Some pix from my time in Greece...

Kalo Pasca!

Now that I am living in Greece, I am entitled to two Easters- the Catholic ( in which I grew up) and the Orthodox ones. This year, they took place in two different times. This fact not only gave me more chocolate opportunities (which I enjoy), but also provided double auspicious invitations to reflect on rebirth and renewal.

I travelled all over Greece during this holiday, visiting dear friends, camping, swimming and eating beautiful and homemade food. During Easter, people here "fast", which means that they abstain from animal products for purification; a fact that made the homemade foods more accessible for both my husband and I, since he is vegan and I am a "vegetarian" who enjoys grilled octopus (:)

On Easter Sunday, we were in Athens. We went to a small church, right at the end of the mass, at mid night. At that time, a breeze of joy gently brushes everyone's faces, as they think of Jesus being ressurected. I felt as love was somehow being resurrected in people's hearts; even if it was just for those few seconds. Then, everyone lights up a candle from each others' flames.
That gesture is a reminder of the divine light that dwells within each one of us.


What I liked the most about the Orthodox Easter was, in fact, its synchronicity with the spring time. The spring has sublimely arrived in Greece. Over the years,the spring time has became my personal spiritual new year, since this is the season which resonates more with the renewal and celebration in me. Thus, I have declared to myself every spring- happy new year!

So, for you, I dearly wish, happy new year, happy love renewal, happy renewal of light!

Whirling with the Sufis

Sema. March, 2008, Istanbul, Turkey

Art as Flirtation and Surrender

In your light I learn how to love.

In your beauty, how to make poems.

You dance inside my chest,

where no one sees you,

but sometimes I do,

and that sight becomes this art.

-- Rumi

I just came back from Istanbul. There, I had the rare opportunity to witness a SEMA, a Sufi Whirling Ceremony. My heart resonated with the dancers and I could feel it whirling, whirling around its core... The dancers were accompanied by the chanters and the musicians playing the flutes, the drums and the ut.

As the dervishes (the dancers) enter the circle, their arms are crossed across their chests. In this position, they resemble oneness, signifying the Unity with God. And then, just as the moon and the planets revolve around their own axes and also around the sun, the dervishes revolve while circling the chamber. They open their arms slowly, like a flower opening its petals to receive the sun. The right hand is facing the sky, receiving from Father Sky, while the left palm is facing downwards, connecting with Mother Earth ( see picture above).

Dance has been utilized as a means to feel the Divine in many cultures. When living in India, I took Bharatanatyan classes (Indian Classical Dance) as a way to embody my devotional( bhakti) path deeper. Before returning home, I performed at the Yoga Institute, the dance to Lord Ganesha, in gratitude for my one year stay in India.
In dancing, you move towards communion with the Divine. You may dance with Ganesha, Allah, Christ... They all lead to the ONE feeling; that God is within.

DJ performing Bharathanatyam in 2003, Mumbai, India

During my time in Turkey, I experienced the orthodox service in beautiful Mosques. Many times during the day, men and women drop their work, to worship and congregate in the Islamic temple. God is everywhere. We just need to tune our hearts with the Divine to realize That. It is not an easy daily task, but it is There.

Wild-wild Crete

Namaste.

Crete has allowed me to gain perspective- internal and external.

I live in a small village named Somatas.We are talking small here- 20 houses. I haven't counted them, but it feels like 20 or less.

When taking a shower, I can see goats from the bathroom window. When washing the dishes, I can see the goats again and the ocean. A blue I cannot describe in English (in Greek, they have many different words for the color "blue" and I can see why). Bluer than Brazil. It must be the goats. From my office, when having deep debates with my computer while writing my thesis, I can see mountains outside, brushed with olive trees all over.

Distance from the big city has given me the chance to explore and find my pace back again. Ahhh...The joy of having a cup of fresh goat (there they are again) milk, welcoming the warmth of the sun on my skin, watching the steam going up and up in spirals.

To massage my feet with olive oil. To listen to the winter wind in the wild- wild Crete (I have to listen, it is mandatory in the village where I live). So, I simply do. To stop to listen to the wind.

To finally have time to enjoy my hatha yoga practice, to do poojas and ...yes, to not have to rush through my sadhana: twice a day. De-light.

Wild- wild Crete is quite powerful and its winter rains, thunders, rainbows and winds have brought me strength and clarity. They have brought me perspective.

Perhaps, for those of us who cannot take time away and engage in a cup of goat milk , the best means to regain perspective may be Upasana (or to sit close to the heart). To remember, to know. In the hope that one day that knowing will become so deep, that it will remain present and active even when being far from wild- wild Crete, or far from my meditation cushion.

From my meditation cushion, where I have my eyes closed, I can see the stars, the mountains, the ocean , the moon, the sun, the flowers and my people, my beautiful people. All at once. All one.

May all beings be free from anger and envy. May all beings be happy. Truly happy.

In-dia

I have always taken India as "la tierra de los espejos" ( the land of mirrors). Returning therein 2007 just confirmed it. You see yourself. It is a great and, at times, hard chance to "know thyself".

Right after moving to Greece (or basically finding a house and dropping my stuff there), I went to India for a new adventure. I was invited by Dr. Lad- an Ayurveda authority- to take an internship at his clinic in Pune, India. Dr. Lad runs The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM.

I feel Ayurveda came into my life as an important tool, which can beautifully be integrated with her sister science- Yoga . I know it is going to be of great help to my students. It was a once in a life time opportunity. I got to seat by Dr. Lad's side and observe his magic happening. Patients from all over India came in to have their lives changed. Dr. Lad gave them Ayurvedic treatments such as marma therapy, nasya and herbs, but, more than that, he gave them love and respect. Dr. Lad is a divine soul and I am very thankful to the universe for learning Ayurveda so closely from him. During my studies with him, we also discussed a great deal on how Ayurveda can support the healing in the mental health field, which is going to enrich my private practice.

Tomorrow, I am back home; now, Greece. My stay in India was a time of great growth, both professionally and personally. I learned deeper that home is where you are and that there should be no best friend than yourself. I learn that discipline is as important as laughing. I remembered how enjoyable can be the simple experience of bathing with buckets, in the absence of a shower.

I came during the time of Ganesh festival and I saw many Ganesh idols here- small, big and enormous, clay and golden ones. More than that, I felt Ganesh once again watching out for me. I didn't even had to go to the temples. I could give him a big kiss right on my left arm, where he was once tattooed in gratitude. And that kiss, leads me to the realization that when I kiss God, I am also kissing myself.

Here is an article published by the International Association of Yoga Therapists I wrote while I was visiting The Yoga Institute in Mumbai, visiting with my old friends from there: click here to read article

Namaste and welcome to DJ' s blog.

I will be posting some stories about my life in India, Greece, Brazil and wherever The Divine Mother takes me to.

In Greece, I will be working on the thesis I am writing for my master program at Lesley University (Cambridge, Ma), investigating Yoga Psychology applied to eating disorders.

In India, I will be studying with my teachers there. I am going to study Yoga and Clinical Ayurveda. Come along and ....all on board!