Vision and Guiding Principles
Our vision is for a true community that comes together to learn, grow, explore, and celebrate life. Each person is valued. Each person helps and contributes according to her/his abilities. This is a community where no one is left out because they can't afford it. A community where people from many spiritual paths meet in harmony and respect. A community that Jesus, the Buddha, Mohammed, and Gandhi would joyfully support.
Guiding Principles
- The purpose of the community is growth, expression, connection, and celebration, centered around yoga.
- Events will be planned based on community interest and availability of resources for planning.
- The community isn't intended to replace the fine yoga studios in the area, but to complement their offerings by providing something they can't easily provide: low to no-cost yoga and larger sized classes (40-60) than their facilities can accommodate and smaller special interest groups that would not be profitable.
- Yoga teachers teach for a living, so they will be paid at market rates or an agreed-upon fee.
- The community is completely non-profit. Each event ends with a zero balance. All events will be priced on a sliding scale, with no one turned away for lack of funds. The proceeds go first to pay for the costs of the space, teacher(s), supplies, and copying.
- All excess funds are donated to a worthwhile charity, the first organization will be GAIA, Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance, which helps AIDS orphans in Africa. This follows the principles of "karma yoga:" being of service to others.
- Flyers for any event that a member believes the community would find of interest may be displayed at a community gathering. This includes local yoga studio schedules, spiritual seminars, IMC events, Sierra Club events, and anything else that has been identified as an area of interest within the community.
- All spiritual paths are valued and respected. Although some events may focus on topics from various religious traditions (example: meditation), the community is not a vehicle for anyone to proselytize.