People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana-Upward facing dog , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Urdhva Mukha Svanasana-Upward facing dog.

There is a great deal of hatred and anger and discrimination. How is it possible, in such a state, for people to practice deep looking with the aim of achieving a deep knowledge... So it is necessary to practise mindfulness. It could be Buddhist or Christian, but it is necessary to bring mindfulness to our everyday life. If you are a journalist, a teacher, or a filmmaker you should practise mindfulness for the sake of your own calm and your own happiness, but also for that of other people as well. Because we need your calm, your compassion, your understanding. So we should be mindful as individuals but also as a community, as a family, as a nation. Thich Nhat Hanh (True Love, chapter: Everybody Should Practise Mindfulness)

If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life. Abraham H Maslow (Psychologist and Author)

Relief, Peace, well-being, joy and better relations with others will be possible if we practice mindfulness in our everyday life. I am convinced that everybody can practice mindfulness, even politicians, political parties, even the Congress. This is a body that holds the responsibility for knowing the nation's situation well, and knowledge of this kind requires the practice of looking deeply. If our elected officials are not calm enough, do not have enough concentration, how can they see things deeply? Thich Nhat Hanh Taken from True Love (Chapter: Everybody Should Practice Mindfulness)

Halasana-Plough pose , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Halasana-Plough pose