A New Beginnings Event featuring Earth Meditation and Live Music was offered by the 100 Seeds of Joy team as part of their 5-day Marathon celebrating 20 years of volunteering in Burlington and the International Yoga Day
Our team from Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network was thrilled to be invited to this wonderful Burlington Makwendam Public school to bring a New Beginnings event for the entire school and staff (more than 287 students and staff) on Monday June 23, 2025.
Also it is amazing to find out that this school also had a New Beginning of its own in 2021 when it changed its name from Ryerson to this Indigenous (an Anishinaabemow) word, Makwendam which means “to remember“.
We Observed a Full Circle Journey of Cultivating Joy through Teaching
When our family moved to Burlington this was our daughter’s first school where she completed her 6th grade, made good friends and celebrated her first birthday in this new home-town.
Unknowingly to us we had kids from that school attending our Cool Kids and Parents programs fostering meditation and creativity across Burlington in partnership with other great organizations that serve our community.
Pure serendipity: the first Burlington school candidate to be included in our 5-day New Beginnings Marathon was this Makwendam public school. I knew the school only after its previous name so did not realize that there is “personal history”. The Mom who suggested the school to our 100 Seeds of Joy team was thrilled because her children love our Cool Kids & Parents meditation programs.
Another meaningful alignment: we dedicated the 5-day New Beginnings marathon to our volunteers’ 20 years of community service in the field of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health through culture, art, creativity intertwined with simple yoga and Earth guided meditation; but also to the International Yoga Day which is shared on June 21st with the National Indigenous Peoples Day.
It felt really good in our hearts to know that the school that benefitted from our yoga meditation program is one that bears an Indigenous name, therefore it was meant for all these meaningful connections to be honored in such a holistic and organic way that was never planned.
It just found its way to us! When one is connected and pure hearts are involved, such magic happens!
The Mayor of Burlington posted about our New Beginnings event for the Makwendam School
The School’s Principal and the Music teacher were amazing! The arrangements went so smoothly even though the heatwave was terribly strong and the children were the best – no complains for the entire hour, they were attentive, enjoying the special guests and their amazing music or the moments of silent meditation.
They definitely had fun singing the simple new songs we taught them on the spot, or their very own!
The School Report about the New Beginnings Meditation and Music Program for All at Once!
There were 286 Seeds of Joy (but who is counting?!) that were singing and enjoying the Celtic Rhythms and Earth Meditation at this Burlington School; in addition, there were also teachers / staff in attendance.
Everything worked out in complete alignment, as this was the only day available for our special guest musicians visiting from The Netherlands to offer a live performance in Burlington. It was also the best day for the school as they have: Music Mondays and it was the last week of the school; the kids were ready for New Beginnings in their young lives 🙂
As we were trying to do the set-up that morning we had no idea what a treat were were for!!
We dressed-up for the Kids so they know we are volunteers caring for Earth as well we wanted to take them on a trip around the World and discover facts about The Netherlands and Romania
For instance did you know that The Universal Day of Romanian Blouse is celebrated every year on June 24?
It promotes the symbol of Romanian tradition represented by the feminine shirt with impressive embroidery. Ioana, a volunteer with 100 Seeds of Joy community initiative launched by the Halton Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network, is seen in the image above, wearing a traditional Romanian blouse, hand-embroidered.
We are sharing below a few short video-clips from the musical moments offered by our guest Dutch musicians as well from the school-wide choir that presented us with their school Song!
Kenny Clarys used various instruments and briefly introduced the kids to them!
Listen to all these short video-clips, you can hear the kids clapping enthusiastically; they were so engaged during the entire event! We started with a short and simple Earth Meditation led from the stage by Shivangna – a 100 Seeds of Joy volunteer. Kids listened attentively and responded to the cues from her including to some questions about the flower preferences!
Celtic Flute Rhythms with Kenny Clarks visiting a Canadian school for the first time!
Listen to the Irish Music played on Kenny Clarks’ Violin in front of the entire school!
Then the Kids sang for the guests their School song – We are One – and we were blown away by their collective talent!
Marie-Joelle captured the audience with her beautiful voice – just listen to this video-clip!
A truly special morning New Beginnings Program of Wellness, Music and Culture
The guest musicians visiting from the Netherlands are parents themselves and were really impressed with our Burlington school: seeing the students so well behaved, attentive and sweet! Also they were very proud when singing their school song; it showed how much they love their own school community.
By the end of the program, while leaving the hall, they were thanking to our guest musicians and to our team of volunteers. The older kids came to help with wrapping up the setup. Some kids were very interested to learn about the yoga meditation and shared with us how aware they are about the importance of reaching the inner peace, let go of the stress through meditation and mindfulness techniques.
Our musician guests were very happy to see the kids coming to them after the program and telling them “you were the best!”, “great music”, “loved it so much!”.
It was such a great way to say Good Bye to school and Welcome the Summer vacation!
We made a short video-clip with the set-up, at this was also the celebration of Sahaja Yoga Meditation Day being proclaimed by the City of Burlington and of the INTL Yoga Day!
Also our “Be a Cultivator of Joy” hand-made flowers were much appreciated by the kids and by the end the Principal took photos with the Kids that wanted to be a Cultivator of Joy and a Yogi
We Thank to the Makwendam Public School for an amazing collaboration that planted more than 287 Seeds of Joy that morning through Meditation, Live Music and Community!
More to be shared later, but we hope you’ve enjoyed this article! Let us know with a comment below.
In case you want to explore further our blog, we are suggesting the following three articles:
(Photos & Appreciation Letter) Tim Bruce brings Poetry, Music and Meditation @ Aldershot High-school in Burlington
Proclamation of Sahaja Yoga Meditation Day in Burlington
Children and Adults celebrated Father’s Day in Lowville Park and Enjoyed Sahaja Yoga Meditation
Thank You so much dear Marie-Joelle and Kenny Clarks on behalf of the many Burlingtonians who enjoyed immensely you and your music with its beautiful energy!
It’s important to remember / Makwendam that we must cultivate inner peace and joy every day!
Children are the future of this world and what could be better than teaching them about the connection we have with Mother Earth through meditation! We are so thankful to the principal of this school to accept this beautiful opportunity and to the musicians and other volunteers to deliver such a valuable program just before the school year end. Also proud of all the kids for tuning in with the musicians and participating enthusiastically to bring the joy in their hearts. Bravo!
Thanks Ioana for sharing this loving and joygiving programme with all of us.The kids and the musicians and volunteers radiating the innocence and enjoying each other’s innocence. My heart full Thanks to the musicians and the volunteers to establishing Shri Mataji’s vision in every heart.
I am experiencing and feeling such jioy reading all that you are sharing And the music is so fanatastic!!!.
Will listen a few more times—is great!!! Seing the pictures is filling my heart with sheer delight!
Thanks so much to all, to everyine, who made this possible — tremendous joy!! WOW!!!
The music clips were glorious snapshots of what gifts the present hold for children, teachers and adults. It was joy giving and receiving in perfect harmony with music, children, the indigenous land on which we share, and expressing the innocence of our pure selves. When we receive that natural self realization through thoughtless awareness and yoga connection, there is hope and happiness for the world. We can relate on that higher plane. The kids just loved the musical amazings of Kenny and Mari Joel from the Netherlands, and the simple guided meditation. The artists were pure instruments with positively the most talent I have witnessed in all my life. Their music helps transcend thoughts and catapults the listener to wonder and joy! Bravo to the behind the scenes team from 100 Seeds of Joy that made the entire tour come to fruition. Incredible feats and all for the good of present and future generations.
All I can read, watch and say. Magnificent. effort.!!!! Kids must be ecstatic.
I can just imagine the children’s faces of innocence around that room. I know as a teacher myself, schools have strict photo confidentiality. I can feel the children being engaged and so joyful that just by watching the clips and hearing them sing, that joy transcends i feel tremendous joy in my heart! Thank you to the amazing musicians Kenny and Marie-Joelle for bringing their music as instrument of spreading vibrations and pure Nirmal love.
Absolutely beautiful. Mothers Divine blessings to each of you.
Beautiful article! Congratulations to the yogis who are part of this enthusiastic team, very professional yet joyful and spontaneous. You inspire and spread positivity!
Such beautiful, joyful atmosphere! Your guests really looked like flowers . It is heartwarming to see result of close collaboration between volunteers and officials and the impact of your efforts on your community. The seeds of joy have sprouted!
It looks that was a beautiful program for kids and teachers.Amazing team and guests.