In the Light of Love

I  begin this post with the absolute beauty and heart opening experience of my first time in Buddha Hall in Corfu, with Deva Premal, Miten, Manose, Maneesh and Osho energy.

What a beautiful experience of singing mantras, collective energy and so much open heart and love resonating – it was so amazing to be in this energy, to witness my heart opening and feeling something so familiar and real – and I experienced a re-opening, stepping into my heart and the collective heart, and being completely present in each moment.  Moving, and singing, responding to the music and the rhythm in a way of absolute spontaneity and it was wonderful.


And Osho’s discourse was about Zen – about the bridge between the Buddha and the Zorba energy, the heavens and the earth, he ended the discourse by saying ‘God exists right now within’    ………… and it was such a beautiful moment after those words, of absolute silence and feeling that truth right then and there.  And my heart opened some more and I knew in that moment that this is such a sacred and honouring gift I have given to myself to be in this place at this time sharing and being in this beautiful, light filled energy.  Of Love in its open, pure, collective form.

Its Sunday morning and there are 140 people sitting around Deva Premal, Miten, Manose and Maneesh,  who perform and play the music, sing the mantras and hold the energy of the group so beautifully with the voices and music. We began at 10 after registration,  and the first mantra Deva begins with is Gayatri Mantra and my tears began to flow.  This is the mantra that first introduced me to Deva Premal and sitting in this magnificent hall with all the beautiful people singing the most incredible mantra was a moment of absolute completeness for me – a moment where I felt completely connected to ALL and in absolute perfection.  What an absolute GIFT.

Gayatri Mantra
Om bhur bhuvaha svaha
Tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yonah prachodayat
Translated :
Praise to the source of all things. It is due
to you that we attain true happiness on all
planes. It is due to your transcendent
nature that you are being worshipped and
adored. Ignite us with your all pervading
light.

This workshop has come to me in the time of great shift for me, on my sacred adventure, in absolute perfect timing.  I feel its an opening for me, an opportunity to reconnect with Osho and with myself as Nidhi,  in my perfection.  To be in such beautiful, supportive, love energy with deep connection and to have the space to allow it BE as it is.  And the tears are flowing as I allow myself to melt into the love and acceptance of what I have created for myself.
At the end of the first day of this amazing space, and as I look back to the day past and what has transpired and how amazing and at peace I am feeling, there is a deep inner smile and a contentment.  Grateful for the beautiful people I have met and connected with, and so looking forward to tomorrow.  As I float off to sleep, the resonance of the singing is within me – OM   OM   OM ……….

    

As the week progresses so does my process and I can feel the layers being shed and the shift happening for me.  Meeting and deeply connecting with people from different places and one various journeys, all spiritually connected to the beauty of signing the mantras and being in the Light of Love, is so amazing and belonging to a Spiritual Community makes the journey so much more powerful.  And this is so blessed, we sit in circles, around these bringers of light, of love, of spirit, of Osho, of mantras in such a deeply, beautiful way, and the voice of the group singing together returning the love and the light is such an enriching and enlightening experience.  And it sounds so magnificent – so powerful and so beautiful.  To be a part of this is just amazing and I am so humbled and honoured by this experience and filled with deep gratitude. 

“Remember, until you become a Buddha you have wasted your life. Buddhahood is your flowering, your fragrance. A tree is fulfilled when it blooms, and a man is fulfilled when he releases the fragrance of Buddhahood, when he becomes luminous; then he comes to know who he is. In knowing that, all is known. In knowing that, God is known. In knowing that, truth is achieved -- you become the truth, and truth liberates. Truth is freedom.” OSHO.

As each day of the workshop passes the process gets deeper and there is a melting and flow that begins to happen with everyone – this is such a beautiful, transformative process and the feeling that I have received and was reiterated by Miten, is that of belonging to a Spiritual Family.  This is what this is, with so much light just pouring out of and within each an every person from the musicians, all the people involved is the smooth running and organisation and the participants, each growing more and more beautiful each day.  I saw it in my face, in my eyes, the shift, the opening, the flowering and the feeling of so much love, light, peace, bliss and so much more.  There have been so many moments this week where there were no words to express what this experience has been. 

Each day we met at 09h00 for breakfast, and the first session beginning at 10 until 12h30.  Lunch time – and this is where we were presented and fed the most delicious, nutritious, vegetarian food made with love.  The food and the people who prepare it is filled with the same delicious, juicy energy surrounding and deep within the ‘buddafield’ and it has been incredible to hang out, swim, laugh, cry, hug and melt with people who have loved, are loving and discovering and re-discovering Osho.  And not all are Sannyasin, but people who come year after year, to sing and celebrate with Deva & Miten and enjoy the delights of Corfu, filling their cups and opening their hearts in preparation for the busy lives for the next year.  There are doctors, lawyers, administrators, healers & body workers,  business men and women, teachers, co-coordinators, counsellors, people who have retired, each with their own individual story and life journey all gathering and celebrating and sharing so much love.  And the next session begins at 20h45 in the evening, just as the sun is setting, and we sing, chant, feel and allow silence and dance in celebration.  Each session was different, each incredibly special and unique in its energy, and we sang and learnt so many mantras, each resonating with its own essence and beauty.

            

Deva, Miten, Manose and Maneesh sit in the middle and the music, the songs, the flow, the love and the light that comes from the 4 of them, filtering out into the hearts and cells of each participants body, and the group swaying, singing, dancing, feeling and responding to the love, the rhythm, the voices, the music is such a symbiotic dance of such beauty and magnificence.  So beautiful – and for me a gift that I so want to bring back to South Africa and share.  I had a vision on at the last session yesterday of this bridge of light moving from Corfu, Buddha Hall, to South Africa, imagining people standing swaying, singing, connecting and the opening of hearts that I know heals and brings people together.  Its a vision, and its clear in my mind’s eye and in my heart that this is happening as I write this.  I will do everything in my power to continue spreading this music,  this light and this beauty and if possible arrange for them to visit SA and spread this incredible light and love.  The seed is planted and now I will water it, nurture it, love it and it will flower and become manifest – this I know.

        

And now my journey continues and I am preparing to visit Spain for the next 7 days.  What fun – And I am sure those days will be filled with their own essence and energy too.  Its an interesting space, coming out of such an amazing workshop, being filled with so much love and celebration and energy and then dealing with life as it presents itself.  I made the most incredible friends at this workshop, really connected and bonded with people who I touched and who touched me in such a beautiful way.  There is something so unique and exceptional about meeting people in a space of love and connection, there is no judgement or story attached to the meeting, just a space of sharing, of feeling and allowing love to flow and this is how I am moving forward on my adventure with deep, beautiful friendships and people who have touched my life in such a special way.

I have said this before and I will repeat it many times, I am filled with so much gratitude for this incredible journey that I AM on, for each experience, moment, meeting.  And this gratitude expands my heart and opens my inner space so much to welcome new experiences and the space is endless, and so Am I !

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti

Shalom & Namaste

Yasses from Greece & Corfu

Landing in Athens was one of the most happiest moments on my adventure, speaking to the taxi driver on the way from the way from airport, walking the streets in Plaka, at the foot of the Acropolis, and connecting, smiling, feeling warmth - both from the people and the extreme heat from the weather, was so joyous for me and I was so extremely happy and contented to be here since the moment I arrived.  It was like coming home from a really hard day, taking off your shoes and just breathing out - ahhhhhhhh.

Everyone here speaks English, the people are all sizes, shapes, cultures, its happy and full of 'kefi'.  

"Kefi is a hard-to-translate word which has been described by various Greeks as meaning the spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, or frenzy. Kefi takes many forms. The custom of smashing plates is considered an expression of kefi, when the soul and body are overwhelmed with an exuberance that must find an outlet. The frenzied maenads - in ordinary life, Greek matrons - following Dionysus in ancient times were probably expressing a variety of kefi, as was the iconic image of Zorba dancing on the beach in Crete in the film "Zorba the Greek".

And its that 'kefi' that has put a rhythm and a smile back into my heart and my soul.  Athens, especially where I stayed, is an incredible temple to humanity, to archaeological mastery, to feeling the stories, the mythology of days gone by, long long ago.  The stories of Athena, Zeus, Dionysus, Asclepius, Apollo, and a myriad of other Gods and Goddesses, the ancient buildings and sites reflecting these times, adds an essence to Athens that touches the ancestral soul of all.  And coming from Africa, the land of the beginnings of humans and its rich natural heritage and monuments is one thing but seeing and feeling this old architecture, seeing how communities lived here 1000's of years ago and seeing the ruins that are constantly being uncovered was phenomenal and breathtaking.  

A visit to the The Acroplis Mueseum (http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr)  was such a amazing experience and I spent hours and hours there looking at and absorbing the incredible pieces that have been discovered and preserved.  I found it touching and I felt a deep respect for the work that has been undertaken and how majestically it has been put together and presented.  An absolutely incredible experience.  And just walking around the streets of Plaka, I came across ruins from Hadrian's library, the temple to Zeus and various arches and pillars that are there representing these stories and a rich history that is precious.

I spend 3 night in Athens in extremely hot temperatures and it feels like it was a lifetime.  I experienced much in the 2 1/2 days and got to do quite wonderful things and act like a real tourist.  On Sunday evening I went on a cultural night tour of Athens, was supposed to go to a museum of Traditional Greek Musical Instruments (which ended up being closed due to a sudden emergency) and went to a traditional restaurant with live music and Greek Dancing which was much fun and a wonderful experience to get up and dance with people from all different countries and places, eat yummy food and just experience a taste of life, the Greek way.  

On Monday I went on a One Day Cruise, to 3 islands - Hydra, Pesos and Aegina - and it was such fun, and something that I think I could only manage for 1 day as its very commercial.  I met a lovely lady from USA who lives in Israel, Tina Brown and a French couple who work and live in Mali and Ghana.  

At our first stop Hydra I wanted so badly to swim and off I went with Tina in tow, to find the aquamarine clear water and a place pointed out to swim.  As I was getting into the water, I slipped on the rocks and hurt the toes on my left foot really badly - what a bummer.  It has turned out that I have fractured my one toe and bruised the other and it has been a tricky and difficult experience not being to walk around this week - but experience and an incident that got me to stop for a moment and take stock as to what is happening and why I am not present and paying attention.  On a metaphysical level the specific 2 toes represent water and fire - emotions and relationships and the message is about worrying about the future - an apt lesson as I have been a bit preoccupied with what I am going to be doing and where I am going to be living when I get home and obviously not so focused on now !  And NOW I AM HERE - In Corfu and Present !

My reason for visiting Corfu originally was 2 fold - one was to meet my family and two was to attend a workshop with Deva Premal, Miten and Manose - In the Light of Love to be held at Buddha Hall in Corfu.  And I arrived in Corfu on Tuesday and was met by my family and what an amazing experience that has been.  I found my clan, a warm hearted, open, generous family that I resonate with and felt so comfortable with immediately.  My cousin had left SA in around 1952 to go study and work in UK and met, feel deeply in love and married a local Corfu woman and they had a daughter, who grew up in Greece and the UK, and presently works in Athens. They took me for lunch on 2 days, showed me some of the sights, and on Thursday evening I went to dinner with Sasha and her friend Dora to a restaurant at the old fort, right next to water, where we could see many of the boats docked and the ferries moving between the main land and Corfu - it was a magical night. 

August is high season in Greece and in Cofu and the weather has been unbelievably hot with temperatures reaching in excess of 39 deg some days.  Because of my very sore toe, and the heat I have been taking it gently and easy and wandering around Corfu enjoying the buildings and the shops and spending time in the air-conditioned flat watching some wonderful movies and just enjoying my time.

And now its Saturday and I am in Magoulades (Souli).  I am staying very close to Buddha Hall in a Leela House with a Greek lady, Niskriya who works with sound healing and is a Shamanic healer. This evening I went to a meditation session with Deva Premal, Miten, Manose in Buddha Hall where, for the first time, I witnessed their incredible energy in person.  They sang and played their music, and the hall was filled with people, all singing and sharing this beautiful, light filled energy and space of love.  And it was so amazing to be there, to witness this music and singing, be part of a collective group of people shining so brightly and to feel Osho's energy - I am so touched and excited about the week ahead and the workshop that I am going to be participating in.

My blog posts from Greece and Corfu are divided into 2 - this is the first one.  

The next will be filled with Light of Love energy and it will be from a different space.  
I cannot express this in words but it is with the gesture of an open heart and with such beauty within,  that I say Nameste, Om Shanti Om.

Hi-lite, shift and right click on these 2 links and choose "Go to ......." to see Deva Premal and company singing and sharing their beauty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EEFSB0zyE0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=vSR1L9IN03g

My Russian adventure

After a mammoth train journey from Riga to St Petersburg on Sat. 14 July,  the train stopping at 2 border posts, Estonia and Russia,   having the authorities in my cabin, while I was sleeping, searching my things and not sure where Africa let alone South Africa is, I arrived in St Petersburg.  My friend Pasha was there to meet me,  an absolute god-send as the taxi drivers waiting at the station seemed like the Russian mafia and it was in the moment that I got off the train that the language barrier here became evident to me.  

Pasha and I,  had had 2 skype conversations the week before and within those conversations I had gathered that there was not accommodation organised for me in St Petersburg, and that he had arranged for me to go to a festival, about 2 1/5 hours from St Petersburg, via a mini bus to camp until the 22nd July. This was not quite what I wanted to do, so he had then offered me a friend's apartment which was away from the centre but on the metro route.  He took me directly to this apartment and I thought that my whole world had just come to an end.  I was tired, very overwhelmed about this visit, and the apartment was far away and I was terrified at the thought of staying there on my own and not being able to communicate or even read or understand a sign.  I did not want to appear ungracious in any way as I was a visitor,  so I took some really huge,  deep breaths, and a few moments of silence, and was then able to express to Pasha that this was not where I wished to stay at all and that perhaps I should find a B&B in town where I could at least be close to people and life in the city.

When I had booked my Russian visa I had made the registration through Youth Hostels International, so off we went to the youth hostel, which on line looked really nice and they spoke English and offered internet facilities.  Often online and in reality differ and this is was evident for this hostel, again it just didn’t feel like a place where I wanted to stay at all.  Pasha had to leave but before leaving, we called Vasudeva who lives at a Eco Village,  Grishino, which is 300km north of St Petersburg, and speaking to him made me feel so much better.  He offered for me to come stay with them and although rural and primitive, they had a cabin for me, hot water and I was more than welcome.  His voice was so soothing and it felt that this was where I needed to be.  I made a decision then and there that I would stay in St Petersburg for 4 nights and leave on Thursday to go to Grishino where I would stay for 10 days and then go to Moscow where I had a booking from the 31st July.

I booked a single room at the Youth Hostel for the night and thought to make other plans on Monday, but when I asked for a towel and was handed a thread bare towel, I just broke down.  And I cried – I felt so unbelievably lonely and desperate.  And then I called Richelle, my friend, my soul mate and my absolute rock, who has always been able to ground me and get me to see the bigger picture.  My connection to home and to to hear her voice of reason just helped me.  I looked on line and found aq B&B in town, Cornwell Inn, where I was able to get a room immediately, got a refund from the youth hostel, caught a taxi and went to my new accommodation.  This  was so much better, I had all the things I needed to feel comfortable and safe, and had such a good night sleep.

My time in St. Petersburg went quickly.  The hotel was great, and on Monday evening I met Pasha and Natasha at a lovely venue called Sweet Tooth for coffee and delicious cakes and we had such fun, went walking down the famous Nevskiy Prospekt, and ended up at a Kenyan cafe, an African cafe about 100m from my hotel, with great African decor and a terrible menu – which we didn’t try. 

On Tuesday evening I caught a taxi to Aurora Palace to see Swan Lake Ballet by the Russian Ballet Company and it was amazing. I was completely mesmerised by the ballet and the music.

After the performance while waiting for the taxi at the bar, a young girl asked me if I was from South Africa ? I was so happy to meet her I gave her a big hug and we chatted for a bit.  She is from Cape Town and here in Russia for a youth conference. It was so amazing to be able to communicate and have a flow with someone from home and get a response that was warm and friendly.  The next day was Madiba’s birthday and I didn’t know how to do my 67 minutes of service which was making feel sad so I was so appreciative of meeting someone from my beautiful South Africa.

Russia felt completely different to anywhere I have ever been and especially on this journey.  The people are serious and very few people smile.  I experienced a few incidents where I was harassed and nearly robbed,  which didn’t make me feel so good inside and I felt a bit depressed and down.  I felt it best for me to stay indoors, and this was helped along by the rain. Maybe the lack of sunshine contributed to my melancholy and this was the first time I didn't feel safe.

On Thursday the 19th of July, I left St Petersburg and Vasudeva met me at Svir station. It was so amazing to see him after 3 years and also to have a friendly face welcome me as I got off the train.  Just being out of the city and with someone I could talk to and share with made the hugest difference and I started to feel a whole lot better.  Grishino is beautiful, surrounded by forests, rivers, beautiful summer flowers everywhere and peace – absolute peace.  When we arrived at the village the river was pumping because of all the rain and Vasudeva put my bags, and me, into a boat and rowed me across river to the village.  Its very rural and simple, my cabin very rustic but was so cozy and I felt so comfy and at home.  It was so amazing to connect with and share with beautiful, open hearted people, and slowly I started to feel more at peace and relaxed.

    

Their land is blessed with an abundance of a plant Epilobium Angustifollium which is harvested  in summer,  processed and made into Ivan-Chai or Russian tea.  Many people, mainly from Russia, work on harvesting and picking, stripping the leaves for fermentation and drying and processing the tea.  This production is the income for their village so its important work.  There is an open – Summer Kitchen – where the daily meals and teas are prepared for the volunteers working on the harvest and production.

 

Life there felt simple, peaceful and wholesome.  Amazing flowers, an awesome river, trees and forests and a very holistic way of living.   By the end of my first day I felt so much better and everyone was so open and welcoming, wanting to chat about South Africa and interested in my stories, and sharing their own.  A few of the volunteers spoke English and they were genuinely interested in what I had to share and say – and visa a versa.  As time moved on I went from being quiet and a bit reserved,  to sharing a lovely sunsets, listening to singing of traditional Russian songs, and feeling a sense of belonging and comfort.

                                

I realised that this was where I was meant to be.  I slept  well, ate well – completely vegetarian and stopped coffee.  Daily I wrote, I walked, connected and shared with the people working and living at Grshino and loved the feeling of being so honoured and welcomed by each and every one of these beautiful people, of being part of a community.  On the first Sunday evening we had a spontaneous drum circle and it was so much fun to play, share and feel the connection of rhythm with everyone and create a circle of people sharing.  This feeds my soul and I love it and we went on right into the early hours of the morning, 12 of us squeezed into the front room of my cabin and Vlat, who knows a few African songs, sang while we drummed, played shakers, tambourines, rain sticks and even rattled some dried leaves.  This is making memories wherever I go on this journey, and connecting with these people felt so right for me. 

I know that each experience is important and vital to my adventure, and those bad moments, which have honestly been very few, are important to get me back into the truth of what I am doing and why I am doing it.  Looking back after the drumming circle at my experiences in  St Petersburg, made me realise the learning curve, the amazing gifts which I will treasure forever.

As 23rd July is Anestasia’s earth day, for those at Grishino is a day of sacred gratitude and rituals for each person to do in their own way.  In the evening people came together in a circle of meditation. This was such an amazing experience and a chance to really connect with the beautiful people of this community.  Each person introduced themselves, shared where they come from and why they were there.  One of the volunteers offered to translate so that I understood what everyone was saying and also translated what I shared with everyone.  It was a very beautiful ceremony and its so amazing to witness the pureness of community where people work together to create a life that honours the earth and all living beings.  There was a deep feeling of gratitude in the circle and the common feeling of living with nature, in an eco-community with clear vision,  that is how to heal the land and inspire other communities to form  connecting and sharing love, peace, tolerance, safety, light, joy and so much more.  This was an opportunity for me to say how grateful I felt at the way they have welcomed me, with so much respect and honour and to thank them for the amazing work they do at honouring Mother Gaia in such a blessed way.

One of the mornings at breakfast, while the people at the table were chatting in Russian, I realised that my life in the past 4 months has been that of Witness – being in so many different places and positions, where the language around me is like music without words, and I have spent so many moments in spaces where I have sat, silently, hearing other languages and just hearing it as sounds in the background.  Each language has its own rhythm, its own sounds, some words so beautifully expressive, some words so easily identifiable and all just sounds to which I have the opportunity to sit, in silence and be the witness.  No output no input just being in the moment – its a wonderful place to be, creating within me a space of absolutely neutrality.  Just another observation within my adventure.

On Friday 29 July we have held a 3 day drumming workshop - The Pulse of the Earth – as Pasha was still in St Petersburg I opened the workshop with the help of Vasudeva translating for me and it was amazing to facilitate and run a workshop again. Pasha and Natasha arrived at 03h00 on Sat morning with a few drums and a box of amazing instruments. The process flowed, we sat in a circle at Vasudeva's house right next to the river, in an abundant garden  one with the nature surrounding us and the earth beneath us.  I loved the flow, how easy it was to share and inspire with rhythms from home, share what Pasha gives, how he facilitates and there was a comfortable, gentle flow between us and the group we drummed with and facilitated.  Each participant gained and shared so much within the 3 days of drumming and for me it confirmed so clearly my passion and the work that I do with so much love and so much connection and rhythm.  What a blessing it is for me to have learned to drum and to be able to facilitate and work with groups in the way that I do.  I am truly blessed with this gift and am so extremely grateful and honouring of the playing with beat of the earth beneath my feet and rising into my body and flowing from my heart to all.

I left Grishino on Monday 30th July and it felt really touching.  I have genuinely made a Russian Family for whom I feel so much love and connectedness and am so extremely grateful for this experience and the gift of community.  As I sat on the train leaving Svir, in a compartment with 3 Russian woman with whom I couldn't communicate at all, and watched out of the window, taking it all in, and unplugging myself from nature and community, while preparing for Moscow and the future, I was able to witness once again how everything really manifests perfectly as it is and the moments of doubt, confusion, fear, not trusting, sadness, lethargy etc. are the opportunities to connect to what is important and see what is really happening.  I felt refreshed and re-inspired, so excited for the next 3 months and also for my future and how it will unfold.

Moscow has been such a wonderful surprise for me.  I have been staying in one of the oldest parts of Moscow in an apartment with Olga, the host of her home on Air B&B.  She has been a great guide, and her home is 10 minutes walk from Red Square and all the wonderful sights and buildings that the capital of Russia has to offer.  A further surprise is that the apartment in right next door to an extremely old synagogue which is really beautiful and has a small Jewish Community attending the weekly services.

Its been easy to stay here, catch up, make all necessary arrangements for next 2 months of my travelling and explore the wonders of Moscow.  I went to see The Nutcracker Ballet yesterday evening, and I loved it - the absolute magic of Russian ballet in a theatre with marble floors, and balconies, royal boxes and a feeling of culture and days gone by.  The venue is opposite the Bolshoi theatre, a majestic building, closed until mid September.  It has felt safe and wonderful wondering the streets in the hot evenings, witnessing the full moon above the Moscow skyline and seeing people enjoying and celebrating their city.

I haven't been able to see much of the Olympics, but each time I see on Facebook that we have won another gold medal, I have followed the stories, watch interviews on line, cried tears of joy and pride and bless my homeland with so much,  I love South Africa, its my home, my country and I am so looking forward to walking on its rich, pulsating land again, feeling the African Sun and beating drums with rhythm of the rainbow nation.

Until next time, be blessed always.