by Amala (Lynn) Cattafi, SVA Board President

Thanks to our community of loving yogis, we have met and exceeded our $150,000 goal for our Bliss Place Capital Campaign.  Your generous donations and pledges now total $180,300.00, making it possible for us to complete making Lokananda a true Bliss Place for you.  It is also enabling us to re-reroof our historic building before winter, something we really needed to do.

Your gifts are another way you show your commitment to Svaroopa^® yoga and to your kula (yoga-family).  Our generous yogis ARE each 1 in 100!

The depth of teachings Swamiji provides attracts yogis who yearn for the greatest that yoga offers; you belong to this exclusive segment of the Western yoga world.  This Maha Yoga is the highest yoga, which opens you on every level.  Too often, the most difficult level to navigate is about finances and money.  Over 100 yogis have done deep work here, not only to support their kula but also to support their own yoga growth, as well as the Master Teacher who serves you.

We conducted our Capital Campaign in three segments: last fall, last spring and over the last six weeks.  In each, we reached out to you through letters, blogs, email publications and telephone calls by Board members and Svaroopi sevites.  As we have more community members than callers, our phone campaign went on for a while, and we found that more and more of you were WAITING for a call, excited about the prospect of contributing.

Personally, I reached several yogis who said, “I was waiting for you to call.  Yes, I am ready to donate… how can I help?” Their response touched me so deeply! Even those who did not receive a call simply hopped on the website and donated, or called us to have a staff member assist with their donation.  Amazing generosity, love, and support!  I love you all so dearly, my heart is bursting and I am tearing up as I write this.

I also offer kudos to our sevites and Board members who gave of their time and effort.  It’s a big deal to get over your own resistance to asking for financial support.  I saw such growth in the ability of our callers to meet this challenge.  They cheerfully placed calls and reveled in the opportunity to talk with you about what really matters to you in your yoga experience.

We all found that talking yoga with members of our kula is in itself a great gift.  Often we aren’t able to have the same type of discussions with anyone else in our lives.  Thank you to the yogis who responded so enthusiastically and generously.  This connection shone forth as reciprocal adaptation at its most splendid!

On behalf of Swamiji and your Board of Directors, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.  I am grateful to be sharing this miraculous journey with all of you, my dear family.

OM svaroopa svasvabhava namo nama.h