Spirit, Community, Life-long Learning | | |
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Monthly Newsletter
January 2023
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"With the opening of the New Year, all the closed portals of limitations will be thrown open and I shall move through them to vaster fields, where my worthwhile dreams of life will be fulfilled."
--Paramhansa Yogananda
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Dear Friends,
A very Happy New year to each of you! We are reflecting with gratitude on all the amazing adventures, progress, joys and travails of the past year; the community meals, meditations, kirtans, celebrations; births and passings; work parties, campouts, hikes, zoom meetings, music and more, and the priceless opportunity to connect with all of you through them. In this new year, may we deepen our Friendships, our meditations, our Wisdom, and rise to new heights of Service and Joy!
We were absolutely delighted by our First Holiday Season in Fort Collins: a laughter and music-filled gathering at Greyrock Co-housing; deep stillness & inward connection with a well-attended 8-hour meditation; pure, smiling joy caroling for and with elders; an enchanting candlelit Christmas Eve service with our friends at Unity of Fort Collins, and a New Years' hike with bald eagle wonder are all truly memorable. The excellent turnout at our first Polestar Pickleball Party seems to have elevated pickleball to the new official sport of Polestar Village - we are delighted to be celebrating many of our former traditions, and beginning new ones in Colorado!
In this newsletter you will find some New Years' meditation inspiration, motivation & support; Polestar Village Groundbreaking news & fundraising information; Paramhansa Yoganananda's birthday celebration announcement & more!
With love, blessings & Divine Friendship,
from all your friends at Polestar
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Polestar Village Winter Highlights - Enjoy! | |
“You are the sky, everything else is just the weather.”
– Pema Chödrön
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Five Great Reasons
to put Meditation at the top of your New Year's Rejuvenation Plan
by Michael Gornik
Among countless methods we may choose to improve our lives in the coming year, there is arguably one method in particular, that is by far the most effective. A commitment to starting, deepening, and lengthening your meditation practice may be your most powerful choice. Here's why: (read more...)
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Polestar Group Meditations
A New Year with new ways to meditate together
Tues Evening Meditation & Satsang- Weekly, 5:30-7PM
New format includes a brief meditation lesson, meditation session and spiritual discourse. location details here
Thur Evening Long Meditation- Weekly, 5-8PM
A weekly opportunity to deepen your practice with group support at Unity of Fort Collins
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"Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality."
-Thich Nhat Hanh
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Polestar Village Groundbreaking!
Sept. 22-24th
Thanks to the contributions of so many of you, the ongoing efforts of our Polestar Team, and the professional expertise of our planners, engineers, and builders, we are finally seeing light at the end of the long tunnel called 'the entitlement process' in Fort Collins. God willing, we will complete the city process this spring and be able to break ground in the Fall!
To reach this goal, we need your help! Your investment in Polestar Village not only enables you to own your own home, townhome, or condo in one of the most unique spiritual communities in the world, but supports a very worthwhile endeavor while providing a fair return on your investment.
Pick Your Spot at Polestar Village: Our first round of building lot and product selection is coming in March!
Contact us soon for more information:
Michael Gornik
mg@polestargardens.org
(808) 443-9956
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Birthday Celebrations for Paramhansa Yogananda!
To commemorate Yogananda's birthday we're holding 2 gatherings:
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Sat, Jan 14th, 7:30AM-12:30PM: Half-day Silent Retreat: A morning of inner renewal as we enter 2023. Group meditation, guided yoga, New Years' fire ceremony, journaling, spiritual discourse/group sharing.
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Sat, Jan 14th, 4-7PM: Birthday Celebration for all ages! Potluck Indian dinner, Yogananda story-telling, music and a movie viewing, "Awake: The Life of Yogananda." Hope to see you.
Events are at Unity of Fort Collins
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Upcoming events- Save the Dates!
Sunday, Jan 15th, 10-11AM
Michael is the Sunday Service guest speaker at Unity of Fort Collins- "Adventures in Self-Realization: The Path of Raja Yoga."
Sunday, Jan 15th, 4:30-5:30PM MT
Polestar Community Circle. Special guest: Architect & Energy Consultant Stace McGee of GreenInsight, will join us to explain and answer questions about Net-Zero Energy at Polestar Village. We will also give an update on several amazing new developments; the possibility of a 'micro grid' at Polestar, a vehicle to grid car share program, grant funding for missing middle housing, and the potential for Polestar to receive certification as one of the first 'Lifelong Communities' through CSU. Hope to see you!
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83982776566?pwd=TzVJWXRYZVJORXRDKys0Q0pWSGR1QT09
August 25th-27th: Polestar's Annual Family Camp
at Buckhorn Camp & Retreat Center. Details coming soon...
September 22nd-24th: Polestar Village Groundbreaking! Details coming.
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"Much of spiritual life is self-acceptance, maybe all of it."
-Jack Kornfield
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Have questions? We have some answers! Take a peek at our updated FAQs. Send us any other questions or give us a call... | |  |
Want to receive the local Fort Collins event news & reminders? Join our local mailing list. | | |
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The New Polestar Ohana
(Hawaiian for extended family)
Polestar has flourished for over 20 years due to the incredible generosity of its volunteers and donors. We are now launching an easier, more automated method of contributing through "Donorbox" where you can make monthly, annual, or one-time donations. Our initial goal is to raise $5,000 per month to support Polestar's ongoing expansion and services. Please join us in building community together!
Polestar Village Donorbox
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~Life is a sacred opportunity to grow~ | | | | |
