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The Dances of Universal Peace were originally made popular by Samuel Lewis, a spiritual teacher and dance student who combined his two passions in an effort to harmonize and bring peace to the often turbulent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!
In celebration of the Spring Equinox, people gathered at Sunburst’s labyrinth to greet the sunrise and to pay homage to the ages old tradition of ushering in a new season with intention and gratitude.
The first day of spring—when the days and nights are of equal length—signals the time when earth begins to warm and birds return with their singing. The importance of these warming days cannot be underestimated in the planting of crops and germination of seeds.
Spring Equinox is one of the four solar markings of our year. Just as dawn is the time of new light, Spring Equinox is the time of new life. Sunburst residents traditionally celebrate the changing of seasons with a meditation, followed by a ceremony at the Sanctuary labyrinth. (The labyrinth is based on an ancient Hopi design.) Participants share a moment of silence and prayer acknowledging the four forces and four directions, before walking the labyrinth. Sometimes walking is accompanied by drumming or Native American style flute.
Three standing stones distinguish the Sunburst labyrinth as a solar calendar. They echo other sites such as Stonehenge, where the ancients—who knew the importance of day lengths—observed the changing seasons. Similarly, on equinox and solstice mornings, at the Sunburst Sanctuary we gather to celebrate the rising sun, the new season it brings, and to give thanks to the Creator for abundant life. All are welcome to participate in the next ceremony, which will take place in June for Summer Solstice.
With a huge Christmas tree glowing in the corner of the Lodge by a roaring fire, we took our seats on the evening of December 31 for an annual Sunburst New Year’s tradition: the beautiful and magical Fire Ceremony. Many people sat quietly in the soft light, pondering their intentions for 2012.
The Fire Ceremony is the culmination of Sunburst’s transformative year-end Light & Renewal retreat, in which participants are initiated into or renew their practice of the powerful Kriya Yoga meditation technique, as taught to founder Norm Paulsen by his teacher Paramahansa Yogananda. After three days of group meditations, thought-provoking classes, restorative yoga, lovingly prepared meals, supportive fellowship, and time in nature, the ceremony finds us ripe with new understanding and the desire to move forward with strong purpose in our daily lives.
Craig Hanson, who led the event, offered beautiful readings in his special heartfelt way, and explained the symbols of the ceremony, including the seeds, the fire, and the exquisite quartz crystals he provided for all of us to take home as a reminder of our New Year’s intentions. As each person took a moment alone in front of the big stone fireplace, casting the seeds of a new life into the flames and then choosing a crystal to solidify that intent, Val King took up her guitar and harmonium to lead us in songs and chants that supported and enhanced the whole experience.
Jake Collier talking about Kriya Yoga
When all of us had finished our trip to the fire, Craig asked if anyone wanted to share their experiences. There were quite a few who took him up on the offer, leading to some heart-opening revelations, spontaneous performances, lots of laughter, and deep expressions of gratitude.
As we begin 2012, a year that both spiritual leaders and ordinary people sense will bring much change to our world, the Fire Ceremony and the Kriya retreat are welcome chances to hone in on what matters most to each of us. As a group, the beautiful Light & Renewal participants seemed to reach a common consensus on what’s important right now: to stay focused on being calm, to become aware of the joy present in each moment, and to inspire ourselves and those around us to realize our divine nature and stay true to our own highest purpose: rediscovering the pure Self within.
What better way to launch this momentous time in human history than among a big crowd of generous, loving, funny, open spirits? Thank you to everyone who organized and participated in this fantastic event!
Sunburst wishes all of our friends and family a beautiful 2012 and beyond.
As I meditated on Sunday morning with the folks who had participated in our September 16-18 Kriya II Yoga event, I felt a beautiful energy filling the room. The warmth, support, and love that had blossomed that weekend as we shared our insights and experiences made our meditation area even more powerfully charged than usual.
Singing after meditation, with Val leading the way
It was wonderful to be part of the classes and workshops that were offered during the retreat, including “Developing a Deep Meditation Practice,” “Awakening the Gateways of the Spine,” “The Baptism of Fire and the Divine Embryo,” and “Cultivating Devotion.” People asked some really good questions that led to a lot of illuminating discussion and further exploration that I found inspiring and helpful for my own practice.
Of course, the highlight of the event was the introduction of the Kriya II technique, which builds on the strong foundation of Kriya I and takes it even further. As taught by Sunburst founder Norman Paulsen, direct disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, this second step on the “airplane route to God” is truly a powerful tool that can bring about deep transformation of our relationship with the Divine within the temple of our soul.
As sometimes happens, there were moments of quiet tears and laughter from a few participants as they experienced periods of heart opening and self-realization. One of the things I love best about Sunburst is that you can have such experiences here and feel completely supported and safe.
I look forward to the next Kriya retreat in December. I remember when I first came to Sunburst last summer, my friend Barbara said that although she’s been here since the early 70s, she still continues to learn, grow, and be inspired by these events. I see why now! Thanks to everyone who came to Kriya II. Please come back soon and tell us how it’s going for you!
In July 2011, we had some guests at Sunburst who did something extraordinary: these people, whom I assume have daily lives as busy and full as mine, had set aside two full weeks to live with us and experience up close and personal what it’s like to live in an intentional community.
These eight men and women could have gone camping in Yosemite, or flown to Tahiti, or done any number of other things that regular folks do with their summer vacations, but instead they chose to come to Sunburst and find out what we’re doing here. I felt so honored by that, as I know other Sunburst residents did—that people would choose to spend their free time learning what we do here, studying the teachings we live by, and immersing themselves in this place we all love so much.
Sometimes our guests think Sunburst might be a kind of utopia or escape from the “real world,” but they quickly learn that living in community is actually a commitment to living on the front line of human experience. Everyone here has their own ego and pet peeves, their particular shortcomings and challenges. We have disagreements. We’re just regular people. The difference is that we’re dedicated to minimizing and resolving any conflicts using the tools our founder Norman Paulsen taught Sunburst’s original residents and which we still practice today: Kriya Yoga, the 12 Virtues, and the Eight-Fold Path.
A lovingly created new corner of the Lodge garden
When I met some of our Service Exchange Program guests soon after their stay started, it was while they were working with Heiko cleaning up the gardens and landscaping around the Lodge. It was a fairly warm day, and I could tell that some of them weren’t used to working outside or doing physical labor. But there they were, talking and laughing, some on their knees weeding, some with a wheelbarrow and rake, others with shovels. Heiko never misses a chance to put people to work, so I knew they were going to have a full work-trade experience! I was very impressed with their willingness to try new things and really get into Sunburst’s daily life.
At lunch a couple of days later, I joined the group outside on the lawn and found that the bonds among these people had strengthened perceptibly. I saw a lot of smiles, hugs, laughter, and kidding around, and also some tears occasionally as people allowed long-stowed emotions and tension to surface and dissipate in the atmosphere of love and support that Sunburst is known for. Since Jim and I came here, that’s something we see all the time, and we’ve experienced it ourselves. There’s a very healing energy here—from the land, the people, and Norm’s presence still vibrating strongly all around us—that gently encourages people to let down their guard and allow love to enter and open their hearts. It’s beautiful to see, and I felt so grateful to be even a small part of the process that was causing a beneficial shift in our guests’ well-being.
During the Kriya Yoga retreat that came on the last weekend of the Service Exchange Program, I realized as I looked around the meditation circle one afternoon just how close these men and women, these guests who were now part of Sunburst’s extended family, had become. They had taken on the comfortable demeanor of brothers and sisters, and seemed to be so completely themselves. Most were much more relaxed than when they had arrived, and many radiated a palpable new strength of spirit and purpose as they approached the end of their stay at Sunburst.
I know that many of these dear new friends will return one day, and some will stay with us as we continue the human adventure that is Sunburst. It was a privilege to participate in and witness the process through which these people transformed themselves into fuller, deeper expressions of the Divine Spirit that lives within each one of us.
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Sidenotes
One of our guests, Carey, had been with us for some time on his own before joining the formal Service Exchange Program with the other participants. He quickly became a beloved member of the community. Carey could often be found sitting quietly in the shade of the cottonwoods outside the Lodge as he worked on his art and listened to sweet music on his radio.
Groundskeeper Heiko surveys his team's work
Carey recently had this to say about his experience at Sunburst:
“Meditation on the Divine, living surrounded by nature,
eating healthy food, working to improve a spiritual sanctuary, having free time, reflecting on ways of conscious living,
& celebrating with song…
What could be better?
Doing it with wonderful people!”
Another participant, an energetic and outgoing life coach named Kim, wrote about her stay:
“I felt so blessed by the opportunity to participate in the Sunburst Service Exchange Program. The environment was like another member of our group: so beautiful, fully present, and bursting with life. I felt immediate connections to many individuals and to the Rainbow Path curriculum. Working with the land brought me great appreciation for those who had come before. Daily meditation with instruction created the change I had always envisioned for myself. A surprise bonus was the incredibly tasty and plentiful vegetarian cuisine—simply delicious. Thank you! I look forward to a lasting relationship with Sunburst, and all its residents and friends. Sunburst has written on the slate of my being!”
We’re grateful to be traveling the path of self-realization with such people.
