Saturday, January 22, 2011

Yoga marathon - part 2


On Day 3 I decided to introduce some diversity ... I didn't go to the Yoga Club. I did some stretching at home, and I meditated. I also practiced Reiki. Reiki is an ancient Japanese healing technique working with the energy of the Universe. I needed to calm on a deeper level and Reiki is the only way to reach that ultimate calm and peace within. Then I felt the need to be silent.
How? Hit the road, Jack!
I picked a boring destination with a spa center, and for 24 hours I almost did not speak (aside from ordering food, checking into the hotel and the spa).
I did not even listen to music in the car - the monotonic sound of the car engine was enough.
On the way to the sauna I got lost - well, my GPS got me lost. There was an extra opportunity to try to detach from the turbulence of the world around me. I think I managed.
In the spa I spent two hours in the sauna, had dinner and a nice swim.
Back in the hotel I watched a movie - 'Alles is liefde'...in Dutch. And since my Dutch is extremely limited, the movie was more or less like a cartoon to me. With the effect of making my brain relax and accept its limitation. Remember Yin Yoga? Yes, something like it...
I slept really well for eight hours. Had a coffee and left the hotel. Destination - unknown, but sticking to the same area in Flevoland. After some Brownian motion driving, I ended at a marina, where I was soothed by the view of the water, the sound of the waves, the sun on my skin, and the pure bliss of doing NOTHING!!! I just enjoyed my lunch and stared out the window.
After driving for a while on two different dikes and enjoying the view of water and windmills it was time to head home.
The ultimate ending was a visit to the Polderland Garden of Love and Fire - a 'meditative labyrinth' of trees, water, grass and art. A very relaxing, yet inspirational place.
I'm home now and it's time to get on the mat again...silence and yoga are all I need tonight.
Tomorrow, I'd have to segway back to reality...
After a last yoga practice I am meeting a friend and visiting an exhibit. Exhibitions are nice...they don't require talking. Not talking is wisdom. Even while typing this I want to stop and be silent. But you would wonder why the abrupt ending... :)
Talking often means going over events that had happened in the past, or planing future activities...and right now, all I want is the presence of the presence...

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