
Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gift. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
Thursday, December 25, 2025
New Year Sacred Ceremonies (12/27)
10th Annual New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, and Veggie Potluck with Stella HanCome to a conscious yoga party! - KINSHIP STUDIOS kinshipyoga.com
- Highland Park, Northeast Los Angeles
- Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, 6:00-10:00 pm
- Room: Studio B
- Register here: Kinship Studios
Event: Tenth annual New Year Sacred Ceremony (yoga fundraiser for girls, veggie potluck, and gift-giving blanket Native American tradition). Social, potluck, gift-giving blanket
price: $25 in advance, $33 day of event.
Beneficiary: Fundraising proceeds will be donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers women and children in India through education and micro-loans.
- Learn more: yogagivesback.org hosted by Yogini Stella Han, MSW
- In the Valley? Come to the Vegan Winter Solstice Party and Candlelight Ritual for Animals, Saturday night, Dec 27, 2025, 6:00 PM | Meetup
ABOUT: Join us for Kinship Yoga’s beloved annual year-end gathering to honor what we are releasing and welcome what we are inviting in. We do this through community, intention setting, and celebration with live music and activities, plus a vegan/vegetarian potluck to share with all -- and lots of gifts.
All fundraising proceeds are donated to Yoga Gives Back (YGB)!
Event Schedule and Flow
- 6:00 pm–7:45 pm: Sacred Ceremony - a contemplative space honoring the interconnectedness of all life, with culturally respectful observances and shared intentions for peace and renewal in the year ahead.
- Smudging with Sage – cleanse and ground as we begin.
- Guided Journaling – reflect on the past year and set clear, heart-aligned intentions.
- Sacred Chanting – unite our voices and cultivate collective harmony for the New Year.
- 7:45–10:00 pm: Gift-Giving Blanket, Fundraiser, and Veggie (vegan/vegetarian) Potluck Gift-Giving Blanket – inspired by Native American traditions. Bring one or more new or gently used (mindful) items to place on the blanket, then select a gift someone else has offered. (No purchase necessary—and re-gifting is highly encouraged!
Fundraiser for Yoga Gives Back
– How? We’ll host a small silent auction and raffle gift certificates. Anyone can also donate monetarily by Venmo: @stella_han_yoga. (Please note “Yoga Gives Back” or “YGB” + your email and phone; this info is visible only to Stella Han). Cash/checks accepted on site. For checks, please write: “Yoga Gives Back.”
Veggie Potluck (optional)
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| I have to choose what I wear very carefully. |
What to Wear?
Yoga pants and gear are fine. Or dress warmly and comfortably. Festive or spiritual white attire is welcome (optional) as we gather to set intentions for the New Year.
Questions?
Please contact Stella Han by email (stellaheartyoga@gmail.com) or call the studio or send through the Wisdom Quarterly messaging system.
Second party option (FREE)
All are cordially invited to our festive holiday party to celebrate the winter solstice with good cheer and join a candlelight ritual to bring light to animals suffering in dark places around the globe. The ritual includes devotional chanting with Devi Daly as sacred witnessing and an expression of compassion. As the shortest day and longest night of the year, the solstice symbolizes rebirth, renewal, and the return of the light. May our lights usher in a new era of inner peace and peace for all beings! It's a vegan potluck, too. Calabasas, in the San Fernando Valley More
- Vegan Spirituality Online Gathering (every other month, January, March, etc.), Thu, Jan 8, 2026, 5:00 PM | Meetup
- Yogihantas, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen B., Araceli, Veronica, Cody (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Tuesday, December 23, 2025
The Buddhist way to give for Christmas
The Buddhist Way to Give at Christmas | No stress, just pure joy
- š CHRISTMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO FEEL HEAVY.
- DISCOVER HOW BUDDHIST WISDOM CAN TRANSFORM GIVING.
For 2,600+ years, Buddhists have practiced dÄna (letting go, giving, sharing, generosity, charity), the art of generous giving that liberates both giver and receiver.
This ancient wisdom offers a profound alternative to the anxiety, obligation, and reciprocity calculations that often shadow modern Christmas giving.
Through Buddhist teachings, human psychology, and everyday Christmas moments, this video shows how giving without attachment changes not only the holiday season…but the mind/heart behind it.
šæ DISCOVER:
- The ancient practice of dÄna and its three stages of joy (before, during, and after giving)
- Why expecting gratitude turns giving into stress
- Why the Buddha said the "gift of Dhamma [the Teaching, Doctrine, Dharma] surpasses all other gifts" and what this means for our Western pagan holiday we call Christmas (Christ's mass)
- The three moods of giving: reluctant, calculated, and free (and which one we're actually practicing)
- The hidden emotional contracts behind Christmas gifts
- How to give, and receive, without pressure, debt, or obligation
⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:
- 00:00 Christmas magic meets Buddhist wisdom
- 01:19 The Christmas giving paradox
- 03:19 What is DÄna? The Buddhist art of generosity
- 06:13 The three moods of giving
- 11:01 How to practice dÄna at Christmas
- 17:29 The ultimate Buddhist Christmas gift
- 19:30 The one gift experiment
š± JOIN COMMUNITY:
Instagram (buddhaswizdom), Facebook (buddhaswizdom), X (x.com/BuddhasWizdom), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5ndnBU5...), TikTok (buddhas.wisdom). ☕ Support the channel:
buymeacoffee.com/buddhaswisdom
#Buddhism, #Christmas, #BuddhistWisdom, #DÄna, #MindfulGiving, #StressFreeChristmas, #BuddhistTeachings, #Generosity, #SpiritualWisdom, #christmasgiving #Mindfulness #NonAttachment #HolidayStress #InnerPeace
š SOURCES AND FURTHER READING:
PRIMARY TEXTS:
- The Dhammapada (verse on the gift of Dhamma)
- Early Buddhist texts in the PÄli canon (teachings on dÄna and generosity)
- Accounts of AnÄthapiį¹įøika's generosity (Vinaya Piį¹aka)
- The Buddha's final teaching (MahÄparinibbÄna Sutta)
"DÄna: The Practice of Giving" - Selected Essays from Early Buddhist Texts
"Generosity in Early Buddhism" - Bhikkhu Bodhi's translations and commentaries
"Buddhist Ethics" - Damien Keown (Oxford University Press)
MODERN APPLICATIONS:
Studies on mindful giving and psychological wellbeing
Research on gratitude practices and stress reduction
Comparative religious studies: Generosity across traditions
© Buddha's Wisdom - Making ancient wisdom accessible for modern life.
- Buddha's Wisdom (YouTube), Dec. 23, 2025; Ashley Wells, Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Sheldon S., Crystal Quintero, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Labels:
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charity,
dana,
family,
finances,
gift,
giving,
good karma,
happiness is the way,
joy,
karma,
mindfulness,
reciprocal,
Saint Issa,
Santa Claus,
stress,
theravada,
tree
Monday, December 8, 2025
Dalai Lama in Wisconsin: Kalachakra
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| 14th Dalai Lama praying in pavilion, closing Kalachakra mandala (Verizon Center, D.C.) |
The 14th Dalai Lama comes to Wisconsin to perform the ancient Kalachakra ritual.
The Dalai Lama's Gift
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| Tantric Dakini deity |
In 1980, HH the Dalai Lama received a humble request from a revered Tibetan monk in America: Perform the Kalachakra initiation—a powerful tantric ritual never before held outside of India or Tibet—in the heart of rural Wisconsin.
What followed was nothing short of miraculous. In just a few months, the lama's devoted students overcame local resistance, built a temple from the ground up, and transformed a Midwestern cornfield into a site of ancient wisdom and spiritual awakening, attracting over 1,000 spiritual seekers from around the world.
Captured on film then locked away in Smithsonian vaults for over 40 years, this long-lost footage resurfaces to reveal a story of transformation to buddhahood, and a moment when time, space, and a sacred initiation converged in the unlikeliest of places.
This story of the 1981 Kalachakra is told through the voices of distinguished scholars and the initiates who participated in the 1981 Kalachakra and through personal interviews of the Dalai Lama, filmed in 1981, throughout the preparation and the event.
The Dalai Lama’s Gift is a cinematic meditation on faith, legacy, and the power of one sacred encounter to ripple across generations.
For more information, please explore DalaiLamaGift.org. We invite all to support this project at spiritualpaths.net/donate.
2O24 | US | English | 76 minutes. DIRECTOR/PRODUCER Ed Bastian. Co-PRODUCER Sharpa Tulku, Catherine Wyler, Jennifer Beman. EDITOR/WRITER Jennifer Beman. MUSIC: Nawang Khechog, Three Dog Night, Daniel Moore. ART AND ANIMATION: Pema Namdol Thaye.
ABOUT: Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Bringing the teachings of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the "Kalachakra - Wheel of Time" transmission. Visit at LamaYeshe.com.
- Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, Nov. 29, 2025; CC Liu, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Labels:
chakra,
CIA,
dalai lama,
dharamsala,
documentary,
East,
gift,
hippies,
kala,
lama,
life of a western monk,
richard gere,
rites and rituals,
rural,
shambhala,
tantra,
tibetan buddhism,
vajrayana,
Wisonsin,
yeshe
Friday, August 29, 2025
Burning Man Day 5, going strong, silent
Burning Man at night 2025!
- Our de facto correspondent (Escaping Normal Life) has gone silent. Are we worried? No. Maybe he's having a near death experience or something life-altering. The show must go on. Readers want to know, so here's the update:
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| Burning Man has an "Orgy Dome"? |
BURNING MAN 2025 ORGY DOME: On August 27, 2025, it was revealed that the desert festival's "Orgy Dome," which had been a popular and active free love party scene at the festival since 2003, had collapsed due to sudden and very strong desert winds [61 ("Burning Man's Orgy Dome has been destroyed")]. It was afterwards announced that the sex tents would be restored [62]. Gates also closed on different occasions due to bad weather, with at least one festival attendee being electrocuted [63]. More
- DISGUSTING! The Burning Man they DON'T want anyone to see (rare footage)
- What is Burning Man? — (Mr & Mrs Adventure)
- (Clevver News) 18 OMG things no one knew about BM
- Miriam Isa, Clevver News; KTVN 2 News Nevada, Burning Man going strong, Aug. 28, 2025; Dubera, Burningman X Playground 2023; Breeze Offroad, Aug. 29, 2025; Jeffrey Ventre; The Hallucinarrator full documentary; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
Labels:
artist,
bicycling,
black rock desert,
burning man,
creativity,
cyber,
dancing,
drugs,
entheogen,
fashion,
festival,
gift,
moving meditation,
mud,
nevada,
nudity,
psychedelic,
radical self expression,
rain,
sex
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Day 3: Burning Man's 'O*gy Dome' down
The Orgy Dome is down?
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| Nobody goes to the desert to get all voyeuristic, except these people in a long line to get in. |
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| What kind of world do we want? |
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| The Orgy Dome is down for 2025 due to winds. |
Day 3: Trapped in the mud at Burning Man 2025 – Daily Vlog
In this daily vlog, I share what it was really like being stuck in the rain and mud, how I managed to stay (somewhat) dry, and the chaos happening all around camp.
This is what Burning Man 2025 looks like when the weather shuts everything down. If you’re preparing for Burning Man or curious about the real, unfiltered experience of surviving the playa during a storm, this vlog shows the raw reality of what happens when the desert turns to mud.
Venmo: venmo.com/u/escaping_normal_life. Found this video helpful? Consider donating. I currently do not have a Patreon or a YouTube Member page because they take a percentage. Also, Super Thanks takes a percentage on YouTube. So I do have a Venmo that is 100% donated to me. These donations go straight to my channel to purchase better camera gear to make better content.
- LyfeUntethered; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
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| What is "gifting" (dana)? It is one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man's ethos for better world |
Labels:
black rock desert,
burning man,
community,
consent,
cyber,
dana,
drugs,
free love,
freedom,
gift,
group sitting,
hippies,
inclusion,
play,
radical self expression,
rock n' roll,
sex,
temple economy
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Trump and the Press: Last Week Tonight
Trump & The Press: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
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| Trump for Emperor, Pope-King, Messiah, Führer |
Subscribe to the #lastweektonight YouTube channel for more almost news as it almost happens, or find us on favorite social media platform we may or may not have discussed at length on the show Instagram,
TikTok, Threads, Bluesky,
Facebook, or just visit the official site for all that other stuff at once: hbo.com/lastweektonight
- John Oliver, Last Week Tonight, May 18, 2025; Pfc. Sandoval, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
Labels:
comedy,
Gaza,
gift,
HBO,
last,
national economy,
Nazi,
Palestine,
plane,
politics,
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public relations,
satire,
saudi arabia,
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week
Monday, May 5, 2025
Moss People: real forest-dwelling fairies
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| Hi, I'm Kate Moss. I just love green; there's no relation. |
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| Kate MOSS, yes, she sounds familiar and related to us, all waifish, skin all lichen-like (crepey). |
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| Don't look at me. I'm not a Moss! |
In German folklore, moss folk resemble dwarves (called kumbhandas in Buddhist cosmology and gnomes in much of Europe), nearly the size of human children. But they are covered in green moss, with skin that looks gray, and a lot of hair like lichen.
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| The mossy frog of Vietnam shows off its moss camo |
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| I may be small and love green... |
Their arms and legs appear as “knotted maple bark.” Centuries ago, humans considered them part of the fairy realm dedicated to trees and the forest in general.
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For unknown reasons, the moss people population consisted mostly of females. These “fairies” were known to borrow things from humans and, at other times, ask for help from them.
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| Maiden (Kettle Quill/Deviant Art) |
However, one had to be wary of their quick tempers. If one gave them caraway bread, for instance, they would become very angry and cry, “Caraway bread, our death!”
Some tales describe them as behaving like changelings in that they would sometimes steal very small human children. Female moss people, called Mossfraulein (“moss women”)... More: Moss People creeping out of forests
- visitcryptoville.com; Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterlycosmology
Labels:
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fairies,
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Germany,
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kumbandhas,
little people,
plant people,
power of prayer,
witchcraft
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Year End Yoga Party, Sacred Ritual
WHAT HAPPENED?
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| Sign up here: Kinship Yoga Studios |
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| Yoga New Year: 108 Sun Salutations (1/1) |
(This means everyone ended up with a gift, and some with more than one. The owner, Ryan and his young daughter, Louisa (the youngest teacher the studio has ever produced), were on hand. It was all handshakes, hugs, and even some yoga jokes. (Yoga jokes? A hippie is standing in front of a yoga studio and the owner says, "Man, you gotta leave." The hippie replies, "Nah, Man, 'amastay," you know, which sounds like "Namaste." Dumb as it might sound, it got a great laugh because up until tonight, no one knew there were such things as "yoga jokes." Not to be outdone, Ryan the owner said the place wasn't always going to be called "Kinship." He toyed with the idea of naming "Om Depot." That also got a great laugh). Hugs, kisses, number exchanged, and some people lingered to chat after four straight hours of spiritual fun and frolicking. It was a great time. And we were all reminded that in three short days, it's the 108 Sun Salutations Yoga Challenge in the same room at noon.
9th annual New Year Sacred Ceremony, Yoga Gives Back fundraiser, Potluck w/ Stella, Araceli, Veronica
Date: Saturday, 12/28/24, 6:00 pm-10:00 pm. Welcome to the 9th annual New Year Sacred Ceremony (fundraiser and Veggie Potluck) the final Saturday of the year.
- Sacred Ceremony: 6:00 pm-7:45 pm
- Fundraiser, Potluck, Gift-Giving Blanket: 7:45 pm-10:00 pm
- Price: $25 in advance, $33.00 day of event
- Fundraising to benefit the charity: Yoga Gives Back (YGB)
- Hosted by Stella Han, Araceli Contreras, Veronica de Soyza
- NEXT: Yoga New Year's Day: 108 Sun Salutations (1/1)
Join us for Kinship’s beloved annual gathering to honor the end of one year and welcome the New Year with community, intention, and celebration.
All proceeds from this fundraiser benefit Yoga Gives Back (YGB), a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering women and children in India.
Event Schedule
- 6:00 pm: Sacred Ceremony
We begin with a sacred ceremony to honor the interconnectedness of all life. This space will be infused with culturally-inspired observances, reverence for ancient wisdom teachings, and intentions for peace and healing in the coming year.
- 7:45 pm: Fundraiser, Veggie Potluck, Gift-Giving Blanket
After the ceremony, we continue with a fundraiser, delicious veggie potluck, and the beloved Gift- Giving Blanket tradition. This portion of the evening includes opportunities for music, poetry (open mic), and community connection.
Event details
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| New students, Kingship, Highland Park |
- Smudging with white sage
Purify and cleanse personal energy through the sacred practice of smudging. Using the smoke of white sage (Salvia apiana), we clear away negative energies and create an open space for healing, renewal, and positive transformation.
- Journaling activity
We take a moment to reflect on our journey and set powerful intentions for the year ahead. Answer a few curated questions to guide reflection, focusing on what we wish to release and what we want to invite into our life.
- Sacred chanting
Together, we chant sacred Sanskrit mantras, uniting our voices and hearts in harmony. This collective vibration invokes peace, healing, and strength, setting a powerful intention for the New Year ahead.
- Gift-Giving Blanket
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| History (Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz) |
- Fundraiser for Yoga Gives Back (yogagivesback.org)
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| yoga-gives-back.networkforgood.com |
Yoga Gives Back is a non-profit organization that supports women and children in India, providing educational opportunities and micro-loans to help them build sustainable lives. Stella Han is an ambassador for YGB and will lead this fundraiser. Contribute directly to the cause via Stella’s fundraising portal:
Alternatively, donations can be made via Venmo: @stella_han_yoga. Please include “YGB” in the comment section along with an email and phone number. (All personal contact information is only visible to Stella Han). Cash or checks are accepted as well.
- Veggie potluck
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| What is there to eat? Compassionate veggie food |
- Attire
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| What about New Year's Eve? |
For more information or questions, please contact Stella Han:
- stellaheartyoga@gmail.com
- LOCATION
- REGISTER: Kinship Studios
- (213) 585-8451
- 5612 North Figueroa St.,
- Higland Park, Los Angeles, CA 90042
- Events+Workshops — Kinship, Highland Park
- RSVP:
- New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, Veggie Potluck w/Stella, Araceli, Veronica, Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 6:00 PM | Meetup
- New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, Veggie Potluck w/Stella, Araceli, Veronica, Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 6:00 PM | Meetup
- New Year Sacred Ceremony, Fundraiser, Veggie Potluck w/Stella, Araceli, Veronica, Sat, Dec 28, 2024, 6:00 PM | Meetup
- Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen B. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly
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