On a windy day...

..anything can happen!

(photos from Yafo with view on Tel Aviv, on the 12th of December)

Metzoke Dragot & Nataraj festival

High above the Dead Sea with a breathtaking scenic view is a site named Metzoke Dragot. In the middle of November there was a weekend festival with yoga, meditation, music, dance and lots of play. My plan was to be somewhere else, but the event I originally had in mind was cancelled, and in retrospect I am grateful I was open to the changes and rhythms of life to be here instead – it was really great! The site itself was amazing to experience, the atmosphere was totally relaxed and the chai shop was inviting to chill out and learn to know new people.




Thursday and Friday I spent intensely workshopping, exploring for instance the alchemy of the third chakra, sufi whirling dance and an introduction to shiatsu massage. On the Sunday I was exhausted and just relaxed and walked about. After some family drama I got a lift back to Jerusalem with two very sweet people with singing and joyful togetherness all the way.

My learning: the desert is very cold at night, but warmer under a red blanket.

Desert Ashram

I arrived at the Ashram Bamidbar deep in the Arava desert, on the night when meteor shower Leonides was to peak from the sky. The desert is so beautiful under the stars.. And the stars ever so bright! It is even difficult to find the constellations you know, because so many more stars are twinkling for attention.



At the Ashram, I joined the work meditation program, with morning and evening meditations and work meditations during the day with gardening, constructions, kitchen duties, serving the workshops or whatever work needed to be done in the community. All together with beautiful and loving people – friends for a long time to come! I was blessed with the best roommates ever; Gabriel, Merethe, Ohad and Maya. Gabriel would wake us all up for morning meditation with a cheerful song while Ohad would throw things at him. There was so much joy and play in room 4! Of course we had to leave together in the end, there was no other way :)

The teachings of Osho has recently walked into my life from all directions, and since Osho is the house god of the Ashram community, it was just for me to dive into it and enjoy. Dynamic meditations of dancing, screaming and shaking, or falling into deep astral sleep after my favourite Kundalini meditation at night.

A military base nearby provides a contrasting backdrop to the peaceful atmosphere of the ashram. During meditations sometimes you would hear roaring aeroplanes cutting the sky, and also it is not safe to walk to far astray from the area. This may sound strange and even appalling, but at the same time it works as a constant reminder of the illusion of duality..



The desert has an absolutely fantastic spirit which has to be experienced. Having only encountered the desert here in Israel, it was very profound to me. Here I was able to listen closely to life and the heartbeat of the Earth, learning to live with more and more presence, seeing life as meditation. 12 very special days to keep in my heart, happily knowing I have a home in the desert whenever I wish to come back.

PS. Don’t miss to have a look at www.desertashram.co.il

Yafo

During my journey I have stayed on and off in Yafo / Jaffa, and I have come to like it very much.. And after nice walk along the coast and you are soon in the vivid and beautiful area of Neve Tsedek in central Tel Aviv. Yafo is the home for most of the Arabic population in Tel Aviv-Yafo. It is an ancient port with beautiful buildings in the Old City with its incredible charm, art galleries and small paved alleyways, which carry the names of the zodiac signs. You find nice architecture all over Yafo, but in other areas side by side with less fancy and sometimes quite shabby houses. In 1948 the middle class left Yafo, which until then was a flourishing cultural area. Most of them thought they left for a couple of weeks, but fate had it that they were not allowed to return, which left Yafo an unprivileged and dormant area.








Now it is regaining some of its pulse and swirl with its famous flea market, designer boutiques, artists workshops, creative restaurants and cafés, and there are lots of visitors, not least on shabbat. Many buildings are being renovated to its former beauty, and new fancy buildings are popping up, making it an increasingly popular, and more expensive, area to live in. About half of the population is still Arabic, and the mix makes it special.

I find Yafo easygoing and friendly, traffic is less heavy than inside Tel Aviv, which makes it more breathable and quiet. I love it to walk along the seaside past the beach, around the Old City, along the port and the new park that is open to the sea. And if your heart has any wishes, you can always go to the Wishing Bridge in the park and wish upon your star…

A taste of Jerusalem

I have now stayed a few days in Jerusalem, helping my lost and found brother Arik with some graphic material for his venue. Have a look at www.harpofdavid.co.il to see the gorgeous place! I am very very happy to stay here. The house is located on Mount Zion, just outside the Old City, with the Tomb of David just nearby, and also the place where Jesus is said to have shared the last supper with his disciples. History and powerful energies in every breath you take!!

Last week I really made an effort to get lost inside the walls of the Old City, with its multi-level labyrinths, but did not succeed.. Guess I have to spend more time and completely deactivate my sense of location :) It was a beautiful experience though to walk around there, lots of impressions and different flavours from the absolute mishmash of cultures..

Wonders of the world and the ancient port of Ákko

This week I am visiting a sweet sister, Martine, whom I met in Auroville, India nearly three years ago. How wonderful to reconnect and be allowed to meet once again on this journey on Earth..!



Twice we have been enjoying the beach Hof Ha’Carmel here in Haifa, about an hour north of Tel Aviv along the coast. Soft sunshine to nourish the skin and wild waves in shining blue and green water.. The breeze is supposed to be the autumn winds, but temperatures have been just like a good Scandinavian summer :)



A couple of days back we visited the stunning Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa, where possibly some of the inspiration was drawn from the hanging gardens of Babylon, remembered as being one of the seven wonders of the antique world. The architecture and designs were created with the intention to harmonize the Eastern and Western ideals of beauty. And beautiful it was! After having relaxed our spirits in this soothing gardens we drove north, to Ákko, where the Bahá'í also have a marvellous site. Admire some of the beauty of the two gardens at http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en, and read more about the faith of the Bahá'í, in a way a religion beyond religion, at http://www.bahai.org.



Ákko has a near 4000 year history, and has been a strategic place in the Mediterranean with its well protected harbour, and of course, was yet another place where Napoleon went to fight.. We followed the coastline from the fort though the Arab part of the Old City, to the very off-season tourist marketplace and past the Church of St John.

Last we wandered through the Tunnel of the Templars, with running water underneath the pathway and lights along the sides. Adventurous feeling! The tunnel leads to the Ottoman Khan al-Umdan, an old courtyard, that now is being renovated, as it seems in the nick of time! Both the Gardens of the Bahá'í and the Old City of Ákko are acclaimed World Heritage sites by UNESCO.



In Haifa and Ákko the religions live, what it seems and from what is said, fairly peacefully side by side. They may not be very integrated, but the cultural coexistence is beautiful. We have had the most excellent meals at Arabic restaurants the last few days!

weekend adventure

At the weekend Oran took me on an adventure to the Dead Sea, and we passed Jerusalem both ways. In Jerusalem we visited his uncle Arik in his marvellous house on Mount Zion, just outside the walls of the Old City. His home is like an ancient labyrinth exploding with creativity – art, pottery, architecture – Arik being a true artist of life himself. And we even found out that we share the same birthday, so now I have a new brother, awesome!



We drove south and the land grew more and more arid as we approached the Dead sea desert, and it was all downhill, to a point of about 400 metres below sea level. The impression of the sea in a late afternoon haze with the Jordan mountains at the horizon was stunning – pale and earthy colours like on a pastel drawing.. We reached the site where we would camp overnight just at sunset. Such an amazing place to be and enjoy a bonfire on a starry night! Magic.



The morning called for a meditation and a walk, and later we enjoyed a real spa floatation in the sea including softly rocking waves – it was oh so relaxing! Then some play in the mud before our departure back :)



On our way back to Tel Aviv we once more visited Jerusalem, and went to the ’Wailing wall’ or as it is also called, the Western wall. It appeared a very serene and special place, having played a crucial role for the Jewish people as a place for prayer and contemplation since historical times. Visit http://thekotel.org to read more and to hear some beautifully poetic music! We were happy to be there on the Saturday, the day after there was severe fighting in the same place. If only the religions could practice the same principle as all the buildings in Jerusalem – covered in unison with the same stone – to find unity in diversity..

shalom!

A week has passed with wonderful experiences, and it has been so overwhelming to be here that it feels much longer..

I have been staying with my friend Oran in Ramat Gan, which is just adjacent to Tel Aviv – you cannot really tell where the one city stops and the other begins. We have had a really good time, spending some time at the beach after sunset and met with friends and family. And I have searched out the local neighbourhood, and located two superb cafés in downtown Tel Aviv so far :) I think most of you know that I just love nice tea and coffee places and that I tend to collect them like gemstones..

On Thursday we had the most magical musical experience when we saw Idan Raichel at Mishkan in Tel Aviv. Beyond doubt it is the most fantastic concert I have ever seen, with a 30 musician ensemble in absolute perfection! And what musical joy and celebration – the audience was ecstatic for three full hours!

Check out his unique world music mélange at
http://www.idanraichelproject.com/en and
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=101911432

The sound of spoken Hebrew really resonates in me with its beauty, it feels familiar somehow. Some words or names of places totally make sense to me when hearing the Hebrew pronunciation :) So I really want to make an effort to learn some while I am here.

Also belonging to my achievements during the first week is that I learned how to make tahina – oh what a favourite! And needless to say, the hoummus here is divine!

leaving on wings of light

dear friends,

tonight i again set to the sky, following the wind where it wants to take me... this time to israel, for an inner journey and a manifestation of the divine. please join me on my adventures!

lightwishes and love,
ieanah veronica