Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace. Thich Nhat Hanh

If you cannot find happiness along the road, you will not find it at the end of the road. Author unknown

This week we had our book group meeting in the fabulous Putney Station (one of the Brinkley’s restaurants – very cool and accommodating they were too) and we were lucky enough to have the author of the book we were reading come along. Lucy Edge's book, Yoga School Dropout , describes her journey to become a yoga goddess. Her book documents her travels in India and has a warts-and-all look at some of the "gurus" she met on her journey. Lucy clearly has a passion for all aspects of yoga, so the book has a lot of references to yoga terminology. It made me laugh out loud in some places. I too have travelled in India and have been in situations where the lessons learnt were not what I had expected them to be. "Gurus" - or teachers - come in many different forms and I think this book describes finding humility, to see that perhaps it is the shop keeper or the taxi driver who can open your eyes to something new. It is the journey within that Lucy ultimately discovers

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. Thich Nhat Hanh

Nancy Gilgoff Yoga workshop 10 , originally uploaded by yogamama.co.uk . Urdhva Dhanurasana-Nancy Gilgoff workshop Oct 2010 Nope -this is not me ;-)

Children smile 400 times a day on average. Adults, 15 times. Children laugh 150 times a day. Adults, 6 times per day. Children play between 4-6 hours a day. Adults, only 20 minutes a day. What's happened? Robert Holden Taken from 'Living Wonderfully'

The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions. Thich Nhat Hanh

Since everything in life is but an experience; perfect in being what it is, having nothing to do with good or bad, acceptance or rejection, one may well burst out in laughter. Long Chen Pa

People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar. Thich Nhat Hanh

The human emotional system can be broken down into roughly two elements: fear and love. Love is of the soul. Fear is of the personality. Gary Zukav Taken from 'Seat of the Soul'