Kula for Karma - Turn Passion Into Action!

Kurtains Up!

Dear Friends,

The "Kurtain" has come down, but our hearts have not stopped beating wildly since November 10th when, after months of planning, hard work and attention to detail everything came together to create "Kurtains Up!" Kula for Karma's First Annual Fundraiser. What an incredibly magical night! And it could never have happened without the outpouring of love and support we received that far exceed anything we could have imagined. We have so many of you to thank!

We had such an amazing turnout and the venue was perfect! The flowers were beautiful! The wine flowed, the food was delicious and plentiful... all graciously donated by so many of you (see the list!). Everywhere you looked there was evidence of generosity... the items that were donated for the silent and live auctions, as well as for the gift bags. The playbills turned out beautifully! The teens who volunteered their time to serve were a delight and a reminder that clearly, we're passing on our love of giving to the next generation. The performances were absolutely extraordinary! Those amazing Broadway voices and our fabulous Lillie Kae! Of special note, of course, was our very own Penni and Betsy with the girls from the group home performing a moving Yoga flow which absolutely stole the show!

And thank you most profoundly, to our most cherished family and friends, for all for the for the warmth, love and support. You stand by us, believe in our mission and support our cause. It is because of your belief in us that we can continue to do the important work that we are doing in the world.

Our goals are set high for the future... so please look for us in '09!!!

In Love and Gratitude,
All of us at Kula for Karma

"It Takes a Village"

For the past two years, I've had the extraordinary experience of teaching yoga to ten very special young women who live in a group home. At the time when my partner, Besty Convery, and I began teaching them, sitting in easy sitting pose, putting our hands to our heart centers and chanting the sound of OM was not possible. However, over time, threading Thursday evenings together like a strand of Mala beads, the girls began trusting and confiding in us, and opening up their hearts. Each week, we planted seeds, and came back to water, till the soil, and mulch. The results have been astounding.

For weeks, the girls worked together to create a yoga dance to be performed the night of our first major fund raiser. The dress rehearsal on the afternoon of November 10th was chaotic, filled with doubt, anxiety, and fear. But, the final performance was remarkable. The girls were shining stars - radiant, confident, self-assured, and more than ever, connected. Just before going on stage to perform, I was invited into a prayer circle they had organized. We prayed for grace. We prayed for ourselves. We prayed for each other. And we prayed to keep from falling off the stage - metaphorically and physically! We held on to one another, joined together as a family, holding hands and locking fingers, as our hearts were intertwined through a powerful purpose, with a deep desire to serve to help raise much needed funds to support bringing yoga to homes much like theirs throughout the country.

"My girls" captured the hearts of the over 250 people in the audience that night. As they finished, I looked out and saw a sea of people jump to their feet, and applaud with such admiration, for, they too, knew just how beautiful these girls are.

With Love,

Penni Feiner
Kula for Karma Volunteer

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