Live your joy. It’s a simple mantra. And imperative in many ways, if, at age 21, your twin sister Alanis is adjusting to new-found fame as one of Canada’s major pop artists and you are both still discovering who you are. For Wade Imre Morissette, the best way to explore
himself was to go to India.

“It was perfect,” says Morissette, “because India was so far away and I was able to get out of the shadow of my sister’s fame.” Then, as his dedication to yoga and meditation grew, something unexpected happened. “I began to realize that I could sing and record music [too], but it was going to come from a slightly different angle.”

Passionate about “everything to do with consciousness and joy,” Morissette started to explore devotional chanting. Fast-forward 10 years. In 2006, his self-released debut album caught the attention of Nettwerk Music Group CEO Terry McBride in a Vancouver yoga studio, leading to his signing with the label and the release of his second album, Strong as Diamonds, last month.

And the bliss list goes on. After a stint running his own yoga studio in Vancouver, Morissette passed the torch and now leads yoga retreats and workshops around the world. He performs mantra and bliss dance concerts, is currently organizing a yoga festival, has created two yoga DVDs, and still manages to make time for his wife and young son back home. If that weren’t enough, Morissette is also working on a book called Living Your Joy: 12 Gateways to Finding Your Bliss. Here’s to getting started.