Sublime Summer Blessings Beloved Family!

This month at Laughing Lotus we immerse ourselves in Nada Yoga, the yoga of sound and deep listening. To listen is to be receptive and open, to be aware of both the external sounds around us and the internal vibrations through which consciousness flows. Through Nada Yoga, we cultivate the ability to listen with an open heart and receptive ear.

In focusing upon listening, this June Love Saves the Day benefits Avaaz.org (Avaaz means voice in many Asian, Middle Eastern, and Eastern European languages). Founded in 2007 by Moveon.org and Res Publica (a global civic advocacy group), Avaaz.org (www.avaaz.org) is a global web-based community devoted to listening to need, giving voice to those who have not been heard, and creating true democratic social change in troubled regions throughout the globe. As described in The Economist, with over three million members in nearly 200 countries, Avaaz is "poised to deliver a deafening wake-up call to world leaders."

Among Avaaz.org's current campaigns are:

• Fund-raising for the International Burmese Monks Organization and related groups that are providing humanitarian relief to the million people left homeless by the cyclone in Myanmar. This horrific natural disaster which left tens of thousands dead was made worse by a military junta that did not warn people of the coming danger and subsequently delayed the entry of aid from abroad. In much of the country, monasteries are the only source of shelter and many monks have been the most reliable source of assistance since the storm struck. To find out more about Avaaz.org's Burma Campaign, click here: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/burma_cyclone/
• On March 14, the Chinese government met Tibetan protesters with violence, leaving 150 dead. The event spurred action across the globe, include Avaaz.org's unprecedented 1.5 million person petition to the Chinese president urging restraint and respect for human rights. To find out more about how to support human rights in Tibet and sign the petition, click here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/tibet_report_back/
• Avaaz is also joining with Amnesty International, Oxfam and other organization to stop new arms from entering Zimbabwe and fueling an ongoing political and humanitarian crisis. Since the March 29 election, Zimbabwe has witnessed attacks upon political activists and opposition leaders as well as arrests, harassment and violence against ordinary citizens. To read Archbishop Desmond Tutu's statement about stopping weapons from entering Zimbabwe and to help Avaaz, click here: http://www.avaaz.org/en/no_arms_for_zimbabwe/

As we spend this month bathing in sound and silence, let's all take a moment to raise our voices, support Avaaz and remember, Love Saves the Day!