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For motivational purposes. #jamelshabazz #brooklyn

For motivational purposes. #jamelshabazz #brooklyn #newyork #photographer #portrait

"How are there people that never met me that hate

"How are there people that never met me that hate me? I wonder if they understand that I meditate daily." -Big Sean #bigsean #detroit #motown #hiphop #photojournalism

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once stat

The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once stated that "the only constant in life is change", and it is amazing how much the world has changed in a year. A year ago, Operation Prefrontal Cortex was inspiring thousands upon thousands of people in-person (and online), but in-person interactions are now significantly limited due to a pandemic that most of us never foresaw. Also, based on the current data available to us, shootings in Toronto have increased significantly over the course of the last twelve months, Toronto is still in the midst of a gun violence crisis, and our city is also experiencing an opioid crisis and a homelessness crisis, all of which are by-products of the global mental health epidemic. Despite the many challenges facing Toronto and humanity at large, this past summer was arguably the most productive summer for Operation Prefrontal Cortex, we are unwavering in our mission to reduce gun violence, mass violence, and police violence in Toronto through mindfulness and meditation, our petition to bring Advance Peace to Toronto has passed the 86,000 signature mark, the City of Toronto is now considering our mindfulness-based policing program, and the Mindfulness Mentors program that has been designed by our partners Mindfulness Everyday is now active. I look forward to sharing more updates about our operations and programming in the coming weeks, and in the meantime, please follow Operation Prefrontal Cortex via social media, please continue sharing and signing our petition to bring Advance Peace to Toronto, donate to our GoFundMe if possible, purchase our exclusive Director X set design bag via xylk, and reach out to us if you are seeking guidance regarding mindfulness and meditation. Together, we can reduce violence in Toronto through mindfulness and meditation! #mindfulness #meditation #takeaction #oppfc #toronto

I was recently a podcast guest for the first time,

I was recently a podcast guest for the first time, and I am grateful to have been interviewed by Rhiannon Rosalind for The Lunar Podcast through the Global Institute For Conscious Economics, in association with the Economic Club of Canada. Our conversation is available through The Lunar Club's Instagram account bio or by searching for The Lunar Club wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. With that said, our conversation focuses on mindfulness and its role in shaping leadership, business, and all facets of humanity for the better, on a global scale.

"Step with care and great tact, and remember life'

"Step with care and great tact, and remember life's a great balancing act." -Dr. Seuss #beijing #china #acrobats #performance #bicycle

My first article for The Toronto Star was publishe

My first article for The Toronto Star was published this morning. I wrote it, I photographed myself at the meditation studio Hoame for the piece, and I was fortunate to have it edited by my longtime colleague Priya Ramanujam (and some of her gracious team members). The article focuses on meditation, and how meditation and other mindfulness practices have transformed my life for the better, ultimately saving it. Furthermore, the article discusses meditation's potential for dismantling systemic racism on a global scale, while reducing violence of all kinds. I began engaging in various meditation practices regularly in 2014, and such habits have been crucial to my mental health, and to my professional successes in the midst of a global pandemic, a global civil rights movement, and many other upheavals. Meditation is undoubtedly a game-changer, from my perspective, and based on many scientific studies facilitated by institutions such as The University of Toronto, Harvard University, and Stanford University, and the article is available via the link in my bio. #torontostar #journalism #toronto #mindfulness #meditation

Qatari camel trainers. #doha #zekreet #qatar #midd

Qatari camel trainers. #doha #zekreet #qatar #middleeast #camel

“When writing the story of your life, don’t le

“When writing the story of your life, don’t let anyone else hold the pen." -Drake #drake #octobersveryown #ovo #toronto #selfactualization

"Artists can have greater access to reality; they

"Artists can have greater access to reality; they can see patterns and details and connections that other people, distracted by the blur of life, might miss. Just sharing that truth can be a very powerful thing." -Jay-Z #emmalynestrada #venicebeach #losangeles #california #artist

Mary J. Blige is legendary. #maryjblige #randb #so

Mary J. Blige is legendary. #maryjblige #randb #soul #music #concert

"When we are no longer able to change a situation,

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves." -Viktor Frankl #chaos #pandemic #blacklivesmatter #protest #toronto

Last November, part of our team attended Mindful L

Last November, part of our team attended Mindful Living Barbados, in beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados, to learn about the country, mindfulness, meditation, self-care, the human condition, mindfulness programs that are similar to Operation Prefrontal Cortex in North America and the Caribbean, and more. Read about our trip and view my photographs of our adventure via my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog), and we strongly urge you to sign our petition to bring Advance Peace to Toronto through the link in the article or through Operation Prefrontal Cortex's Instagram account, so that Premier Doug Ford, Mayor John Tory, and the City of Toronto can implement a proven solution to the shootings that we are all concerned about. #bridgetown #barbados #mindfulness #meditation #advancepeaceto

"I got a grind, won't stop, hustle won't quit." -T

"I got a grind, won't stop, hustle won't quit." -T.I. #ti #tip #atlanta #georgia #hiphop

I wrote an article on what it means to be Black in

I wrote an article on what it means to be Black in North America, from my perspective, it features my photographs of the recent solidarity marches in Toronto, and the article is available through my photography company's blog (https://ajani.ca/blog). With that said, I have experienced overt and covert forms of anti-Black racism throughout my life, and I have been racially profiled by police while driving and on foot. Even though I take full responsibility for everything that happens to me in life, in accordance with a number of principles first developed through stoicism, different forms of yoga, and existentialism, racism is an obstacle that all Black people must face nonetheless. Being of African descent in North America, and more specifically, being a Black male in North America often means being a stranger to oneself, a threat to other Black people, a menace to law enforcement, and a danger to society at large. To be a Black male in North America often means being public enemy number one and consequently labeled a criminal at worst or a source of entertainment and laughter at best. Conscious as I am of my Black identity, the recent killing of George Floyd and the marches, protests, and riots that have followed in the United States and elsewhere have affected me deeply. #blacklivesmatter #activism #photojournalism #storytelling #colonialism

The United States of America. #america #usa #slave

The United States of America. #america #usa #slavery #savannah #georgia

As requested by Arianna Huffington, my essay on th

As requested by Arianna Huffington, my essay on the long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic has been published through Thrive Global, and it is available by searching for my name via the Thrive Global site (https://www.thriveglobal.com). The article includes my photographs of downtown Toronto during the pandemic, in addition to various mental health tools and habits that are relevant and helpful to the vast majority of people, especially artists, entrepreneurs, and executives, as they navigate a global event unlike any we have faced recently. However, individuals that do not have their basic needs met, as per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and individuals that experience untreated, severe mental illnesses or forms of trauma will need more support than the tools outlined through the article. #coronavirus #covid19 #journalism #mentalhealth #toronto

5 AM in Toronto. #drake #toronto #ovo #octobersver

5 AM in Toronto. #drake #toronto #ovo #octobersveryown #rap

I interviewed Julien Christian Lutz, professionall

I interviewed Julien Christian Lutz, professionally known as Director X for Thrive Global, which is an American company founded by Arianna Huffington in 2016 -- a company that provides behavior change technology and media to support individuals struggling with stress and burnout. The protégé of pioneering director Hype Williams, Lutz has been noted for directing high-budget, visually distinctive videos for popular artists, including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West, and many others. After his experience as a victim of public gun violence in Toronto, and with his childhood friend Danell Adams, he co-founded Operation Prefrontal Cortex, which is a program harnessing the power of mindfulness and meditation to help reduce the incidents of gun and mass violence in Toronto. I have been a part of Operation Prefrontal Cortex for over a year, recently I became the organization's Art Director, and throughout our conversation for Thrive Global, we discuss the evolution of Op PFC, meditation, mindfulness, violence in Toronto and elsewhere, childhood, and more. The interview also features my photography, and it is available by searching for "Director X" through Thrive Global (https://www.thriveglobal.com). #directorx #filmmaking #mindsforlives #meditation #toronto

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