By Freddy Pastore
“Helping out is not
some special skill. It is not the domain of rare individuals. It is not
confined to a single part of our lives. We simply heed the call of that natural
impulse within and follow it where it leads us.” Ram Dass
Often, the
more we have in life the more disconnected we become from those who have very
little. However, by “being receptive” to the needs of others,
sometimes Karma Yoga finds you.
My Karma
Yoga found me last July in Asbury Park on the New Jersey Shore. After
practicing yoga on the boardwalk I stopped at the Twisted Tree Cafe for a fruit
smoothie breakfast. As I waited to pay, something caught my eye on the
"community board" next to the register. Though most of the board was over-loaded
with business cards and advertisements, a picture of an acoustic guitar snapped
in half caused me stop and pay attention.
Above it
read, "Reggie Deas Needs Your Help - Call Steve." On the back
of the postcard was a story about Reggie Deas, a homeless musician who found
his way to Ocean Grove and was living under the boardwalk. His guitar had been
destroyed and Steve was organizing an effort to have it replaced. I called
Steve and offered my help but since there was such an outpouring of support, Reggie
not only had the new guitar but also a case. Steve said that Reggie was however
still homeless and in need of help. I agreed to meet with Steve and Reggie in
the park the next day.
It only
took a few minutes of listening to Reggie play music to realize that he was a gifted
musician. Though his playing was a little rough around the edges, his
instrument was played with true knowledge and in his voice was love of music. Reggie,
though currently homeless had attended Berkley College of Music in Boston,
Massachusetts; a prestigious music school in which many of the greatest
musicians in the world had passed through the halls. And seemingly here was one
music great living under a boardwalk in a beach town. Reggie’s story
immediately called to mind the movie "The Soloist," based on a
similar story of a Juilliard trained musician who was also homeless. Through Sri
Dharma Mittra’s inspirational teachings on Karma Yoga (and the fact that I too
am a musician), I knew I needed to help Reggie.
Sitting
with Reggie in the park that day, with his new guitar and only a single duffle
bag full of his possessions, a roof over his head was evidently his biggest
need. The first and most obvious thought was a homeless shelter but Reggie
refused. In his words "I rather live on the street." The biggest
problem with a shelter is "lock-down" at 7pm, the time when Reggie
does best playing music on the boardwalk for money. Also, since Reggie was not
suffering from any form of addiction he did not want to be around others whom
are often in this unfortunate state.
I
brainstormed with the fundraising group and after many hours of making phone
calls and surfing the internet, I found a room in The Whitfield Hotel, a very
large hostel-style hotel just one block from the beach. With the help of the
nearly $1,000 left over from the guitar collection fund, by the end of that
afternoon, Reggie had a roof over his head.
Over the
next several weeks I continued to contribute to Reggie's well being however I
could. Tapping into my work in Finance, I created a "project plan" to
organize efforts around Reggie’s needs. I outlined and prioritized various aspects
that the fundraising group could do together to help Reggie establish himself
in Ocean Grove. On the list: (1) find a part-time job (2) obtain a pre-paid
cell phone (3) resolve an outstanding court fine (4) seek medical attention,
and (5) play the music he so loved in local venues. Working together with the
fundraising group we were able to accomplish everything on the list.
Reggie
worked part-time mowing lawns for a local real estate company and slowly
adjusted to his new life. But above all Reggie loved playing music and to see Reggie
do what he loved to do and having played a small part in making that happen for
him was special. Some of my best memories from the summer was rehearsing and
performing with him several summer nights at the Barbaric Bean and Day's Ice
Cream Shop.
When
summer passed into fall Reggie came to me because he wanted to move to San
Diego, California where he had some friends. Although he had established some
roots in Ocean Grove, he was concerned about playing music for money through
the winter. It was late September and the New Jersey boardwalks were basically
deserted. Although my first reaction was think of all the reasons why he
shouldn't go, I quickly realized that it was Reggie's life to live and not
mine. Reggie had his own Dharma and it was essential for him to go and pursue
his dreams, wherever they make take him.
As Sri Dharma says, “do it because it has
to be done,” and I had been there for Reggie because it had to be done. By
doing selfless service (seva) I found that I had also served myself. We can all
make a difference, no matter what. So
next time you come across someone in need remind yourself that yes,
I can help. Yes, I will do this. Yes, change is possible.
_________________________________________________
Freddy was introduced to yoga by his
wife, Amy Pastore (E-RYT 500 Hour yoga instructor). At first, practicing yoga was an excuse to be
around Amy - even if it meant enduring 26
excruciating posture holds in 105 degree heat! Over the years, the practice of asana gave
way to the deeper purpose of yoga. This resulted
in physical, mental and spiritual transformation. Freddy has attended many yoga
workshops with world renowned teachers and in 2012 he completed the Life Of A Yogi 200-Hour Teacher Training
Program with Sri Dharma Mittra in New York City. Freddy also holds a certification in Basic Thai Massage from the Loi Kroh
School in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Together
with his wife, Freddy is the co-founder of iflow
Yoga, a modern, eclectic Vinyasa style yoga drawing from their diverse yoga
experiences. Freddy is also an
accomplished bassist who has performed and recorded with many of New York City
areas top jazz, rock and pop musicians.
