The experience: practicing daily life

Need a hand or are you hanging in there just fine?

It is five years now that we chose this place, and a daily life filled with practice of the things that interest us.
Our place is in Southwest Portugal on a mountain, more or less 300 meter altitude, near the ocean in a natural park. In the Netherlands life was good and bad. I was always looking for highs, looking away from the lows and trying to find the solution for anything. Jim and I felt the urge to fulfill our mission in life for a long time and we both were practicing it already in our free time.
We wanted that to be our daily life.

It is not that I am sharing my stories and life to have pride or any sensation out of it. It is because we like to share our place, our rest, happiness and the things we have learned to …that’s all.

Familymatters

Family matters!
Every period of life has it’s peak experiences. We are now in the phase of having elderly parents in need of care.
We live far away from most family, it takes at least one day to get there. Not easy.
When ‘things’ happen in the smallest circle they are sensible. To deal with those strong emotions we need to be sense able.

Being alive needs movement

In yoga philosophy they are called gunas, rajas, tamas and sattvic.
Following my dreams in real, I still do it. I saw myself in a dream on a market in Italy and after some weeks of daydreaming, I finally booked my trip to Italy. I Love Italy! The people, the food, the language. Of course there are some things not to like, as would be everywhere. But you could say I just have a lot of devotion for Italy, so maybe in the future I will organize a sensory journeys to Italy. Diving in the senses and learn to take them in. In real time, LIVE! Not a touristy journey, but a magical, sensory, worldly and devotional one. Learning the truth, being in the moment on earth, having the feet on the ground and opening up to go beyond the mind connecting to the whole.

Devotion

The expression in Dutch gaan als de brandweer translated in English is being on fire.
Anyway one needs to devote to learn a new language, any language.
As a Dutchie I really feel it when I say ik ga als de brandweer (Literally: I go like the firemen).
Speaking about that, my neighbors from the forest and me went for a first aid course organised by the fire brigade. This is really interesting and I think this should be taught in high schools.
It was surprising (not really) that I did things exactly opposite; being quick and in a hurry when it is important to be calm and calm when I should be in a hurry. “a,, a ,a, a, staying alive, staying alive”.
My patient died and I learned why.

Saving lives is precarious. During the course we learned that most victims die, only some survive.
So if you like to survive, start learning.

You are very welcome at our retreats from half of April to half of October

Above picture was taken on Valentine’s day. We took the day off and went to a shopping mall. Not in Peru or any exotic country, just Jim and me on a day out on the town!