Easter Sunday dawned bright and beautiful at the Sunburst Sanctuary. All was in readiness for a wonderful Easter service, led by Jake and Missy Collier, and for a lovely Sunday brunch prepared by a team of Sunburst residents.
Our beautiful Easter flower arrangement had a golden egg as the centerpiece.
The morning began early with a walking meditation around the Sunburst labyrinth, where people greeted the dawning of Easter, a time of new hope and renewal of all life. Being a sacred time in many of the world’s great spiritual traditions, during his inspirational talk Jake made reference to the universality of Jesus’ message, so beautifully spoken in parables to his disciples.
Norman Paulsen, beloved teacher and founder of Sunburst, had a deep connection to Jesus, as did his spiritual teacher Paramahansa Yogananda. Norm had received many powerful dreams and visions of Jesus during his life, and had called upon him for inspiration, direction, and guidance. So Easter has always held special meaning to Sunburst.
Many children arrived and excitedly awaited the annual Easter egg hunt, led by Heiko Wirtz, Emily Johnson, Elena Anderson and Lucinda Kinch.
All in all, it was a day to remember: the brilliant sunlit day, the sweet soulful music, the deep meditation followed by the breaking of bread and the sharing of food, the exuberant sounds of children with their Easter baskets… Many reasons to rejoice once again!
In celebration of Spring Equinox, the heart opening Dances of Universal Peace came to the Sunburst Sanctuary, led by Yarrow Nelson, his wife Kara, and Dorene Garven. Participants included loyal peace dancers and musicians from San Luis Obispo and Ojai, as well as Sunburst regulars. The absorbing songs and circle dances were uplifting and inspiring, giving one a sense of timeless unity with all humankind.
The Dances of Universal Peace were originally made popular by Samuel Lewis, a spiritual teacher and dance student who combined his two passions in an effort to harmonize and bring peace to the often turbulent interfacing of the world’s great religions. By combining simple chants (of multiple faiths) with heartfelt dance movements, “Sufi Sam” believed that we could access a deeper sense of peace within ourselves and in our interactions with other belief systems.
Today there are hundreds of groups celebrating The Dances of Universal Peace throughout the world.
We are blessed to host this dedicated group at Sunburst twice a year.
Many participants arrived from all directions to partake of this joyful event. Every one of us left with a renewed dedication to the practice of peace—within ourselves and through our interactions with others as well as our environment. Thank you, Yarrow, Kara, Dorene, Tim and everyone who participated for your beautiful offering. And thanks to everyone who dances, sings and prays for universal peace!
