We just had to learn to open up and be comfortable in front of our computers! We stopped with the bell, practiced our deep belly breathing and even went into some deep meditations via Zoom! How surprisingly beautiful!

The Big Transition:

I really enjoyed interacting with individual families online (as opposed to teaching a large group of multiple families in person). Again, it's a very different experience but it allowed me to get to know the kids and parents on a much deeper level. They also received customized feedback, which I enjoyed being able to provide. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the online programs this Spring, including those of you who took the mindfulness instructor certification training. Every one of you demonstrated flexibility, open-mindedness and patience during this time of transition. I am very grateful for that. We all had to improvise a bit, but overall, I think we did well, and we stayed present through it all.

Summer with Eckhart Tolle!

I am currently enjoying the lazy days of summer and I am deepening my practice everyday. I have been taking an 8-week course with Eckhart Tolle and I feel extremely blessed and fortunate to receive the gift of his wisdom, especially under the present circumstances. 

Creative Energy is Flowing:

I have been inspired to write lately, and so I have started the process of putting on paper something that wants to come through at the moment. I cannot say exactly what the end result will be, or when it will be completed, but it's happening now. I simply have to trust it and allow it to unfold with as much receptivity as I can. I love every second of it and can't wait to see where this goes!

Mindfulness Programs This September:

As for this Fall, I have decided to continue offering online programs. It's possible that I offer in-person programs again in January 2021, we'll have to see what things are like. The Conscious Kids 10-week program for young families will start up again in September, as well as the Mindfulness Instructor Certification Training. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss options for customized training.

Take good care of yourself!

Cheers,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com

Do We Really Want "Back To Normal?"

What a year 2020 has been! Whether we realize it or not, we have all been shaken to our core. How could the collective uncertainty and fear not affect every single one of us? How have we been managing our stress? What have we learned about ourselves in these extreme circumstances? How will this global chaos forever change the lives of our children and future generations to come? Can we trust our leaders? What do we really want in the end? Do we want things to be back to what was comfortable and familiar, or are we ready to do what's necessary to heal our planet and our hearts? 

Here's the good news. We are not powerless in the face of these overwhelming circumstances. It may sound naive or simplistic, but it's the truth. Healing our hearts is the prerequisite to healing our planet. There's no other way around it, as our world is an external reflection of our collective inner-state of consciousness. If we want to improve the quality of life of all living beings on this planet, we can certainly roll up our sleeves, take action and be of service wherever we can, but the most direct and influential thing we can do is to heal our own heart.

And how do we do that? It's quite simple, yet very challenging. We stop running away from our discomfort. This discomfort we have been avoiding our entire lives (mostly unconsciously) is filled with precious wisdom. It is showing us disowned parts of ourselves that want to be reintegrated and healed. Our difficult feelings want to be heard, they want to be felt, understood and released. They are messengers here to help us on our journey of awakening back to our essence and our joy.

Our heart wants to bloom again. It wants to be wide open and free like when we were little. Do you remember what that felt like? By trapping our pain inside and numbing ourselves from our uncomfortable feelings, we shut life out. By retreating to the safer world we have created in our minds, we deaden ourselves. By doing whatever we can to avoid feeling our discomfort - constant running, consuming, blaming others and pleasure seeking, we ultimately create more suffering for ourselves, others and our planet. What our heart really wants is to experience the fullness of life again. It craves wholeness. It wants to trust life, just like it used to. 

An open heart is a loving, nurturing, healing heart that effortlessly and intuitively knows exactly what to do to be of greatest service to the collective. The breathtaking intelligence of life flows through the open heart and guides it. Rest assured, life knows what it's doing. It has created the perfect circumstances for us to be still, to stop running and to notice in what particular ways we attempt to avoid feeling the discomfort that has arisen in us as a result of the recent triggering circumstances. Will we rise to the challenge? Will we have the courage to face, feel and release our painful past that desperately wants to be healed and integrated? Every single heart that heals creates a more conscious world. It's up to us. What do we want? We don't need to wait, we can start building the new world right now!

I invite you to take a deep breath. Tune in to your body. What physical sensations do you feel? Is there any discomfort, contraction, or tightness? Can you become very curious about what you are experiencing? Can you simply allow it to be there? Just breathe through it. There is nothing to do. Be with whatever is there without trying to escape it or judge it. Repeat this every time you feel discomfort and you will start to experience profound changes in your energy.

Peace,

Lise

www.lisevilleneuve.com