Fellowship with Yogacharya: Road to the Future
With Song of the Morning Staff and Community
September 2 - 4, 2022
“Once we were strangers, but when we love God we become brothers and sisters. That divine relationship is the strongest of bonds.” ~ Paramahansa Yogananda
FELLOWSHIP WITH YOGACHARYA: ROAD TO THE FUTURE
Labor Day Weekend September 2 – 4, 2022
It is our joy to invite you to our annual Golden Lotus “Family Reunion” and Birthday Memorial for our founder, Yogacharya Oliver.
Naren Schreiner is our special guest for the celebration and will begin the weekend with a Kirtan of devotional music at 7 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, from 2 to 4 p.m., we are pleased to announce the first in the “Fellowship with Yogacharya” series, Naren will host recordings of Yogacharya answering questions posed by devotees at the Detroit Institute of Arts, followed by a discussion session. Also Saturday will be a Hatha Yoga class, our annual “Golden Lotus Film Festival” (have you submitted your spiritual film yet?) and an all-new “Along the Road Rally”. Following Sunday Service and Fellowship Dinner, we will have our annual Yogacharya Birthday party. Please see the attached Schedule for times and descriptions of the events.
As Yogacharya has given all of us this 800-acre retreat for our use and spiritual development, each year we join together in a birthday gift in his honor to help carry on the work he started.
Golden Lotus has begun a project of graveling our roads. An original estimate of $49,250 is for all of Retreat Road from Sturgeon Valley to the main Bridge and from the Yogacharya Way intersection around past the Domes to the top of the hill leading to the lodge. Of this, $20,000 of the work has already been done. We need to raise an additional $30,000 to complete the project. The Clear Light Community has also spent $26,000 graveling roads around the community and near the new Maintenance Building and will continue graveling community roads this fall.
Anyone who drives onto and around the Retreat property understands the necessity of this road work both for safety and to lessen wear and tear on their vehicles. Sam Gabby and Richard Armour will give full details of the project at the Yogacharya Birthday on Sunday. If you are willing to help us gravel our “Road to the Future,” please give your contribution by Sunday, September 4, so Sam and Richard can announce how much we have raised together.
To donate, please click the “donate” link at the top right of this page, or you can mail us a check, or if you’d like to donate in-person, please go to the Mainhouse during office hours and a staff member there will help you. You can make the checks payable to “Golden Lotus, Inc.” and please write “Road to the Future” at the bottom so we can make sure the donation goes towards the roads.
And, as Yogacharya would always say, “Thank you, very much!!”
Gift in honor of Yogacharya: Road Repair! We are gravelling our access roads for safety.
Special guest for the weekend: Song of the Morning’s dear friend and Spiritual Life Council Member, Naren Schreiner
2022 Birthday Weekend Schedule
- Friday, September 2, 2022
- 5 p.m. – Dinner (Mainhouse)
- 7:00 p.m. – Kirtan
- 8 p.m. – Meditation (Domes)
- 9 p.m. – Meet and Greet (popcorn will be served) (Domes)
- Saturday September 3, 2022
- 8:30 a.m. – Golden Lotus Hatha Yoga Class (Domes)
- 10 a.m. – Brunch (Mainhouse)
- 11:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m: – “Along-the-Road Rally” (Outside Domes)
- Join in the fun as you follow clues and collect keys along Song of Morning’s roads. A great way to show your support for this year’s birthday gift for Yogacharya—road improvement.
- 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. “Fellowship with Yogacharya” (Domes)
- Following a chant and a short meditation, Naren will introduce recordings of Yogacharya as he explains spiritual topics in response to devotee’s questions. This session is named “A Rare Joy.” It will be followed by a discussion led by Naren.
- 5 p.m. – Dinner – (Mainhouse)
- 8 p.m. – Meditation (Domes)
- 9:00 p.m. – Refreshments: Cookies & Bengal Spice Tea
- 9:30 p.m. – “3rd Annual Golden Lotus Film Festival” – (Domes)
- Golden Lotus Players and Song of the Morning Ranch are delighted to welcome you to your favorite spiritual filmmakers and some wonderful new artists who will present their latest short masterpieces this year, to uplift and inspire you. The films can be enjoyed both online and in person, and the link to join the festival online will be posted on the Retreat website, www.songofthemorning.org.
- Sunday, September 4, 2022
- 11 a.m. – Sunday Service
- 1 p.m. – Fellowship Dinner (Mainhouse)
- 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. – Yogacharya Birthday Celebration (cake will be served) (Domes)
Lodging Fee: Lodging fees include meals for the whole retreat weekend: Friday dinner, Saturday brunch, Saturday dinner, and Sunday dinner
Registering is required to help us with planning. By clicking the register button, you can choose to stay at the Retreat center, or you can choose to commute and only register for specific meals. If you plan to commute and not attend meals, there is an option for that too so we can have a headcount. Please contact the Retreat center office at office@songofthemorning.org or by calling (989) 983-4107 if you have any questions!