I got away for the long weekend to play in nature with friends. Although my upper body still does not have the strength to pull myself up onto a surf board due to the accident 6 months ago I had fun body boarding on the Pacific waves. This morning I woke up early (5:20) feeling invigorated and recharged, I feel Spring in my body. I have an orientation today and next week start a year long film production program, I am feeling ready to push myself. Wish me luck.
Gunbare translated from Japanese means to persevere, to not give up. It was one of the first sayings I learned when I first went to Japan and it is evident that the Japanese need global support right now after these tumultuous events. I envision Japan whole heartedly re-embracing its nature loving Shinto roots while it recovers and rebuilds.
“…the discipline and strength of the survivors are inspiring the world.” – David Suzuki
Please support an evening of music at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on April 19th. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.ca/Ganbare-Japan-tickets/artist/1578058
100% of ticket sales will go to Japanese Red Cross.
Over twenty thousand people are confirmed or presumed dead, and half a million people are displaced.
As we welcome Spring I am coming up to my two month mark after completing Panchakarma treatment. After leaving Kerala, India, I returned home and for the next month remained low key as the effects from the Ayurvedic treatment settled in. I felt so much bliss in my body, the process is profound and really does kick start a process of rejuvenation and healing that carries on after the treatment is finished.
devotional destination
I continue to take the Ayurvedic supplements that were prescribed though I have slacked off on my yogic practice which included pranic energization techniques. After working hard while away I am not too concerned that I have allowed some downtime though I am hoping to resume my morning practice, I like feeling like I have super powers! I have been taking the time to do my one prescribed yoga pose, simhasana, at the very least. My friends note that I look rejuvenated, I am not surprised that the effects of this powerful transformation are visible. How I tick has changed too.
temple lights
I deeply feel a strong synchronicity in my life and nothing feels random these days. I conclude that the accident this past fall that pushed me to seek treatment in India was destined. Since my return my life has taken on a new course, I have been feeling a sense of fruition. The seeds that I had been planting the past three years at times felt like they would never germinate though they are now finally poking through the dark soil. Sometimes we need an extraordinary push to change our course or to move forward and accept the challenges that comes with the change. These challenges always have a hidden gem awaiting for us when we overcome them, I am enjoying recent revelations. I have so much optimism and passion when I allow myself to look forward, it brightens my present moment. Amongst the chaos I root into calm.
Again YouTube is keeping us connected as disaster strikes our tumultuous planet. When a natural disaster or major uprising surfaces we are all effected as we are hyper connected since the internet has made its way into our homes on so many devices, we carry it around with us in our pockets. Updates make it to us instantaneously.
I’m grieving too. I know that northern Japan will rise again, this nation’s ability to regenerate is unprecedented. The way the people co-exist with such harmony is truly impressive and has always filled me with inspiration. Japan has given me so much, right now all I can do is send love back. With such an intact collective mentality I can envision the entire nation suspended in disbelief yet being able to move forward supporting each other and finding order amidst the devastation.
I hope Japan takes on renewable energy with as much passion as they take on pretty much everything else they do and move away from nuclear energy. It is time, please learn from this.
Let’s find solutions that don’t include putting our health at risk.
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I fell in love with this song when I spent my first year in Japan, back in 1994.
For the first time I watched a feature film on my iPhone, fully embracing the convenient technology. It is a noteworthy project, the Zeitgeist Movement a documentary that is brilliantly leveraging the viral video phenomenon and also is ‘non-commercial’.
If you have ever wondered what the world would look like without money then it is worth checking out, it goes into detail on how a resource-based economy would impact the Earth. I think that it is healthy to envision the future of this planet through different lenses in different scenarios to our current socioeconomic model in which we work so hard to transcend. What I like about the ideas presented in this documentary is that they are discussed along with an understanding of human needs, the first section reveals our needs in utero and in the developmental years. It is grounded in a thorough understanding of one of the key components to the critical situation on this planet: PEOPLE.
It is a common thread in many of the documentaries I have watched in the past year; revolutions are a necessary component in world history, they bring about justice and allow us to move forward in our development in a healthier trajectory. In the west we have such a comfortable lifestyle and are bombarded with personal entertainment and consumerism that it does appear that the masses pour their energy into sustaining their lifestyle rather than look deeper for solutions to global concerns. We have become passive and complacent. Sustainability is such a poignant issue it seems alarming that the revolution has been so ineffective. It seems we are all going green though global emissions are still on the rise.
Check out this documentary that has almost 4 million views in just over a month and let me know what you think.
It has been 18 days since I completed my 28 day course of Panchakarma. I have since returned to my home in Vancouver after a little adventure in Mumbai and have been laying low and getting lots of rest while catching up with my friends and family. Admittedly I had been feeling somewhat reclusive and in need of a lot of rest, I didn’t get this response after my first round of treatment in 2008 and it caught me off guard. As I immersed within this integration period I am feeling a sweet synchronicity and am reintegrating my crazy work schedule with a new focus. There are some exciting projects on the horizon that I look forward to sharing with you. In the meantime, I interviewed the Chief Dr. at the Ayurvedic hospital that I stayed at so if you are wanting to know more about authentic Ayurvedic treatment and what the process can be like please check this video out.
I feel a deep rooted calmness within and ready to tackle certain obstacles that I never had the guts to. There are certain facets of my being that have died, thank God, though my trajectory continues with an accelerating speed with new clarity. As I fought past my physical and emotional limitations in India I can’t begin to describe how inspired I was to hear of the events that unfolded in Egypt and now other nations around the globe. I am hoping that this trend continues and that people living under oppression join together and insist upon living in justice and peace. I adore this video by Bjork and find it fitting and it’s directed by one of my favorites, Michael Gondry.
I am sitting on the veranda at 5 AM in the darkness, listening to the early morning activities, the crickets, and the distant call to prayers. It seems like only yesterday that I arrived in India though I have concurrently felt for most of my duration here timeless states of deep connection with myself and my surroundings with a feeling of heightened synchronicity. It was a chain of coinciding events that brought me to India after all.
Today is my final day of Ayurvedic treatment, yesterday I started to phase out my treatments so that today I have only one, like on the day I started. Some days I had as many as 4 and the treatments sometimes were very deep and intense or sometimes very gentle and soothing. During the past 28 days I have felt every possible emotion and ultimately have returned to a place of deep inner peace.
This was my second course of panchakarma. In 2008 I had 21 days of treatment at the same location here in Kerala. I was having trouble sleeping and got to the point where I had gone 6 months with just a few hours of sleep a night. I left feeling completely restored and have not had sleeping problems since. Because I traveled to India alone this time I had more time to rest and dive off the deep end which resulted in a much deeper experience and profound results. After the half way point my treatments changed to incorporate the internal cleansing techniques which clean the micro-cavities of the body and bring the doshas into balance. I found myself falling into deep sleep after these treatments during the day and also had deep sleeps during the night as well. I find that when I undergo panchakarma my dreams are very vivid and insightful, my subconscious has the space to merge with my consciousness.
This was a precious opportunity for which I am feeling extremely grateful for. Twice my body has been in crisis and twice I have come to India and found solace and healing. India and I have developed a beautiful love affair that is beyond words. It is the opposite of Canada in that it is ancient and chaotic although there are many systems in place to provide order to the peoples lives. The lack of infrastructure are shocking for people who come for the first time though there is an opportunity to find balance in coming to an environment that is so different that the clean and organized societies we call home in the West. I think that what I feel most inspired from by coming to India is beyond the surface. I feel an ability to tap into the rich spiritual energy that has been cultivated for thousands of years. I am moved deeply by the devotion that is prevalent in this society. Every morning you are woken by a call to prayer from the temples and mosques. People have made prayer an integral part of their day with temples being the focal point of all towns, villages and even big cities. Art forms such as music and dance are another method of worshiping the divine. If find that in India there is a collective mentality of honoring the sacred and spirituality, in whatever form. India is a vast country with many different flavors and the flavors I have experienced have helped me to create the space to open my heart like never before.
Without trying sounding too cliche when we undergo suffering from circumstances in our lives that are beyond our control we can control how we respond to them. I really was in a state of shock for a long time though I had a feeling that came from deep within that told me, ultimately, everything would be ok. I have since felt a synchronicity of circumstances that have brought me around the world to come into contact with people that I needed to see in order to progress on my healing and spiritual path in an environment conducive to magical awakenings. Some of the insights I had during the two months before I embarked on this journey are being fortified here, and I am excited to say that my river is slightly changing course, this is going to be a very exciting year for me.
A few days a go one of my truly amazing girlfriends Navaro sent me an email with research from Stanford that highlights the importance of having girlfriends in your life. I have been so fortunate to have met some amazing women during the past 5 weeks that I formed sweet connections with. I am certain that this has enhanced my experiences. I am feeling lighter and calmer than I can ever recall. They say that the true benefits from panchakarma are not felt right away, that for the next 28 days I should take it easy and continue my supplements and maintain a restricted diet. This period is almost as important as the treatment period and the true benefits of treatment are felt after this time, I am welcoming this integration period and have luggage filled with Ayurvedic herbs to take when I return home.
With a deep gratitude for my friends and family who are helping me hold down the fort while I am in India and for the good fortune to have undergone this magical process I am preparing to leave Kerala. India has proven to be a place where I can come when I am feeling extreme discomfort in my body and experience profound transformation. Keep on the look out for some video footage I have captured of the beauty and magic of this pocket of the planet, I hope to share that here soon.
