|
 | | Molly, Cheryl & Ann. |
 | | Raffle-mania |
Community Is Alive and Well
It's confirmed. People want to connect. People want to share. People want to contribute. It took us a bit by surprise, but it was not a surprise. YogaWoman, the documentary film written/directed/produced by Saraswati Clere (owner of both YogaKula yoga studios) arrived in Sebastopol last Saturday. With the wholesome, made with love appetizers by the Ceres Project, organic wine by Coturri Winery, and an "over-the-top" raffle, we raised over $5,000 for The Ceres Project (www.ceresproject.org). This is double what we envisioned. How does this happen, you may wonder? It takes people like you, who gave a little or a lot to make this event a smashing success. You raised your hands high when I asked for volunteers. You donated bowls and yoga classes and eyepillows and olive trees and yoga mats and wine which Ann Austin magically assembled for the raffle (the raffle alone brought in over $2,000). You gave goodies and free yoga class passes and coupons for our parting gift. You opened your wallet wide and became a sponsor (thank you, Beth).  | | Ann O'Brien & Crowd |
And, you showed up. The room was packed with yogis and non-yogies sharing their enthusiasm and being inspired by the power yoga has had on women and the world. There were tears and laughter and a few gasps when the sound went out midway in the movie. "I realized how important this event was for the community and myself," offered Mirka Kraftsow, one of our legendary master teachers that calls Sebastopol home. And, Diana Chambers, generous contributor to our raffle, added, "it was wonderful... it still brings me to tears.....".  | | Yummy Appetizers |
As defined by Ethan Nichtern in his book, One City, A Declaration of Interdependence, the Buddhist word for community is sangha and "more generally means a group of people who gather for any common cause, who share a common space or rely on each other for a certain service." Although we are taught to be independent, humans thrive on connection--with individuals, families, community, cities and beyond. Call it sangha or "hanging out with your friends", we created a true gathering of friends and community last Saturday.  | | Clean-up |
When all is said and done, I feel a bit like Kevin Costner--If you build it, they will come. We built it with your support and you came to be a part of something bigger than your couch, Coors and 46" plasma. As Jane Austin, Ann's sister, said, "Yoga in Sonoma County Rocks". It sure does. Thank you all. |
