Polestar Gardens Our new CSA (community supported agriculture) project is fully launched now and will deliver its first box of fruit and vegetables by mid August. We will soon be providing locally grown, organic produce to the greater community and donating a tithe of the harvest to the local food bank. Our baskets will include bananas, avocados, chard, kale, salad greens, tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, carrots, herbs and more. Please be advised that those of you on the mainland can also support this endeavor! Your tax deductible subscription payment will purchase a box of produce per week delivered directly to the “The Food Basket”, a local non-profit. Not only will this supply those in dire need with high quality organic food, but you will be supporting Polestar and all our young apprentices who come here to learn yoga, meditation, gardening and many other life skills.
To sign on, click here, and Bon Apetit!
For an interview with our head gardener (and more information about our garden) click here.
Polestar was delighted to host  the graduating eighth grade class from Forrest Hill Charter School in Northern California on their end of the year, Rite of Passage Trip in mid May. Life with 15 teenagers is dynamic to say the least, but we were completely ”taken” by this amazing group of young adults. Their incredible openness, enthusiasm, talent, and adventurous spirit were shared throughout their two weeks visit here. They participated wholeheartedly in the many service projects, yoga, gardening, singing, surfing, snorkeling and many other adventures. A highlight for many of us was an afternoon with Nancietta Ha'alilio who shared her love of Hula and Hawaiian Culture with each of us. Mahalo to Dominique Del Chiaro and her staff for guiding such an amazing journey! We are delighted to announce that Dominique is moving to Polestar this summer to energize our programs and help launch our new community school – we are shooting for Fall 2010! For a slideshow of the School trip to Polestar, click here.
Our new temple, completed in January  and dedicated as a “Church of all Religions” on Yogananda’s Birthday this year, hosted its first ”Kriya Initiation” in April. (Kriya Yoga is the ancient technique of Self Realization at the core of Yogananda’s teaching.) Kriya Ministers Ananta and Maria McSweeney from Ananda Village, generously shared their joyful spirit, the kriya ceremony, and many other classes and satsangs with all of us. In recent months, we have also been blessed by satsangs with Babaji Bob Kindler from SRV (Sarada Ramakrishna Vivekananda Association) , kirtan with Swami Mangalananda from the Anandamayi Ma ashram in India, and Fire Ceremony with pujari Shiva Kumar. Our long held dream of Polestar becoming a center of celebration and collaboration of various spiritual traditions is becoming a reality. (for slides of these recent events, click here)
One of the core inspirations for the creation of Polestar is the profound influence life in spiritual community can have on the hearts and minds of the young. Our youngest member Jeremy, all of 4 years old, is one of the most delightful, loquacious, youngsters you will ever meet. He roams our 20 acres, climbs trees, picks avocados, works in the garden, plays with tools, builds stuff and generally shares life with all of his community members. This extended family, especially if it includes many conscious, caring adults, provides a safe, nurturing environment, along with many dynamic opportunities for his growth. For a joyful look inside ”Jeremy’s World” click here.
|
Recent summers here have been packed with amazing community connections, service projects and fun and this year will be no exception. It all starts in early June with many of us participating in the Hoea Ea “Return to Freedom” Youth Leadership Conference at the Lihikai Hawaiian Cultural Learning Center. This conference is all about Youth, Hawaiian Culture, and Sustainable Food production and we are looking forward to helping out! Our Forrest Hill Charter School students volunteered with us there last month as we prepared the new kitchen pavilion and grounds for the upcoming onslaught of hundreds of young adults. With help from the greater community, we hope to finish the building and many new raised garden beds during the conference as part of our service there this month.
We are especially looking forward to our “Adventures in Spirit” Summer Internship Program( July 9-22nd) which ends in 3 days of ”Family Campout” at Ho’okena Beach. If you’ve been thinking about a visit to Polestar, this is a great time to come! Daily yoga and meditation, service projects, classes of all kinds, adventures and fun are the curriculum of this very dynamic time. Hundreds of young adults have had life changing experiences in this program which is now also open to all ages. If you know of anyone who might be interested, especially young adults, please direct them to our website! To this year’s program is added a youth day camp for ages 12 and under hosted by long time teacher Dominique Del Chiaro. For more information about our programs click here. For a slide show of last year’s program click here.
Our Master Plan at Polestar is in motion and making good progress. We envision a place that supports the continuous physical, mental and spiritual development of our members and their families. In our ideal, the temple, gardens, orchard, housing, school, businesses, guest areas, maintenance areas, and places of natural beauty are integrated in such a way as to allow for a practical, aesthetically pleasing environment, all easily accessed on foot! We want to invite those living farther away to participate in the life of the community here through our recently created Guest Membership program. A reasonable annual fee buys you 1-2 weeks per year at Polestar at a time of your choosing (certain spaces subject to availability) with access to all of our classes and sadhanas, fresh organic meals, and a chance to explore this island paradise.
With many experiencing a great deal of conflict and struggle  in the world today, it is easy to forget the very simple ideals that will keep all of us on a path to greater freedom and harmony. The understanding that it is a privilege to be of service to one another is not only a sure road to happiness but a formula for achieving some measure of peace and sanity in this world. If you feel inspired to participate more fully in Polestar’s Vision please contact us soon.
Many blessings to you and hope to hear from you soon,
Michael for Polestar
|
