May You Be Well and Happy

NZ Kagyu Monlam late 2011, thankyou Sonam and Photographer Peter Tram for the picks

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Sangye Nyempa Rinpoche from Benchen Monastery in Nepal

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Tibetan trumpet, NZ Monlam

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Images

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Below...Less words, and a collection of images from the last few months. In celebration of the creative magnificence in Artists, food and spaces. May our eyes even in a storm see beauty in the ordinary and extraordinary...

Happy Summer!

Dinner

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Lunch

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Breakfast

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In celebration of Eve, Auckland 2011

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Suzanne Day, exhibition December 11 at Art Station

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Golden Fish Torma or food offerings preparations, NZ Kargyu Monlam

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Torma preparations

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Bubbles from Kare Kare surf September

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Dancing in the bubbles

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Kare Kare

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Emma, cosy at the rest gathering at Karma Choeling September

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Rest Shoot May

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Thank you Helen for the picks below, you ROCK... Thank you Emma for the styling and leadership...Amber for the ease and cool...Suz for the whimsical play, Kathryn for the serenity... And Dan, for always being radiant no matter how 'comfortable home style' the outfit. The 'Rest T's' are a small run of fair trade, made in India T's we have available at the Restorative class, and Rest gatherings...Is it not inevitable when you gather a group of superb friends together, you get the kind of silliness and play that enlivens life!!

Kathryn in a lateral release thats rather lovely for the lungs and upper back...

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1

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2

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3

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Karma Tshering at Stanmore Bay, May

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Christine and Karma Tshering

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33...

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Kristine and I in our birthday week outfits...

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33

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The latest images are from life in Auckland, I am working on repainting the Labyrinth at St Columba Church in Grey Lynn, 92 Surrey Cresent. The Labyrinth is a meditative walk, the design a replica of the Chartres Cathedral in France. Anyone is welcome to walk the labyrinth. If you would like to paint a few meters with me let me know! karla.brodie@gmail.com . And the '33'...A good age to be!!

Labyrinth repaint beginnings St Columba Church, Grey Lynn

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Thursday 31st March sky

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Image taken at Karma Choeling for friends in Nepal. Thank you Helen!

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Karma Choeling NZ at Tibetan new year prayer flag hanging March

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Green, blue and comfortable chairs

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I arrived home 7 days ago from what has been a superb 3 months in Nepal. My potato and mo mo stomachs are completely full, so too my eyes with the colour red. Now to the lush greens and blues of the late New Zealand summer, diving in the ocean is bliss, and sitting on a comfy chair again is quite the experience. The highlight of my stay in Nepal was sharing Yoga to my young Tibetan Buddhist monk friends at Namo Buddha, and Benchen Monasteries, with the majestic, awe inspiring surroundings of the Himalayan ranges. I met with many of my good friends from the previous year, so was able to dive right into a rich and nourishing life. Making offerings from the 2010 'rest sessions' was a great honour, our contributions go directly to the monastery, the monastery school and environment clubs. Thank you to all the students who attended the rest sessions, and my dear friends and family for helping with teas, cakes and yoga gear. There are so many friends in Nepal who care for and inspire me I want to thank them all...Tashi Rapten and my Tibetan mum, Khenpo Chonyi, Dawa Dolma, Karmu, Dolma, Seydon & Rinpoche, Julie, Tshering, Shiva Bhai, Tashi Big Smile, Lama Tshering, Benchen Dawa, Tshering Wang Dak, Lama Gawa, Sonam, Lama Napa, Karma Gendun, Lama Sangye, Lama Rigzin, Karma Phurbu, Lobsang, Menla, Ani Norzin, Ani Chonyi Zangmo, Gen Nyima, Tshering, Palden Tashi, Tashi & Palzom, Lhakpa Phuntsok, Lhakpa Gonpo, Dorjie Palsang, Konchok Nyima.....So, back into this good life in New Zealand. I look forward to seeing you all in classes, or at the beach!

Red

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Red Robe at Nagi Gompa

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In the classroom on farewell day

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A temple full of pigeons, Kathmandu, Jan 11

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Lhakpa Phuntsok, Namo Buddha Monk and Tshering my lovely Benchen Brother

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Rima and Potato feast #108

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Karma Phurbu

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These words are in honour of Karma Phurbu, the principal of The Mangal Dev Branch school, Namo Buddha. Firstly I have never eaten so many potatoes most of which coming from K.P's mothers garden. I would get the call, 8.30-9pm for regular potato feasts, or an afternoon tea and potato call would be made. Now these Himalayan region monks are serious about their potatoes with lashings of chili, there is no idle chatter, just focused, peeling chili dipping and cleaning off the largest pots of plain boiled potatoes. But aside from potatoes, K.P. was responsible for many an afternoon and evening chatting to belly bending laughter. He attended the yoga classes, and to my honour presented what he had learned to all the school monks, and fellow teachers at a special farewell ceremony when I left. I was able to offer the donation the 'rest' students had made to K.P, from my students to his, to benefit the superb young monks in the school. K.P's leadership is inspiring, and I will certainly look forward to being a part of the school again.

Karma Phurbu

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Water wise Jan 2011

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The following posters are a selection created by young Benchen monastery monks after a water awareness day Julie and I facilitated. The posters will be put in the monastery guest house to promote the conservation of monastery water.

Posters made by young Benchen Monks after learning more about the water cycle globally, within the monastery and in the villages. Jan 2011

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My good friend Tashi's 6 day old, very cute Daughter Palzom

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Table tennis, Table tennis.....Tashi playing on the extra long table that requires leaping on to reach short shots, I still have bruses.

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Portraits the young monks took of friends, Namo Buddha, thanks Rima!

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Namo Buddha 2010-2011

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Firstly, many Tashi Deleks, and greetings from Nepal. I have finally returned to Kathmandu from living life at Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, Namo Buddha Nepal. I have been teaching Yoga and English within a wonderful community of Tibetan Buddhist Monks, and Nuns. And further to my joy, playing some serious and fun table tennis. Life here for me is defined by early morning prayers...Meditation... practice...to a spicy bean breakfast...Then English classes...Lunch...Hand washing... table tennis...Tea time...Yoga classes...Dinner, and an evening of either star gazing, Bollywood films, or late night boiled potato eating. Sharing yoga to an energetic, fully charged group of young monks with their sense of play, sharp perception, and synergy is inspiring. Many had remembered the Yoga that I had shared a year earlier, and from that foundation, we further developed skills and sequences to build strenght, stability and flow. With the vision that when they go into long retreats their bodies will be well prepared for days on end of meditation and practice. In between times I had the great pleasure of learning drawing from Lama Rigzin, the Master painter and Tibetan script writing with Karma Phurbu. Rima, the English teacher and I hosted a new years eve gathering, with games, dramatic song renditions from Bollywood classics, and I preformed the poi.

Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, Namo Buddha, December 2010-Janruary 2011

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Some of the young and wonderful Monks at Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery, Namo Buddha

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Paint pots in the srine room, a 2-3 year 20 painter project to depict the Karma Kagyu Buddhist lineage, directed by Lama Rigzin

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Lama Rigzin's painting

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English Teacher Rima, and Tibetan Master painter Lama Rigzin at tea time

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Yoga at Namo Buddha 2010-2011....

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Lhakpa Gonpo in bound lotus pose

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My bro Lobsang

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Prayer flags

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Very lovely man, I worked with at the medical clinic, Namo Buddha

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New Year celebration preperations 2010-2011

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Poi for new year celebration

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A very dynamic game of pop the other persons ballon, my first time playing.

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New moon butter lamp offerings

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Table tennis at Namo Buddha

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Menla in action

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Makeshift table tennis bat...detail

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Pike River

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About the same time as hearing on the BBC news channel about Pike River, some friends here in the Monastery watched a movie about a massive earthquake in China in about 1979. I found it incredibly emotional following one family's loss of life, and separation. How deeply a tragedy can effect us throughout or life. Of the six of us watching one dear friend had lost her sister, and brother-in-law, in devastating earthquake in Tibet this year, along with many of her childhood friends. One young monk's mother had passed away earlier in the year, one monk's father had died two years ago, his mother, also watching the movie had not only lost her husband, but a brother violently when troops invaded Tibet. Hmm, then there was me, reflecting on my own sense of loss of a beloved partner in 2008. I send my heart felt prayers, and offerings of butter lamps to the New Zealand men who lost their lives together at Pike River. May we forever be grateful for even a day that we share with those we love.

Butter lamps for the Pike River Coal Miners

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Entrance to the Prayer hall

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