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..