Happy New Year

Is this just a greeting, a statement of reality, an affirmation, or just wishful thinking? All of the above?

As we enter 2011, we are made aware of the intensity of the change that is happening on our planet. Flood waters rise, birds fall from skies, fish expire and float to the tops of rivers and streams, and we see pictures of people playfully diving from rooftops into flooded streets, and little children sitting in a foot of water, watching TV, trying to send the message – all is well?!

And all the while, we watch closely as crops fail, financial institutions waver, and systems and structures that once seemed steadfast and true seem to be teetering on the brink of .... the evolutionary edge?

We have been thrilled to watch the emergence and expansion of many avenues for integral and evolutionary expression locally, regionally and globally in the past year: BeamsandStruts.com, IfDarwinPrayed.com, IntegralCommunity.ca, Drishti.ca, BeTheChangeEarthAlliance.org, OneSky.ca, IntegralLife.com, IntegralEnlightenment.com, TheShiftNetwork.com, and so many others. We’d love to link to these sites from the IntegralVancouver.com website to allow for members of this community to connect with each other, engage in a deeper conversation about what is going in our world, and to bring to light new and relevant perspectives that can have local and global impact. If you are aware of other websites or organizations that would like to be linked to the Integral Vancouver community, please email info_at_integralvancouver.com.

As we widen our circle of awareness and care, we allow ourselves to evolve personally, and prepare ourselves to be expressions of service during these times of great change. This widening has inspired a shift in the local Integral community from being primarily internally focused - providing Salons and programs for those who are seeking Integral information and education - to reaching out to serve the greater Vancouver community and the global community, putting Integral principles into action.

This year we look forward to a rich series of dialogues and activities on Integral Living. This will take place in our monthly gatherings, as well as educational programs, partnerships with service organizations, integral coaches and consultants connecting with clients to share their gifts, online discussion and other avenues of expression, and of course, social activities!

We look forward to the emergence of new ways to come together, and those called to leadership stepping forward to initiate various aspects of the conversation and expressions of Integral.