Soul, Karma, Spirit – We’re All Beings

A little over a week ago, LiLu emailed a handful of bloggers about this idea she had to send some smiles and prayers to our [blog] friend, Brandy.  Over the course of “production” and organization, Laurie put together a donation page with the Multiple Myeloma Research Fund.  We launched the video and campaign at 12n EST, thinking it would be this awesomely epic, inspiring, funny, nice thing for our friend.

Love Harder

And it was, but holy hell is that an understatement. I knew the Internet was a great place, but I was totally blown away by the generosity and immediate involvement of HUNDREDS of people.  We saw our original posts reblogged all over the place (over 300 people posted something about it), the YouTube video itself has seen over 3,000 views, and in just the first hour, over $1,500 was raised in H.A.D.’s name.  Today, less than 48 hours later, that total is over $2,500 and growing.

Today at 3pm EST, the Love Harder Online Store launches.  I know that there will at least be t-shirts available and all proceeds go right back to the MMRF.  This just goes to once again testify to the viral nature of the Internet beyond things like Pants on the Ground and Charlie Bit My Finger.  What an amazing example of people from all over the world pulling together and caring for someone they have never even met because they too have been close to an unexpected disease or event that changed their entire reality.  At the core, we’re all human, we’re all people, and we do have the power to Make a Difference.

Thinking about helping and haven’t taken the leap yet?  Maybe today’s payday and it’d be easier to spare $10 today than it was on Wednesday.  Either way, check out these resources for information and to donate.  I’ll update later with a link to the Online Store.

DONATE: http://www.loveharder.org | CONTACT: theloveharderfund@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: http://facebook.loveharder.org | MORE INFO: http://www.themmrf.org
BLOG: http://love-harder.blogspot.com/ | SHOP: http://shop.loveharder.org

The Wellness Initiative

At some point during my Yoga Teacher Training that I completed this past fall, I KNEW that I wanted to use my yoga to reach younger people.  I was immediately and deeply impacted from some of the examples given in the documentary, Y Yoga.  Specifically, I believe that using yoga to encourage the physical, emotional, and ultimately sexual health in teenage girls would be an incredibly powerful way to instill values of respect – both for self and for others – in these young women.  Developing such a strong mind-body connection and awareness from a young age could have such a powerful impact.  I believed this.  And decided that someday I’d look into what it would take to develop, write, or teach such a curriculum in middle schools and high schools.

Then I moved to Boulder and The Wellness Initiative found me.  Well, Grace introduced us because she “thought it might be something I’d like to be a part of.” Um.  YEAH.

From their website:

The mission of The Wellness Initiative is to improve the physical health, social and emotional development, and academic performance of low-income youth through yoga-based wellness programs.

I met with the Executive Director last week and attended my first planning committee meeting for an amazing fundraiser that’s in the works.  It would be an understatement to say that I’m pumped about this.  I honestly don’t believe that there are even words for how excited I am to be a part of this.  Don’t worry, there will be a number of fun and awesome ways you can help if this is something you also believe is worth supporting, so stay tuned!

There’s still a world out there

While we’re here in this place spreading love, healing, and sun salutations, there’s still a world out there with its own need for help and love.  I believe that healing starts at home, but that we need to be aware of the world outside of and around us.

People in Haiti are still mourning, hurting, struggling, and facing the monumental challenge that is rebuilding their city and their lives.  Help out anyway you can, and check the Red Cross website for places to donate blood, how to make donations, and how to otherwise get involved.

The bottom line

I finally saw Avatar earlier this week.  Arguments about Pocahontas and Fern Gully aside, the whole movie was an absolutely breath-taking and powerful experience.  What struck me the most was this beautiful idea of total inter-connectedness and respect for life.  The energy of life is eternal (call it what you want – soul, karma, spirit, whatever), and our actions – for ill or for good – on this earth impact this place we call our home even if we can’t always see or understand how.  It re-inspired me to consider how I live, how I treat other people, how I treat myself (because I am a being also), how I treat any living creature.  It reconnected me to the principles I’d scratched the surface of in yoga training and made me hungry for all over again.

Whether it’s a $5 or $50 donation, a hug, a yoga practice, a meditation, a prayer, an act of kindness, a volunteering commitment, or an awareness of the bigger picture and world around us, the bottom line above all else is to love and to not feel held back by what you think you can and can’t do.  There’s always something – big or small – that each of us can do to help our neighbors, our friends, and complete strangers that are oceans apart.  I’m committing to living a life that is conscious of my surroundings, and for finding a way to do practical things to make a bigger difference.

Above all else, love deeply.  And when our loved ones struggle with challenges and we don’t know what else we can do, love harder.

Photo: via

Tagged as: causes, charity, karma, love harder, red cross, The Wellness Initiative, Yoga