February Newsletter
Greetings friends,
We hope this letter finds you well and that you are taking time to care for yourself and those around you. The heart of winter can be a difficult and heavy time especially during a global pandemic and in the midst of unrest and unease. We stand with Ukraine and all those suffering from injustice and inequity. As mentioned last month, I am attending a Somatic Embodiment training. I was recently introduced to this song in that training and I felt the need to pass it on to you.
“You don’t have to know the way, the way knows the way
You don’t have to plan the way
Trust the way, feel your way
The way knows, the way knows
The way knows the way”
Song by Lyndsey Scott
https://www.medicinesongs.net/songs/the-way-knows-the-way
Programming Updates:
We are back teaching classes in the Hennepin County jail to the women twice a week! From our debrief at the end of each session, the participants really seem to enjoy the mindful movement and breathing exercises.
Last week, we relaunched our yoga program with the Volunteers of America Re-Entry center in Roseville. Covid brought some difficulties with consistency and housing for their residents during the winter months. We look forward to being able to provide grounding and support as these folks transition back into the community.
Spring ahead! We have a few new places we are talking to and working with to bring programming! Stay tuned and make a donation to make these programs possible!
Meditation: we continue to hold meditation weekly on Tuesdays (12:00pm CST) and Saturdays (8:30am CST) Join us on Zoom for grounding and sharing.
Black History Month:
In celebration and honoring of Black History Month, we encourage you to continue to support and learn from Black yoga teachers and wellness professionals. Dianne Bondy, Jessamyn Stanley, Justin Michael Williams, and Dr. Gail Parker are a few of my favorites. Please share yours via our social media post!
Community Member Spotlight:
Caroline Durham is one of our meditation leaders and advisors! What a gift to us. Join Caroline on Tuesdays at noon. More about Caroline: Understanding the impact of second-hand trauma or compassion fatigue is critical to the effectiveness and longevity for service providers. With almost thirty years of working as a public defender, Caroline Durham understands the causes and solutions to effects of second-hand trauma. For more than ten years, she has led wellness trainings for public defender offices. Having studied mindfulness and wellness practices for almost fifteen years, Caroline has developed a comprehensive, thoughtful approach to understanding and resolving the impact of compassion fatigue. Her Buddhist studies in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hahn, Insight Meditation and her studies in New Thought inform her mindfulness practice. Caroline founded Warrior Wellness Training, focused on wellness training for community change agents. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the St. Charles Center for Faith + Action and lives in New Orleans with her girlfriend, Bobbie.
Thanks for your continued support and connection,
Let us March on,
Lauren Kvasnicka and the Karuna Team
