On 15 december of 2007 I took a nightbus to Antigua and the next day I continued all the way down to this little village at the beautifull lake of Atitlan, San Marcos! I had been here 4 years ago when I was still backpacking in Guatemala. At the time, in 2004, I had no idea that I was ever gonna live in Guatemala nor that I was going to come back to this place 4 years later.
My destination is a meditation center called las Piramides. 4 years ago I stayed here for a month and partook in a meditation course which is called `the Moon course` This course starts every full moon and completes the cycle!
Now, 4 years later, it was like this place was whispering in my ears to come back... Like a circle that was completed. Altough a circle on another level... More like a spiral... this time I was going to stay for 3 months in the so called `Sun Course`, a meditation course that runs from the solstice to the equinox. Every 3 months.
The founder and teacher of Las Piramides is Chatty. A Guatemalan woman who used to study psychology in Guatemala city and one night in an astral trip ( Excuse me... A WHAT? ) she received her mission to start this beautifull center at the side of the lake.
A little group sitting early in the morning at the beach. They are preparing for a class of water massage... The guy in the foreground `Sol` is the one who gives these courses. San Marcos is famous for its many courses being offered around the lake. Just to give some examples, around town are offered reiky, swedish massage, Indian head massage, foot reflexology, shiatzu and so many more classes. Also there are several places where one can attend morning yoga classes. This attracts like minded people from all around the world who are seeking Self growth...
This center of Las Piramides where I was going to stay now for the next months...
for the next 3 mooncycles this was to be my home and in the simplicity of nature I wanted to open myself to new horizons.
The lake is surrounded by 3 volcanos... Local fishermen go out fishing early in the morning... Here there is still place for the traditional simple life!
Outside of the Las Piramides kitchen. Someone put a white canvas up for people to express themselves. This was the result after several weeks... In these 3 months I witnessed the coming and going of dozens of beautifull creative artistic and interesting people!
In daily meditation practices and yoga exercises I learned to let go of my masks and peel of the inner layers of the subconsiousness and go deeper and deeper, day by day!
The majority of the course is spend in silence. In total I was in silence for 64 days. This silence is the biggest gift I had ever given myself. Running a hostel is often very hectic and busy and it was this time for reflection that I was looking for.
Silence is like going deep into your roots. Where life begins, or to the essence of life. Piercing through all the illussions of time. I never ever felt so alive and so real and peacefull in my life!
In this state you take time to see the magic and beauty of the smallest things.
This is Tom, one of the guys who took this journey with me!
Meditating early in the morning at the dock.
Tom, Marcus and me. The 3 of us that did this course for 3 months.
Loosing a lot of weight! Most of the time we followed a special diet, mostly soups, fruit and juices. This helps clean the body and helps to deepen the meditation and yoga practices.
Not speaking was quite easy for me. This fasting and diets were a real challenge for me however. I had never tried it and I noticed how strong the desires are for sweet stuff and fat... It was quite a lesson for me!
This is a little crab. The fishermen head out at 4.00 am and once they have enough they tie them up with leaves as you can see here!
This glyph is called the Tree of Life. It is a symbol which has its roots in the kaballah, a jewish tradition.
Tarot is another tool we learned in the course. I had no idea what this was about but deepening my studies it was amazing to me how helpfull working with these cards can be!
This is Marcus.. My Italian compadre and what an inspiring guy this is!
One of the biggest lessons I learned in these 3 months was that I had to open myself up to life and that life will open up to you!
Half way the course there was the so called wayeb, the last month of the mayan year of 5 days. This time is always used by the mayans to reflect on the last year and to anticipate for the next year to come. In these days the mayans always used to conduct extra ceremonies to express gratitude and to invoke help for the new year to come.
They still do it, because in San Marcos 4 mayan elders from 4 mayan tribes conducted 4 times a day a special ceremonie on top of the mountain...
I witnessed several of these ceremonies in silence and it was a very strong experience for me! Here I am meditating in silence with this mayan tata, as the call them!
They keep the fire going for the whole week!
One of these fishermen early in the morning!
Some of the others staying at Las Piramides
the half mexican, half english Tom...
This is the last day before I entered the 64 days of silence. I wanted to see if I would loose a lot of weight due to the fasting and diet!
Incredible... This guy, Travis, is sooo similar to Stijn, one of my best buddies in Holland!
This was my favourite place at the lake where I would just BE... I never felt so connected to nature.
The sun is shining through a banana leaf!
Early in the morning. I used to get up at 5:45 to take a swim in the calm lake.
In the background you see a cloud of smoke raising from the volcano Fuego, this volcano is still active and at night you can see the red lava flowing out of it!
Me taking my morning dive in the freezing cold water!
The lake!
This is the spot from which you can dive into the lake. It`s like a 10 meter jump!
Some friends doing yoga in the garden!
Tom preparing his fruit shake in the morning!
Me sitting at the beach!
This is the day we finished the course! The first time we talked after these 64 days! Very intense and quite difficult at first...
It was quite a jump for me, these 90 days! Like I said! Especially in the last part of the course I started seeing and feeling life around me with new eyes. It is difficult to explain this state but I don´t know if you have read a book called The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle. Well, it was nice reading that book but in the course I really started to BE in this state. A state wherein I was just completely BEING for longer periods of time but in reality in these moments time becomes completely meaningless.
At this moment you wonder why we are not always BEING like this becuase in truth it´s nothing supernatural, in contrary, it´s a completely natural state wherein I often felt myself unite with the nature around me, feeling really one with the lake, the animals and basically LIFE!
Only these states or revelations were worth all the hardships I had to pass through to get there, because in a moment like that your mind is soo sharp that in depth I realized that everything else besides the NOW is really an illussion. ¨Daaaaaahhhh, you might think, we all know that! .-) yes, but for me the real secret lies in the experience of it!
Returing back to speaking and back to the life where you suddenly deal with all others around you was difficult at first. It was intense and I really needed some days for a smooth landing! :-)
Now, one month later I look back at the most special days of my life so far!!
2 comments:
That's a really good first step in blogging! These pictures are amazing! Share some more, yogaman! You know that we have different points of view, but I like to read your thoughts about life and nature.
Stay in Peace. ONE LOVE!
Great read and pictures. I did the moon course 1.5 years and just saw a picture of Tom. What a great guy
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