“Adventures in Spirit” Summer Internship Program 2010 is upon us! About 25 of us will begin Tuesday night with dinner and orientation and it’s still not too late to join us. You are also welcome to participate on a daily basis; most mornings include yoga, meditation, and community service with projects at Polestar, The Boys and Girls Club in Hilo, and Green Lake. (A number of our “elective” classes are also open to the public.) Some of the highlights of this year’s program are listed below.
Wednesday July 14, 5:45 – 9 pm Kirtan/Potluck and an after dinner “song circle” with Beverly and Michael
Thursday Evening Class, July 15, 7:30 pm – Stories from the Mahabharata
Friday Afternoon July 16
1:45 pm Tai Chi/Water Colors – Join Watercolor Painter Michael Donenfeld in learning a Zen approach to painting. A short Tai Chi session prior to painting will enable us to embody the natural beauty of Hawaii. For beginners and advanced artists this approach will assist your ability to express nature in your painting…
all supplies will be provided – paint, brushes, paper. 4:30 pm Full contact volleyball followed by vegetarian Sushi Bar / fun and games
Saturday Afternoon July 17
3 – 5 pm Satsang with Nancietta. Don’t miss the chance to spend an afternoon with this Aloha-filled being. She shares her deep knowledge of Hawaiian Culture, Spirituality and immense love of life through hula, music, and talk story.
Sunday Evening Class, July 18, 7:30 pm - Stories from the Mahabharata
Tuesday July 20, 7:30 pm Indian / Hawaiian Puja with Ramana
Wednesday July 21 Kirtan starts at 5:45 pm, followed by -
6:45 pm “A Taste of India” - Kirtan, Gourmet Indian Dinner, A Silent Auction, Marimba Music, and stories from the Mahabharata mark this “not to be missed” extravaganza. Tickets are $20 and available at Polestar or at “BookBuyers” in Pahoa.
Friday – Monday, July 23 – 26Family Campout at Ho’okena.
This is the culmination of our program and one of the highlights of our summer including beach time, snorkeling, kayaking, dolphins, volleyball, campfires, music and more. Saturday evening is our annual “no talent” show – come prepared with something to share! For more information visit our website at PolestarCommunity.org
Many thanks to those who helped make
4th of July here such a memorable event!
You can browse more photos of the Holiday on our Blog
Join us this Saturday at Yoga-Centered in Hilo for a rousing evening of kirtan and sacred music, inspirational readings and meditation. We’ll start at 6PM and chant until around 7:30. Please pass the word and we hope to see you there!
Sunday July 4th is our annual Independence Day picnic starting at 4PM with a quads volleyball tournament, giant slip-n-slide, horseshoes, barbecue, music, fireworks and more. The picnic is a potluck (we’ll provide the coals) so bring something to grill, a dish or a dessert. (This is a drug and alcohol free event.)
Polestar Chanters, in addition to our normal Wednesday nights at Polestar, are now sharing kirtan at Kalani every Monday night from 7:30-9PM, and in Hilo every first Saturday of the month.
The summer is fully upon us and we are looking forward to another vibrant season. Our summer program – “Adventures in Spirit” launches July 13 and finishes with Family Campout July 23 – 26th. We are looking forward to this annual explosion of creative energy including yoga and meditation, countless community service projects, music, art, adventures and more! A full schedule of events will be coming soon and you are welcome to participate on a daily basis. Volunteers are much needed (to drive to outings, teach a class, cook etc.) so please contact us soon if you would like to help out. Closing night this year, Wednesday July 21st, will offer “A Taste of India” a magical evening of storytelling, dance, fine dining, marimba music, a silent auction and more. We are gratefully accepting contributions for the silent auction and hope you will mark your calendars now for this auspicious occasion!
Hoea Ea 2010
Once again we will be volunteering at the Hoea Ea conference this year at the Hawaiian Cultural center July 7 – 11th and would like to invite anyone who feels so inclined to join us. This youth oriented conference focuses on cultural practices, food production, and building community and we are delighted to help: “A uniting of Hawaii Island through aloha and sustainability.” Contact us soon for more information.
Polestar Blog
Thanks to Abram and Viki (who along with Albert Bicknell comprise our IT department!) we are happy to announce the recent addition of a “Polestar Blog” to our web site at polestarcommunity.org. This a wonderful way for our far flung friends to keep in touch with the daily life of the community and we hope you will check it out. If you have visited or attend regular events here, you are also most welcome to make contributions as well. During our Adventures in Spirit summer program, we will be making entries daily so please take a look!
Arrivals and Departures
Wehave been blessed with visits from many wonderful new and old friendsthesepast months and want to acknowledge all their contributions to ourcommunity.We were very sad to say goodbye to a wonderful young family from Budapest whoshared their incredibly open hearts (and Hungarian food!) with all ofus.Participants in our ongoing apprentice program have been especiallyappreciatedthese past months, drinking deeply of all Polestar has to offer and generously sharing alltheir hard work and Spirit.Many, many thanks toCrystal, William,Akos, Magdi,Barnabas and Zsofi. Recentvisitors from Ananda in Californiahave included Satya, the Gamows, the Moorhouses, the Blacks, the Betts Family, the Skillmans, and more to come this summer. Special thanks also toour dear friends andvisiting ministers fromAnanda Portland: Daiva andGangamata Glazzard.Daiva’s engaging re-tellingof theMahabharatawas deeply appreciated by everyone!
Spiritual Vacation at Polestar
A number of our visitors have described their visits here as “deeply refreshing” or like “a spiritual vacation”. With an island paradise to explore and revel in, temperate weather year round, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, surfing and the like; but also with a yoga retreat, time for asana, meditation, kirtan, and relaxation along with local, organically grown food, family-style dinners, and uplifting company; for those who appreciate these things, it can add up to a complete renewal of body, mind and spirit. We keep several lovely rooms available here for visitors, some with private bath, as well as tent cabins and tents and would like to invite you to book a spot here for your next vacation.
Guarding the Hen-House
Our Farm and Garden continue to thrive here and we are amazed at the bounty of fruits and vegetables available to us year round. However, despite everyone’s best efforts, our egg production has been seriously curtailed by the over-achieving mongoose population. With a vertical leap of well over 36″, these mongooses (mongeese?!) are regularly helping themselves to roughly 1/4 of our eggs. After many failed attempts to block their ascent to the egg-laying boxes, we finally turned the video camera on them to catch them in the act. For an enlightening and humorous look at what goes on in the hen house when we’re not watching, click here!
Polestar in California
Michael and Ann will be in Southern and Northern CA in August for rest and renewal and have been invited to share kirtan in several places. We would love to catch up with some of our old friends there so if you are in the neighborhood at that time, give us a call for more details.
Sending much Love and Aloha
to all our Family and Friends,
Michael for Polestar www.PolestarCommunity.org
Summer is upon us and we have many plans in motion for our “Adventures in Spirit” Summer Internship Program July 13-26th. This year, we are happy to present for our closing dinner and celebration, “A Taste of India”: an evening of music, entertainment, food, and a silent auction. Donations for the silent auction already include a hot tub, a 3-day stay at a Kona yoga resort, and much more. Donations for this auction would be much appreciated and are tax deductible.
At the end of May, Polestar Community members were delighted to join hearts and voices with devotees of Anandamayi Ma at their Ashram near Kona. Invited by our good friend Swami Mangalananda, we were treated to delicious vegetarian fare, a tour of their beautiful community and temple, and a wonderfully deep evening of chanting and sacred music. Swamiji also shared video footage of his ashram in India and their growing school – a very inspiring glimpse into his life there.
Our Wednesday night kirtan / potluck is going strong and we much appreciate the energy, devotion and great food(!) so many of you have contributed. As an experiment, our monthly, longer kirtans have been moved to Hilo, at “Yoga Centered”. Please spread the word and join us there this coming Saturday, June 5th (and every first Saturday of the month) from 6-7:30. (And for those who are able, join us for Thai food afterward!)
With Robinette gone for the summer, the Polestar chanters have been invited to lead kirtan at Kalani’s on Monday nights. We are looking forward to it and hoping to catch up with some of our old friends from that area. We begin this coming Monday at 7:30PM and will chant until about 9PM or so – hope to see you there!
Stories from the Mahabharata!
The longest poem ever written, dictated continuously by the great sage Byasa to his worthy scribe Ganesha, is coming to Polestar these next two Wednesday nights. Join us for an evening of storytelling from this epic tale and repository of all Hindu culture and spirituality. Daiva Glazzard, a minister from Ananda, and storyteller extraordinaire will be our host. The Mahabharata recounts the story of two sets of cousins of the Kuru race and their battle for the kingdom they both claim as their own. A gripping tale of war, dharma, violence, nobility and greed, the Mahabharata allegorically tells the tale of human evolution of consciousness from matter to the realms of Spirit, providing entertainment and deep insight in one delicious serving.
Weather permitting, we’ll
sit at the fire circle and
begin right after dinner: Wednesday, June 9th, and
16th. Please join us!
Adventures in Spirit
Summer is upon us and we have many plans in motion for our “Adventures in Spirit” Summer Internship Program July 13-26th. If you’ve been waiting on the sidelines, this is a perfect time to get more involved in any number of community building events here at Polestar and in the larger community as well. Daily yoga, meditation, service projects, and music, are at the heart of this program which also includes life-skill classes, performance art, adventures of many kinds, and gourmet vegetarian meals. Would you like to get involved?! If you have a skill to share, our elective classes are always looking for qualified teachers. (We are especially in need of an ukulele teacher (and more ukuleles!) and a hula teacher this year.) You are welcome to participate on a daily basis, or volunteer to help out with meals, driving and whatever else needs to be done. If you know of anyone, especially a young adult, who would benefit from this dynamic program, please direct them to our web site soon.
This year, we are happy to present for our closing dinner and celebration, “A Taste of India”: an evening of music, entertainment, food, and a silent auction. Donations for the silent auction already include a hot tub, a 3-day stay at a Kona yoga resort, and much more. Donations for this auction would be much appreciated and are tax deductible. Tickets go on sale next week and you will hear much more about this event very soon.Finally, our program closes with Family Campout at Ho’okena Beach, a highlight of the summer for many of us. We have rented all the campsites for Polestar’s use and are now taking reservations. It is not too early to sign up and also be thinking about entertainment night on Saturday night. This year, there will be a raffle and prizes for best act!
The Lava recently started flowing again after a two-month break and flowed right by the road. Here’s a video of Polestar’s visit with Pele – the Hawaiian Goddess of volcanoes.
Note: This is the Polestar Newsletter sent out via email on April 22, 2010. It is posted here for archive purposes.
April 22, 2010
Aloha From Polestar on the Big Island,
We hope this message finds you embracing the
Energy and Beauty of Spring time!
There is much to share about recent events at Polestar and we hope we will see you at one of our upcoming events soon. We’ve had a steady stream of family, friends, and students in the last month and a good deal of fun sharing the life of our community with them along with some of the amazing natural beauty of the Big Island.
Our ongoing Apprenticeship Program is going strongand provides many visitors an affordable opportunity to experience life in intentional community, practice yoga and meditation, learn some essential life skills, and have some great Island adventures. Our current group includes both younger and older students from Japan, Canada, Australia, Russia, and Chicago! Daily, we practice yoga and meditation, work hard (mostly in the garden), share amazingly delicious vegetarian food, have plenty of fun, and try to be of support to each other in our spiritual unfoldment. Many have found that embracing this lifestyle for even a few weeks can significantly renew their energy and spirits.
The Garden is the bursting with “Ha” (Hawaiian for “life force” / breath / energy) right now and we have many new projects planned for the coming months. Our unusually dry winter has produced a record crop of avocados and mangoes, both of which will be in full production early this year, well in time for our summer programs. The “chicken palace” is pretty well complete now and we are regularly gathering up to 19 eggs per day! With such an ideal climate for growing food, we are all delighted by the amazing culinary, nutritional, aesthetic, health, and even spiritual benefits of
eating organic produce grown in our own back yard. Many of our visitors have found the combination of meditation, yoga, hard work in the garden, good company, organic food and an occasional dip in the ocean a transformational experience.
In preparation for re-launching our CSA (community supported agriculture) program next spring we are planning to re-line our 200,000 gallon irrigation pond and install a solar pump with holding tanks; construct 3 new tent cabins and a large rock retaining wall for our back lawn; plant more fruit trees, landscaping improvements and much, much more. As usual, we will also be volunteering in the larger community helping other non-profits with various projects. We have enjoyed so many wonderful connections with other volunteers who have discovered the Joy of Service!
If you’ve been thinking about a visit, this summer is the perfect time. Our “Adventures in Spirit” program runs from July 13-26th and is
packed with inspirational, educational, and adventurous activities.
It ends with 3 glorious days of Family Campout on our favorite beach
with swimming, snorkeling, dolphins, volleyball, campfires, music,
kayaking and more. This year we will again offer a day camp to
younger students making it a dynamic time for the whole family. If
you are thinking of joining us, or know of someone (especially a
young adult) who you think would benefit from this program, please
contact us soon.
We received many comments about our aerial photo in last month’s
newsletter and wanted to print it again with the google maps
version, taken approximately 3 years ago – we had just cut the housepad.
See below
Also, in what seemed like an extreme case of beginners luck, we recently duct-taped our video camera to a large kite, hit “record”, and sent it up to see if we might get some decent aerial shots. You can check out the results here!
Finally, a group of us from Polestar are coming for a visit to CA this August and would love to catch up with old (and young) friends!
July 11, 2010
ur ongoing Apprenticeship Program is going strong and provides many visitors an affordable opportunity to experience life in intentional community, practice yoga and meditation, learn some essential life skills, and have some great Island adventures. Our current group includes both younger and older students from Japan, Canada, Australia, Russia, and Chicago! Daily, we practice yoga and meditation, work hard (mostly in the garden), share amazingly delicious vegetarian food, have plenty of fun, and try to be of support to each other in our spiritual unfoldment. Many have found that embracing this lifestyle for even a few weeks can significantly renew their energy and spirits. 
The Garden is the bursting with “Ha” (Hawaiian for “life force” / breath / energy) right now and we have many new projects planned for the coming months. Our unusually dry winter has produced a record crop of avocados and mangoes, both of which will be in full production early this year, well in time for our summer programs. The “chicken palace” is pretty well complete now and we are regularly gathering up to 19 eggs per day! With such an ideal climate for growing food, we are all delighted by the amazing culinary, nutritional, aesthetic, health, and even spiritual benefits of
