We know You will Appreciate Sharing the News: Tonight – on June 17, 2026 – our SYMN Volunteers received the Community Spirit Award of Appreciation from the Oakville Mayor in Recognition of our Invaluable Contributions to the Oakville Community
FYI: Oakville has remarkable people and organizations that strive to Make a Difference!
We were so pleasantly surprised to find out on May 20, 2026 that we were among the Nominees for the 2026 Oakville Spirit Award.
As always, sometimes one can feel that an Invisible Planner must be above most happenings in our lives, because these are filled with such connectiveness and sweet humor.
I received the news on behalf of our team of Cultivators of Joy. Guess when?! Precisely on my husband’s birthday.
The 2025 Civic Awards bestowed by the Mayor of Burlington to Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network of Halton Volunteers (aka the Cultivators of Joy team) was announced to us also on my husband’s birthday.
This “coincidence” is a reminder that behind any volunteer or behind any giving person or organizations stand (or work!) many more other wonderful people.
Our team of volunteers is comprised mostly by women, yet many of us confess that we have wonderful husbands, sons, brothers and partners, as well children, sisters, mothers, aunties that understand our passion for Cultivating Joy in our communities and they support us!
It was wonderful to meet the Mayor of Oakville and have an opportunity to talk to him as well to chat and take Photos with the Regional and Town Councillors, and make New Friends as well
Our volunteers were extremely busy these days as we are preparing for our own Celebration! Twenty years of volunteering in Oakville and launching the 2026 New Beginnings Marathon of FREE Holistic Wellness Events that comprises so far 11 events in 10 days to be offered across the Halton region.
In fact, if it weren’t for Shivangna to remind us, I would have missed the Spirit Award Ceremony completely.
We were so glad to attend it (our first time!), especially that we were told by other awardees and participants that this year’s Award Celebration was the best celebration so far!
Today we also had to provide our (weekly) Wednesday Evening FREE Sahaja Yoga Meditation class in Oakville, so one of our team members took care of the class, while I was able to join the Award Celebration earlier, and had a chance to meet with the Mayor of Oakville the moment I entered the hall, and remind him that we will see him soon: on Friday for the Flag Raising and “Sahaja Yoga Meditation DAY” Celebration at the Oakville Town Hall. 🙂
It was also wonderful to reconnect with Councillor Xie and hear from him that he is looking forward to attending our event celebrating 20 years of continuous and dynamic volunteering here in Oakville! He remembered our team since he enjoyed participating in our Free Festival of New Beginnings offered in Burlington in 2025. Such a nice reunion!
Our Volunteers from Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network were represented only by Ioana and Shivangna during the 2026 Oakville Spirit Awards Celebration
Enjoy Another Beautiful Connection and Purely a Serendipity Story related to the 2026 Oakville Spirit Award Ceremony that celebrated Wonderful People and Organizations
Get ready: we will get personal pretty fast!
So, about 21 years ago my family moved from Toronto to Burlington and we realized that there was no free meditation nor yoga or wellness classes available in the Halton region. We had our hectic fulltime jobs and we were raising a family as new immigrants to Canada – however, we also knew the importance of including regular sahaja yoga meditation practice (based on self-realization) in our daily lives; that helped us along the way to remain balanced and enjoy life even in challenging situations.
Therefore 21 years ago, the first weekly Sahaja Yoga Meditation classes were started in Burlington and a year later we initiated offering sahaja yoga meditation weekly classes also in Oakville – at the Glen Abbey Community center.
In time, beautiful people that joined and benefitted from our Sahaja Yoga Meditation classes and events offered in the Halton region, became themselves dedicated and dynamic volunteers, creating what we call “Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network of Halton volunteers”, known more recently as” Halton’s Cultivators of Joy”.
One of the first community partners in Halton I met twenty years back in Oakville was Stephen Dankowich – the Director of the Halton Eco-Festival. We became regular participants to this annual event and developed a beautiful partnership.
Stephen joined our own 2013 Public Program “We are One” (celebrating our 8 years of activity in Burlington) and provided such a warm support during his speech! Our volunteers were deeply touched by his appreciative words.
(Stephen Dankowich -OCCPEHR) Stephen Dankowich – the Executive Director of the Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights gives an Impromptu Speech at “We are One” FREE Event offered by Halton’s Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network
So, the First person I met Tonight at the 2026 Oakville Spirit Award Celebration was Stephen Dankowich, enjoying his conversation with the Mayor of Oakville!
It was wonderful to see Stephen holding a bouquet of flowers and the framed Oakville Spirit Award of Appreciation, the ones that I was also holding in my hands!
He was a fellow Award nominee who actually ended up winning a Great Award and we had the opportunity to reconnect.
I was glad to cheer him up when he was asked to come to the podium. Definitely I was part of “Stephen’s Team” as well.
Congratulations dear Stephen once again! Enjoy the photos!
So glad that our paths met again and we will see you at the
“Sahaja Yoga Meditation DAY” Proclamation event on Friday, June 19, 2026. Glad to know you received the Invite!
We hope You’ve enjoyed the details in our Article and you might want to Get to Know a few more things about Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network of Volunteers and their activities in Oakville.
Our classes and events are always shared free of charge. This type of “pass it on” approach is a fundamental quality of Sahaja Yoga Meditation as per the vision of its founder – Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi – who I had the privilege and honor to meet in Romania when I was a student; that encounter changed my life and ignited in me a profound love and respect for people, community, Mother Earth and the desire to share with others the benefits of sahaja yoga meditation.
If you’re interested in “the beginnings”, we recommend you a personal videoclip or the article based on an interview:
In the News: Burlington’s Beginnings with Sahaja Yoga Meditation 20 years ago!
Let’s recap: Sahaja Yoga Meditation Network of Oakville and Burlington Volunteers received during the 2026 Oakville Spirit Award Gala a lovely Community Spirit Award of Appreciation from the Mayor of Oakville and the Community Spirit Awards Committee. Greatly Appreciated! Also the Bouquet of Flowers and the Reception Preparations were Exquisite!
Congratulations once again to all the fellow nominee and to the truly amazing team that organized this beautiful event.
Now, let’s all focus on our Celebration of 20 years of Sahaja Yoga Meditation in Oakville and the Marathon of New Beginnings 2026 dedicated to the United Nations’ International Yoga Day and to Father’s Day with 6 FREE events offered in the 3 days of the coming weekend, and a total of 11 Free events in 2 Halton cities during a 10-day period. See you there!
(click!) Great Honor: Sahaja Yoga Meditation Day – proclaimed by the Mayor of Oakville with Flag Raising Ceremony
(click!) The Best Ten Things I Like About the SAHAJA Experience
(click!) The Morning when Burlington Celebrated the International Yoga Day by the Lake
Don’t miss the links shared in this article, and Yes, we’d like to know if you enjoyed it. 🙂
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