Karma Yoga Gathering Thursday, March 21

Join us around the fire on Thursday, March 21 at 10:45 to talk about Karma Yoga and welcome spring!  Hope to see you there.

Spring Karma Yoga Update

Poppy from last year's Karma Garden

We gathered around the fire recently to talk about Karma Yoga and came up with some great ideas.

Karma Garden Time:  Spring is just around the corner so we are excited to get the Karma Garden going again.  This year we will expand to include not only Joyce and Darrell Cooley's garden but also Kristi Tonti's garden in Suquamish.  Our hope is to expand to provide organic produce not only for Helpline House but also for Fishline in Poulsbo and for our own community at BYH with a market table in the studio.  Our kickoff work party will be at the Cooley's on Sunday, April 7.  Hopefully this will work for those wanting to get their hands dirty!  As usual, kids are invited and welcome.  we will focus on getting the dirt ready and planting seeds and starts.  Bring what you have or just come and help.  We will have more specific information with times and addresses as the date gets closer.

Karma Library:  You've probably seen a little free library somewhere in your travels and we thought it would be fun to sponsor one on Bainbridge Island - likely somewhere at Battle Point park.  If you have carpentry skills or materials that we could use let us know!  If you'd like to suggest a spot on the island for the library comment here.  Contact Julie Bennett at partera@drizzle.com with questions, offers and ideas.

Karma Yoga Community Service Day:  We are looking for ways to serve together in our community those who need help.  We have contacted the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers and hope to find a place or person needing help with yardwork, housework or other things amenable to group service.  If you have ideas, please let us know - comment here or email Helen Burke at hburke8@gmail.com.

We will meet again on Thursday, March 21 at 10:45 around the fire at BYH - maybe the sun will be out!  Hope to see you there.

Karma Card Kickoff - Spread the Love!

Next time you have the opportunity to practice an intentional act of unexpected kindness - take it!  Help yourself to some Karma Cards and keep them in your wallet or your car as a reminder.  Leave one behind as a calling card for kindness and a way to connect with others.  The opportunities are endless but here are a few ideas:

-leave a book you've enjoyed on a bench or table where someone will happen upon it - tuck a karma card inside so they'll know it wasn't an accident;

-put a flower on someone's windshield in the grocery store parking lot;

-write a hand-written love letter to a stranger and include a karma card in the envelope (watch a Ted talk about this here http://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_brencher_love_letters_to_strangers.html);

-leave a stack of quarters on a washing machine at the laundromat.

Then - share what you've done with the BYH community!  Leave a note on the Karma Yoga bulletin board, post a comment on the Karma Yoga blog or on the BYH Facebook page.  Small acts of kindness have a big impact.

Karma Yoga Gathering Thursday, 10:45 at BYH

It is time for our first gathering of the new year!  Please come if you can to discuss ways to connect to each other and our community through service.  We would love to hear your ideas.  We will meet right after class on Thursday in front of the fireplace.  Hope to see you there!

Send a Piece of Your Heart to Newtown

Next time you come to Bainbridge Yoga House, near the cubbies behind the front desk you will find an  opportunity to connect to the residents of Newtown.  You can write a heartfelt message or create an image from your heart to theirs on one or more of the paper hearts that will be strung together with many others.  Or, if you love to create paper snowflakes, cut one (or many) and we will include those.  If you feel moved to write a letter of love or hope to a stranger, leave it under the string of hearts and snowflakes.  We will mail the hearts and snowflakes along with any letters in January with the hope that our string of creations will bring some light to the students as they return to a new school.  Here are a few links of other ways to help and connect with our neighbors in Connecticut:

http://www.ctpta.org/About-CT-PTA/SANDY-HOOK-FUND.html

http://www.uwwesternct.org/sandyhook

Santa the Karma Yogi

Thought you would all enjoy this article about how Santa is really a Karma yogi at heart: Santa - The Best Karma Yogi in the World.

The MedMob last night was so lovely - there were about 15-20 of us sitting together in the bustle of the ferry terminal.  With help from Island Kirtan, we sang songs about light and love that made us laugh and smile - and we noticed more than a few smiles from commuters walking past.  Thanks to everyone who came and sang!

Our next Karma Yoga gathering will be January 17 at BYH.  You can look forward to more offerings from Karma Yoga in 2013 and we look forward to seeing you and hearing your ideas.

Peace and love to you ALL!

MedMob Redux 2012

Join us for another peaceful evening at the ferry terminal to welcome home our families, friends and neighbors on December 19, 5:30 pm at the Bainbridge ferry terminal. Our theme this year is light and joy. We will meditate for about 30 minutes, then begin the sound bath when we hear the motorcycles rev up off the 5:30 Seattle ferry. Bainbridge's very own Island Kirtan will be there to help with the musical part of the evening. Spread the word!