To nurture our caring hearts our volunteers at Bhakti Yoga Shack recently visited Kauai's Retirement Home, where we shared a kirtan meditation singing circle as well as some delicious home baked banana bread. A beautiful group of our elders attended the class. As we sang and clapped to the music together, the smiles were contagious!
After we sat with them and talked story- getting to know them, making friends and actively listening to their stories. We met some incredible women who led active lives, successfully raised families, retired teachers and nurses and talented artists and musicians. It was then that I realized our elders are like a Wikipedia of life lessons that we can learn from! They too have been through all the experiences we have plus more and lived through things we can hardly imagine. These are amazing interesting, intelligent people, who have somehow managed to live well and achieve it all without cell phones, computers or google!
By taking a moment and encouraging our elders to talk and share their stories, we can tap into that valuable wisdom they have gathered over the years!
We naturally have love for our near and dear ones, but I discovered a strange love with these unknown persons that day. All of a sudden, when our Kupuna hugged me very tightly. Instead of feeling awkward, I felt an familiar warmth swell up within my heart. There I recognized our connection beyond family ties and beyond the bonds of flesh and blood, these were our elders our Kupuna. The very fabric of our community! At that moment every grandmother was my grandmother, ever grandfather my grandfather and with that our responsibility to love and care for!
"I wholeheartedly believe that in bringing joy to others there is a deep joy that touches our hearts in return."
So many elderly people have no one to care for them, no one to look after them, no one to love them. Many people experience loneliness and depression in old age, either as a result of living alone or due to losing their spouse and loved ones, as their children and grandchildren move further and further away, they are left feeling all alone in the world. Sometimes they go days at a time without anyone speaking a word to them which leaves our elders feeling invisible. There are hundreds of thousands, too, who endure desperately lonely lives in residential homes. One might assume they are not short of company, because they are surrounded by fellow residents to watch TV and eat their meals with. But in truth many of these individuals long for friendships and the communities they have left behind and feel abandoned by their families. Actually 20 percent of Americans, (about 60 million people) suffer from loneliness that is chronic and severe enough to be a major source of unhappiness.
We need to try to re-establish the communities we once took for granted, where we together cared for the needy and our loved ones. This means holding the state accountable to provide strong support systems for families that need it, so our Kupuna can stay at home with their loved ones as long as possible and for volunteers to help in the homes of the elderly. But it is not simply about what the Government might, or might not, be prepared to do on our behalf to help solve this problem- It is also about what we are prepared to do for ourselves and those around us. How can we positively help create change providing the elderly with the love and appreciation they deserve?
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
In our endless quest for happiness, often we don't realize, that we just might be happier helping someone else than helping ourselves! We invite you to brighten a seniors day with a random act of kindness, you just may find it will brighten yours too! The value of selfless service is found in many cultures, religions and spiritual traditions around the world. Mother Teresa taught it by her life's work. In the ancient teachings of Yoga we refer to selfless service with the Sanskrit word seva, which means helping others in need without the thought of receiving any reward or payment in return. Seva is thought to advance a person's spiritual growth or development. It's a workout for those love muscles, teaching us by practical application how to expand our circle of compassion. Too put it plainly "true joy" stems from helping others and makes you feel more grateful and connected to God in return.
We invite you to join us in our grassroots effort to spread love and raise awareness of social issues.
Together let's make a change and give our Kupuna the respect and love they deserve!
How Can We Honor Our Kupuna Everyday?
We invite you to join us in our grassroots effort to spread love and raise awareness of social issues.
As Mother Teresa taught "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love"
Radha Kauai
Facilitator of The Bhakti Yoga Shack
#kauai #whatshappeningkauai #kauaivolunteering #kauaiadventures #kauaistyle #kauailife #kauaigirls #kauailiving #kauaidaily #kauaivegan #kauaiyoga #kauaiaswhy #hanalei #kapaa #anahola #hawaiilife #caringforourcommunity #caringheart #bhaktiyogashack #gardenisland #kupuna #namaste #yogachallenge #seva #communityservice #kirtan #bhakti #yoga #retreat
After we sat with them and talked story- getting to know them, making friends and actively listening to their stories. We met some incredible women who led active lives, successfully raised families, retired teachers and nurses and talented artists and musicians. It was then that I realized our elders are like a Wikipedia of life lessons that we can learn from! They too have been through all the experiences we have plus more and lived through things we can hardly imagine. These are amazing interesting, intelligent people, who have somehow managed to live well and achieve it all without cell phones, computers or google!
By taking a moment and encouraging our elders to talk and share their stories, we can tap into that valuable wisdom they have gathered over the years!
We naturally have love for our near and dear ones, but I discovered a strange love with these unknown persons that day. All of a sudden, when our Kupuna hugged me very tightly. Instead of feeling awkward, I felt an familiar warmth swell up within my heart. There I recognized our connection beyond family ties and beyond the bonds of flesh and blood, these were our elders our Kupuna. The very fabric of our community! At that moment every grandmother was my grandmother, ever grandfather my grandfather and with that our responsibility to love and care for!
"I wholeheartedly believe that in bringing joy to others there is a deep joy that touches our hearts in return."
So many elderly people have no one to care for them, no one to look after them, no one to love them. Many people experience loneliness and depression in old age, either as a result of living alone or due to losing their spouse and loved ones, as their children and grandchildren move further and further away, they are left feeling all alone in the world. Sometimes they go days at a time without anyone speaking a word to them which leaves our elders feeling invisible. There are hundreds of thousands, too, who endure desperately lonely lives in residential homes. One might assume they are not short of company, because they are surrounded by fellow residents to watch TV and eat their meals with. But in truth many of these individuals long for friendships and the communities they have left behind and feel abandoned by their families. Actually 20 percent of Americans, (about 60 million people) suffer from loneliness that is chronic and severe enough to be a major source of unhappiness.
We need to try to re-establish the communities we once took for granted, where we together cared for the needy and our loved ones. This means holding the state accountable to provide strong support systems for families that need it, so our Kupuna can stay at home with their loved ones as long as possible and for volunteers to help in the homes of the elderly. But it is not simply about what the Government might, or might not, be prepared to do on our behalf to help solve this problem- It is also about what we are prepared to do for ourselves and those around us. How can we positively help create change providing the elderly with the love and appreciation they deserve?
"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
In our endless quest for happiness, often we don't realize, that we just might be happier helping someone else than helping ourselves! We invite you to brighten a seniors day with a random act of kindness, you just may find it will brighten yours too! The value of selfless service is found in many cultures, religions and spiritual traditions around the world. Mother Teresa taught it by her life's work. In the ancient teachings of Yoga we refer to selfless service with the Sanskrit word seva, which means helping others in need without the thought of receiving any reward or payment in return. Seva is thought to advance a person's spiritual growth or development. It's a workout for those love muscles, teaching us by practical application how to expand our circle of compassion. Too put it plainly "true joy" stems from helping others and makes you feel more grateful and connected to God in return.
We invite you to join us in our grassroots effort to spread love and raise awareness of social issues.
Together let's make a change and give our Kupuna the respect and love they deserve!
How Can We Honor Our Kupuna Everyday?
- One of the best ways to bring joy to others is to spend time with them. Pay a visit to an older person who lives alone, or invite a senior neighbor over for a home cooked meal or a cup of tea.
- Strike up a conversation with a senior walking his or her dog in the park.
- In the grocery store parking lot, help a senior by returning an empty cart to the store. Or lifting a heavy item.
- Thank a veteran for their service.
- Take the time to hold open the door for an older person. Offer them a seat on a bus or in a waiting room. Let them go ahead of you in line.
- Find opportunities to give compliments. It costs nothing, takes no time, and could make someone’s entire day! Don’t just think it. Say it!
- Last but not least; Look strangers in the eye, and give them a genuine smile. In most cases, you’ll get a smile in return. The more you smile, the more smiles you’ll see in return!
We invite you to join us in our grassroots effort to spread love and raise awareness of social issues.
As Mother Teresa taught "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love"
Radha Kauai
Facilitator of The Bhakti Yoga Shack
#kauai #whatshappeningkauai #kauaivolunteering #kauaiadventures #kauaistyle #kauailife #kauaigirls #kauailiving #kauaidaily #kauaivegan #kauaiyoga #kauaiaswhy #hanalei #kapaa #anahola #hawaiilife #caringforourcommunity #caringheart #bhaktiyogashack #gardenisland #kupuna #namaste #yogachallenge #seva #communityservice #kirtan #bhakti #yoga #retreat
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