The Flow

Namaste and aloha from Hilo, Hawaii! This is my second full day at Polestar and I am so glad that I followed Katherine here, really though she didn't have to twist my arm. Though not your normal vacation, coming to Polestar is right up my alley. It is a community house that is a spiritual and yoga retreat.

My days have been as follows:

Wake 5:45am

Yoga 6:00am: This takes place in the temple starting with energizing movements and breathing. Following that is yoga (not quite as vigorous as I look for but still good for early mornings) and the morning hour ends with meditation. I normally skip out of meditation half way through in order to run for 20 to 30 minutes. I plan on sitting through all of meditation at least one morning a week and maybe even two.

Breakfast 7:30am (vegetarian meals made by individuals on a rotating cooking shift)

Circle Time 8:10am: The conch sell is blown and we all gather in a circle in front of the house. We have a reading and a time of affirmation. Then tasks for the day are assigned. The past two days Katerine and I have worked outside in the gardens - watering and weeding. Working out in the soil really makes me feel at peace and just delight in my surroundings.

Meditation 12:15

Lunch 12:30: Normally after lunch people have free time till 2pm. I've spent this time reading in the hammock mostly. My first day I attempted to hike to the ocean and never made it because I didn't realize it was so far away. I did find alot of papaya groves and a few horse farms.

Free time 3:30pm: After 3:30 people are free to do what they would like. Today I did some more exercises and read and then showered.

Dinner 6:30pm: We eat our meals together and since there is an unusually high number of guests right now there are certain people who cook the various meals. Last night we went to the hot springs and had a cook out because it was some one's birthday. We ended the night with music and dancing. Every Wednesday night is community night. We had a church/meditation type service and then a potluck afterward. People from the community came and participated.

Bed time 9:30pm: By 9:30 most people are getting ready for bed and it becomes a time of quiet. Which everyone agrees to since our day starts so early.

This is the flow of the days here at Polestar, the format that I choose to live out as my vacation. I cannot wait to do the things that await us - the planetarium and lava hike. Katherine and I hope to bike into town maybe on Sunday.

I believe that the two weeks I will be spending here is just the right amount of time...a perfect time to learn new practices and change the pace of life that I have left. This is a time to prepare for the new pace of life that awaits me.