Mutually Existing in Peru: Forms of Meditating

Methinks we have hugely mistaken this matter of life and death. Methinks that what they call a shadow here on earth is my true substance. Methinks that in looking at things spiritual, we are too much like oysters observing the sun through the water, and thinking thick water the thinnest of air. Methinks my body is the less of my better being. - Herman Melville

"We are not discovering anything new but just uncovering what we already know, said Surdas, a bhakti yogi."

There we were in Peru sitting in the circle, playing drums, guitars and bells while chanting kirtan.

I am the rock with the face

Sound of Nature

Kirtan opens the heart, fills the heart with purity, and generates harmony and pure love. This yoga of sound allows my psychic and spiritual power to fly erasing any doubts in the mind.

Look up kirtan groups on Facebook or Meetup for your local area or ask your yoga studio. 

I feel like young flower spreading my petals so I can absorb all light from the shining sun. Our voices interweave to create a collective vibration that melts us into a blur of pure energy. We sing for hours until sleepiness carries us to our beds.

I am the cactus, the tree, and the leaf.

ZZZzzzzzZzzz….

In the morning we take a mauna, a fasting from speaking and using the mind. This is one of my favorite practices that I try in incorporate everyday for a period of time. No distractions- you are on a date with your life with no sound. Once your internal music starts to play everything offered in the external world ceases to matter.

Meditating Cows 

This work I was doing here became apparent when we had a day off to venture out into the nearby village of Pisaq. Even though Pisaq is a tight knit communal-like village, the streets were busy with people. My system went through a shock of overstimulation. Shopping made me feel nauseated and trying to connect to the Internet gave me a headache. I quickly retreated back to the grounds.

Give yourself a grace period and setting that allows you to practice mauna fully. 

Practice mauna when hiking or camping

One of the most important spiritual lessons is the process of letting go of cultural conditioning. Sit across from someone and have them ask the question 'who are you?' If you pause, they shall repeat the question. As I looked straight into their eyes I felt myself morphing into nothing. One after another the labels were erased as I said them out loud. There was no division left between me and the person. We were one.

Mango Loving 

Oneness is the opposite of duality. While meditating this oneness engulfs my mind, bringing a peaceful darkness across my eyes. It feels like everything that was outside is inside my awareness.

“I am that, you are that, all this is that. That’s all there is.”- Deepak Chopra

With you always 

Sacred Valley of Peru: Reflecting the Present

Finding your sacred space. It is a home for your soul, a mirror for reflection.

Mine will always be near water. I seek natural flow; for water only reflects what is. It has no color but the reflection of the sky, clouds, and rocks.

The cascading sound allows me to just be and breathe the aroma of nature. I understand how sages would go into a natural environment to self heal.

From where I sit, on the bank of a strong stream I have the beauty of the Andean mountains surrounding me. In the heart of the Sacred Valley I make my home for three weeks.

A retreat for yogis, a time to retune the strings of our spirit so they can play sweetly again. With meditation and yoga as our instruments, our song begins rough with many kinks. The voice of our egos overpowers the beat of our inner drum. But with time we build a collective conscious to find rhythm and harmony.

For the process to be as effective as possible in three weeks, we come to Sach'a Munay, "love from the ancient forest." Centered in the center of the apus, "luminous beings" which are these magical mountains.

Ganapati "Jed", the master of flow

We eat with mindfulness, a vegetable based diet- being a transition for some but a reoccurring choice for others. Our body and mind take a break from technology, stimulants, and unhealthy relationships. Our practice starts today with pachamama to mentor us.

This is the time to remove the rocks that hold us down. Let our leaves blow free in the breeze. And not worry where they might land, whether we get stuck or start to sink. Just believe in our yogi legs and kick to the surface where our new skin breathes. 

During the first guided meditation, I saw the serpent of change slither into my awareness. It looked right at me with the yellow streak from the bottom of his belly to the top of his  dark black head. His white shining eyes told me "to see the light in my life." Open your eyes, what truly is- is right here in front of me.

--<>--)( Love is All )(--<>-- 

The Pleasure of Meeting Peru

"I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote."- Herman Melville.

An image had been replaying over and over in my head, someplace high in the mountains with trees standing atop rocky ruins while the sun and clouds play hide and seek across the sky.

Machu Picchu was the image and the rumor was M.P. was going to shut down within the next couple of years for restoration. So as the urge built up so did my reasoning to head down there.

It all manifested when I came across a yoga teacher program in the Sacred Valley of Peru.  Mystical Yoga, the yoga of spiritual practice, goes beyond the asana and emphasized a transformative journey into the spiritual 'self'. Unpeeling your layers, customs, and tendencies leading towards the realization of the underlying union of life and energy.

For me yoga was always more than a physical activity. It could make me feel at home anywhere I did it. Five years into my dedicated practice, I was a healthier and happier person mentally. It opens you open to being ok, to being content with what is in front of you.  

I usually purchase some sort of travel book to help me plan out the days on these excursions. But I realized how easily you could get lost in someone else's experience and perspective by limiting yourself to one book. So I chucked the book idea and just made a list. Here were some of the items:

• ·      Hike as much as possible
• ·      Kiss a Peruvian
• ·      Eat ceviche, Peruvians claim to have the World's best
• ·      Go to Huacachina and Huarez

...Crossed off one on the first night.

With not much research, I was surprised to see that Lima, the capital, was a coastal metropolitan in the desert. The air was hot and sticky but the ocean breeze didn't make things unbearable. The only ones seemingly bothered were the taxi drivers, they were more aggressive than any other country I have been to.

Dragonfly Hostel in the barrio Miraflores was by far the best hostel I stayed at in Peru. The fact they brewed their own beer definitely had something to do with it.

In the afternoon, I joined an Australian couple at the office of Bike Tours of Lima. Great idea- cruised by the most popular parks, art galleries, along the beach, across cool bridges, and stopped at a local bar for lunch. (30 USD)

Barranco and Miraflores are the nicest parts of the city.

The evening consisted of dinner at a sidewalk cafe and then drinks with Anna and her girlfriend and comrades Henry and Miguel at the pub.  That night it rained, I love it when it rains in the desert.

The next day I flew over to Cusco, the jumping off point for tourists going to M.P., to meet the other yogis before we headed to the Sacred Valley. Cusco is rich with culture and antiquity. It makes you feel like your living in the 16th century since many of the historical structures are still in tact.

When the Spanish came through the Andean region they were smart enough to use some the Inca foundations instead of destroying them. You could see this difference when you looked at the architecture and materials used on the sides of buildings. Inca's used massive blocks that had decreasing angle with height. The Spanish built their walls straight up and covered them to have smooth surfaces. The latter construction was no test to the power of Pachamama when she danced- earthquakes did a lot of damage.

Cusco is a mecca for Andean commodities; stores line the streets selling everything Alpaca. I succumbed to buying mittens when the temperature fell below 45 F.  

The city is spread across hills at an elevation of 10,000 feet. The first couple days you find yourself easily tired after a short walk. The thin air gets you.

I spent my time walking with Elvis, who offers free walking tours, and eating at great vegetarian restaurants. 

Green Point (top) & Shaman Raw (bottom)

Cusco was a memorable place in which I had an experience with crystals that I will never forget. Inside one of the restaurants sits a quarts crystal as big as a small llama. The energy I received was so overwhelming I had to leave the fellow yogis and walk this off. It felt like I was hit by a wave of power that left me edgy and fragile. I thought maybe this is a heart attack. But the more I walked the better I felt and finally after two hours I was back to my normal self.

Pic of crystal from TripAdvisor 

Resting in a hammock before bed I remember the crispness of the cool air being so welcomed by my lungs. Then a loud boom filled the sky and I turned around to a firework show- which my heart so welcomed. The vibration melted away all tension and I sat here in Peru like a child amazed by the colors of life and light.  

Sedona Awakening

The road to Sedona, highway 89, is curvy and shady. It runs along a strong creek. The setting the mood switch was turned on for the sweet surprise up ahead.

Avo/ Rice/ Hot Sauce

Air is still crisp in March but the Arizona sun is packing the heat. I decided to stretch while I have the warmth at Encinoso Picnic Area.

Banana- Peanut Butter Sandwich 

Next thing I know I'm half way up a mountain postured in warrior pose. The desert air leaves my soul refreshed. Sedona made me fall back in love with rugged landscape I have been driving through for the last two days.

After leaving my sacred space on the hillside I pass more red rock formations on the busy road. I pass through the touristy drag of Sedona boosting roadside cafes, gem shops, and designer boutiques.

Sedona is known mostly for its art galleries, energy centers, and spa facilities. Catering to those with buck but I found my Zen for free in the weeds under a bright blue sky.