Samui Mala Karma Yoga Day
led by
Saturday September 24
Where: Wat Kireewongkaram School near Taling Ngam
When: September 24th from 9am to 2pm
.jpg "volunteers at Karma yoga day samui")
Volunteers in all shapes and sizes joined us on this "Karma Yoga Day".
More pics here on this public facebook gallery
Story on Nathon City website
What's Karma Yoga day about?
It's called Karma Yoga (Service Yoga) - where you give time and labour for a cause beyond yourself.
On the 24th September a group of Samui volunteers, led by Samahita Yoga Thailand, spent the day decorating the walls at Wat Kireewongkaram school near Taling Ngam as part of the Samui Mala festival of 2011. Students and teachers from many of the island's yoga centres joined the children of the school on the day. Lunch and drinks, donated by supporters, were served to the volunteers.
Community support including funding for materials came from
- Beach Republic
- Five Islands Restuarant
- June's Art Cafe,
- Rocky Resort
- Samui Dharma Healing Centre
- Samui Mala
- Seascale Construction Company
- The Tongsai Bay
Food and water for the volunteers kindly supplied by
- Absolute Sanctuary
- Five Islands
- Khun Chat
- RO Water
- Samahita Yoga Thailand
- The Spa Resorts
- Sunset Beach Resort
- Wat Kireewongkaram School
Thank you all....
Yoga Thailand's technical team starting clearing the area, and prepared the walls with base paint and the coat of white. "We've been part of Samui Mala since the first year in 2007, and in the past, we've led yoga classes, or even yoga retreats that include stretching, breathing and chanting for peace," says Jutima Dallagan of Samahita Yoga Thailand, "But this year we are happy to inspire others and get off our mats to bring positive changes directly to the community."
Samahita Yoga Thailand has been active with Karma Yoga in local schools since 2008 when the first group of student volunteers went out to renovate a local kindergarten school that was completely run down and lacked
funding. The school, and subsequently the lives of the 120 kids aged 3-7, was completely transformed. Since then the Centred Foundation, run by Samahita Yoga Thailand has renovated more of the island's oldest schools through painting, cleaning and fundraising for new bathrooms to be built.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” said Mahatma Gandhi.
Thanks for joining us on the 24th September!
All donations went to cover the paint and materials for the day and towards Yoga Thailand’s Centered Foundation charity projects.
Thanks to Steven Willeboordse for the artwork on the poster.
See our photogallery of Samui Mala Yoga days, then and now
see full photo gallery from last year's Yoga day of peace
Community festival
The Samui Mala has always been
supported by the host venues, local hotel and tourist associations,
private businesses and individuals. Our aim is to raise awareness of
sustainable, healthy living on Samui, create networks of individuals
interested in environmental issues and to raise funds to support
educational and charitable causes.
Everything is a gift! All activities are run by volunteers, all venues,
facilities and materials and participation by speakers or performers is
donated freely. While some venues and events can provide
facilities free of charge, others charge for entry or food and
drink to cover basic costs depending on circumstances, or to raise
funds for education or future activities.
Green Island:
Samui Mala is a green festival so
every attempt is made to use as little paper or non-recyclable material
as possible. Please join friends and drive together to save fuel.
Please consider alternate and mindful ways to use materials and
resources that are local, sustainable or regenerative!
Photo courtesy of Yoga Thailand