These things fascinate and move me. And are bascially the fuel of existence to me. So, I am on the almost last day of my "words cannot even describe it" yoga/spiritual/rustic life on a yoga farm in the remotest place in Portugal. To say that I am not ready to leave is the understatement of the century. After 6 days and nights, I am filled with a new kind of gratitude and peace for the opportunity to spend time in a beautiful place with beautiful people from all walks of life.
Yoga has opened a new world for me. I know that sounds so new agey and is so far removed from what many people think is normal or can relate to, but it is truth for me. I started yoga 6 years ago, but cannot say that I have actually practiced real yoga. I learned some moves from a p90X dvd. Tony Horton is a fit dude and is motivating, but he is no yoga teacher. Actually, my friend Jodie introduced me to a class maybe 12 or so years ago at an artsy place in West Virginia.
Only when I came to Abu Dhabi and met my friend Neli did yoga really start to take form and make sense as a spiritual and whole healthy body and mind experience. This is in turn, coupled with the 9 weeks of vacation that I am grateful to have, gave me the creative curiousity to find a place to go for a yoga and spiritual retreat. My first choice was a small ashram in India. I admit that I have always been drawn to this type of experience, and I am embarrassed to say that Liz Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" may very well have had an influence on my ashram mission. Unfortunately - or fortunately, that experience did not materialize as the small mountain village where the ashram is located went through a heat wave and drought which dried up the well that waters the people there.
Not to be deterred, I set about investigating alteratives for a yoga retreat / spiritually deepening and exploratory adventure. I can't begin to compare what I found with what I would have experienced at the ashram since that didn't come to pass, but I can tell you I could not have found a more amazing, down to earth, and spiritually grounded group of people than I did right here in Portugal, where I sit at this very moment typing.
THIS is where I met Peter and Sue; yoga instructors, organic farmers, macrobiotic culinary creators, and who I now call friends. And THIS is where I have become a student and budding devotee of yoga.
How to describe where I am? Well, it doesn't have a name and isn't on the tourist guides for places to visit in Portugal. Most have probably never heard of this little village near the Spanish border with a population of about 10 residents plus the folks at the yoga farm. They don't actually call it the yoga farm, but I am not sure what else to call it. It is sort of an organic farm/hostel. The owners are yoga instructors and are genuinely beautiful people. Charming, funny, real, kind, loving, open, generous, grounded ... just the kind of people I always imagined I would like to be around, to have endless conversations with, to learn from, to grow with, and to call friends. Peter and Sue have built a magical and beautifully simple hidden world of healthy, chemical-free, sustainable living that along with their dedication to the practice of ashtanga-vinyasa yoga that they share with others is made complete by and with their gentle and kind spirituality.
Our morning classes are led by Peter (Pedro Loco, as the villagers call him), the tall, blonde, dreadlocked peaceful warrior-farmer who brings humor, discipline, warmth and a deep appreciation and respect for yoga and our bodies that taught me so much. And humbled me. And truly lit the fire of dedication for the practice within me so that I can see that yoga will be a part of my life for the long term. The evening classes are led by the wonderfully earthy and knowledgable Sue, whose beautiful spirit and aura show us the softer and more introspective sides of ashtanga, reminding us to be good to ourselves and to honor ourselves and to respect our edge. She has a way of personifying the "earth mother" image that connects you instantly.
They, along with the beautiful Nikita and Isabella give this place a welcoming and accepting vibe that I want to visit and experience again and again. Nikita is 6 feet tall with long dark dreadlocks and a spirit that fills the room with love and light whenever she enters it. She is also an instructor and devotee of ashtanga. Isabella is a golden haired, fair skinned beauty with an open and curiously gentle spirit who carries light and stillness with her that is infinitely calming. She is a WOOF'er, which means she is a volunteer who "Works on Organic Farms". She gives the garden a tireless dedication and love which gives a positive energy to the food that she and the others prepare for our meals throughout the day. I will miss their presence immensely.
Oh and let's not forget the animals! It's quite the menagerie....from the boisterous donkey, Willow, who sounds like an exhausted piece of industrial machinery when he brays with almost eerie precision at the time to wake up, get ready for meals and for yoga practice to the black cat, Ani-Nora, with the short tail who sneaks into my room at night to snuggle and provide warm companionship with her reassuring purr, this place gives organic its meaning. Sue and Peter welcome lots of stray animals to the farm. There is Queenie, the 4 legged beagle mix with only three working legs who was found vicious and abandoned with her puppies who has been transformed into the gentlest zen-dog that you'd ever want to meet. The alpha dog of the group is Simba, who is a handsome, blonde terrier who apparently has friends up in the village that he sneaks away to hang out with in the evenings. There must be a dog pub there or something. Saleem is a loving jack russell terrier mix who was found on the beach sans owner and enjoys nothing more than a good cuddle and sleep on a cushion or in the lap of a willing soul. The newest canine addition is Princess Fifi/Foo Foo or Flo. She was not treated well in her last life and has found freedom and love and accepting animal and human friends at the farm. She's sweet and a bit nervous and in need of regular assurance that her new family will be here for her, but is blossoming into a darling puppy love. The two additional cat brothers, Blue and Hari, roam freely and happily and keep guard for all small rodents and who bring the odd lizard back as an offering. It's ok, they're cats...not vegetarians. Shiva and Shakti are the two marvelous goats who seem extra tall to me. Shiva, I believe, is regularly trying to get at people for love and attention. He nearly climbs the walls of his stall when he isn't out grazing, in order to see and be seen by people. Fresh goat's milk is available each morning courtesy of Shakti, and is the only milk, aside from soy, that you'll find in the kitchen. Remember, the food is all macrobiotic. We keep ourselves quite hydrated with the fresh water from the stream and from the ample supply of teas always at the ready throughout the day. Rounding out the whole animal package are the chickens who provide fresh eggs that are occasionally used in some of the recipes and you've got the inhabitants for the farm covered.
Honestly, I can't begin to do justice to the experience or to them through the words in this blog. I don't know if I will ever be able to express it verbally when I recount the experience to others. It is the type of phenomenon that you likely must truly be present for to understand. And really, it couldn't be the place that it is without the amazing people whose dream to have an organic yoga farm retreat and whose determination to live life on their own terms away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They live and share their lives with others in a gracious manner that can best be described as authentic, with purpose and that comes from a place of love and respect.
My new friends, the group of "students" sharing this week's journey with me are all women from various walks of life. I will miss their company, their stories, their harmonious spirits during our yoga practices, and their faces. Beautiful all. I could write chapters about the unabashedly hilarious ways Rose tells a story, not to mention her fierce determination to build a fire with wet pinecones...then there's the fact that she brought emergency food with her to the retreat and her fear of flying things (moths, butterflies...you name it). Sarah and her quiet humor that sneaks up on you and leaves you rolling, lovely talks and teas shared along with her wonderful drawings and assertion that "anyone can draw...just train your brain". The profound spiritual beauty with which Zahra carries herself inside and out that encompasses her faith in Islam along with an openness to the whole universe and the mystical unifying forces that are all around us. The sweetness, innocence and true kindness of Nova who studies law and is a bit of a dog whisperer. The ridiculous (in a good way) yogic ability of her sister Abby who's zest for life (and coffee) and adventure through athletic means. The week would not have been complete without the fantastically fun and interesting storytelling style of Leslie.
Ladies...friends... I am honored to have spent a week with you and enriched and changed by having spent time with you. I do hope our paths cross again.
Suffice it to say, I leave this wonderful place transformed and humbled. I am rejuvenated and re-energized on a level I have not yet experienced in my 44 years. I am grateful. Really. Above all and more than anything, I am filled utterly with gratitude. Thanks to the universe for the gift of this experience along the journey, which I am happy to report - continues... in healing micro-steps.
