TO EVOLVE INTO THE PERSON YOU WERE MEANT TO BE IS AN ACT OF SHEER AUDACITY!

You’ve probably heard it before: “I can’t do yoga. I’m not flexible enough.” “I’m too old to start something new.” “I don’t have time to lie around on a mat.” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone.

Labour Day in Trinidad and Tobago is a reminder of the long road workers have travelled to secure the rights they have today and it also serves as a call to action for the ongoing struggle for fair treatment, justice and equality in the workplace.

For many men, the constant pressure to perform often leads to an internal disconnect - a split between the identity they project to the world and the self they truly are. On the outside, they may appear confident, successful, and in control. But beneath the surface, the constant need to prove their worth creates a profound sense of emptiness.

There is a quiet kind of magic in solitude. It strips away the expectations, the obligations and the external noise, leaving us face-to-face with our most honest selves.

Unlike Mother’s Day, which often brings widespread recognition of the challenges of infertility or loss, Father’s Day can be more subtle in its impact. Society often focuses on celebrating the “ideal” of fatherhood, the joy of fathering children, raising a family and passing down one’s legacy. But for men who cannot experience this, Father’s Day can be a reminder of what they feel they are missing.

Father’s Day may never be the same without them, but it can still be a day of gratitude, remembrance and deep connection.

Today, we pause to celebrate the multifaceted roles fathers play in our lives, in the rhythm of our daily existence and in the values they pass on to future generations.

Reducing yoga to stretching or using it solely as a workout ignores its depth. It also risks cultural appropriation, stripping yoga of its roots and repackaging it for commercial gain without honouring the traditions from which it came.

As the country faces floodwaters in many areas, it's crucial to know what to do - and just as importantly, what not to do - during these challenging times.

If you've been triggered, you're not broken. You're human.