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segunda-feira, 31 de julho de 2017

The Power of Conscious Choice . Mother India's Magic Epilogue Part I

31st July 2017

Epilogue - Part I


About The Graceful Power of Conscious Choice


It has been a little over 2 months since I’ve been back and started this series, which I now intend to turn into a free e-book that has gained shape and dimension on its own, much like it has been writing itself through my hands.

My initial intention was to share the whole experience as I lived it through the power of conscious choice, to refer as many of the deeply inspiring people - women and men - and moments I encoutered on this journey of self discovery and to explore the far reaching consequences of a single event – yet only a very small glimpse of these consequences as I perceive them for myself and for those I had the privilege of interacting with.

In the same way that one cannot encompass or comprehend the grander purposes of our divine nature, being left with the choice to either trust and surrender to it or not – so it is that we cannot envision the whole expanse of this massive project called Women Economic Forum and All LadiesLeague. One can feel the purity of it and wonder whether there is any hidden intent behind it all, other than create meaningful bonds of sisterhood across the globe which connect women and men, reuniting feminine and masculine from within, like only the sweetly compassionate Feminine energy born from expanded consciousness can do.

 And there is no other purpose, no other intent, no hidden agenda. This is, for me, what makes this project so special and far-reaching. It excludes no one, praises freedom of expression in all forms, respects all nations, creeds and purposes just as long as ALL are equally respectful of ALL.

I once again take this opportunity to thank Dr Harbeen Arora for having founded such an organisation and believed that it could be done. As I shared with her a few days ago, only a woman from India could have created something like this. She responds by saying that it is the fruit of her upbringing, her guru’s teachings, of all that crossed her path up until this moment and adds that we all have a part of India coursing in our veins… and I feel it. Deeply. Gratefully.



Here is one of Rumi’s poems, that illustrates the Spirit of India – the Consciousness of Unitiy:

One Song


Every war and every conflict between human beings
has happened because of some disagreement about names.

It is such an unnecessary foolishness,
because just beyond the arguing
there is a long table of companionship
set and waiting for us to sit down.

What is praised is one, so the praise is one too,
many jugs being poured into a huge basin.
All religions, all this singing, one song.
The differences are just illusion and vanity.
Sunlight looks a little different on this wall
than it does on that wall
and a lot different on this other one,
but it is still one light.

We have borrowed these clothes,
these time-and-space personalities,
from a light, and when we praise,
we are pouring them back in.





After coming back much has happened and much has changed. I find myself completely focused on following my true passion: writing and coaching, ready to bid farewell to English teaching in the course of the next year and to embark on a new journey I have not yet fully explored and which does not have an outcome in itself, but is rather an open field of expansive potentials manifesting one breath at a time. I am ready to explore new ways of communicating and relating and as open as ever to just BEing, be it whatever it Is Now.

I have received Masingita Masunga who brough along her friend Thobeka for a short visit to Portugal which resulted in a powerful speech at the school I work for – Linda’s School and also in Thobeka’s interest in the house I have for sale – she is actually raising the funds to buy it! What an improbable thing, someone from South Africa coming all the way to Portugal and finding a place that fulfills her dreams. It is especially amazing because I myself was born in Zimbabwe. So let’s wait and see how it unfolds. They will be back In September with a committee representing South Africa at the Annual Tourism Fair in Lisbon. They felt so at home it seemed to them like Portugal is to be their second home for sure and I was very happy to have them here too. Thank you Masingita and Thobeka.


Jeanette Falotico also paid me a visit and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon together, sharing our experience in India and even recording an interview which Jeanette will share in due course. Thank you dear Jeanette, Sister at heart.


Sara Avedaño from Barcelona has come over for my InPassion Masters Workshop. I did not meet her in India but she came as a consequence of India because it was there that Lynn Hope Thomas intended to introduce us, which only happend afterwards via facebook. The wonders of technology! She happens to have just launched her second book of Poems called Breathe/Respira J I am very thankful for her in my life too - once again a Soul Sister encounter <3



Ula Collins is a friend for life as well as Anu Krishna and Carla Horta and I have had meetings online with Sindu Shreebavan and Claire Lyell creating productive synergies both ways. I have kept in touch with Michelle Araujo, Lynn Hope Thomas, Cheryl Collins, GG (Govind Gopal the Tour Guide), Sue Curr and so many others. I am on Anna Aberg’s Extended Freedom Academy to learn how to implement my online business creating passive income as well as other streams of revenue derived from my Passion. She in turn has referred me to other clients of hers. I have kept in touch with Luiza Palma as well, who is organizing WEF Portugal 2017, Sameer Somal, Phionah Musumba, Iman Kamel, Mahiema Anand, Shubham Dixit, Suman Shrivastav and still there are many others I intend to keep in touch with. 

I must share with you this comic situation where Ula decided to spend some time reading the book she had bought from me and that brought us together in the first place - Are you a Professional Worrier? Well she started reading but the lights seemed too bright so she just put on her hat and her sunglasses and made it just right for her :) We had a good laugh at this funny but effective solution. Once again a simple choice, between stopping reading because the light was not ok or choosing to read and thus finding a creative solution. Thanks for sharing Ula.



A few days ago Bharti Jain contacted me. I am very honoured to have received her contact and invitation to cooperate with her in her lovely project called Live Too. She was at my very short 3 minute speech (starts at 10 minutes and 15 seconds) on the last day of WEF, when I received my award and felt so inspired by it that she decided to contact me. Just goes to show that we don’t need much time to deeply connect with each other. Thank you Bharti. She has created the first free conslulting website, where she proposes to offer as many people as possible professional help and guidance with their issues at all sorts of levels. She has a passion for writing and a heart the size of an infinite ocean. I take my hat off to you Bharti, for the courage and determination to go ahead and materialise your outrageous dream. May its wings fly across all horizons. If you are interested in cooperating with Bharti please do contact her. 



Ambika Thakur, Michelle Araujo and Bharti Jain at WEF New Delhi



Bharti Jain

There are, in facts, no limits to what becomes possible when we allow life to cuddle its waves on our shore.

As to the way I see the world, I might convey the message that it is all a sea of roses and my glasses are bright pink, but I can assure you that much on the contrary I am completely aware that there are all flavours of black and grey as well as every other shade of unimaginable colours. What I am grateful to have realised is that it is not about the types of experiences that are possible here on Earth, which are a multitude even beyond the 8 billion people that walk its expanse together with all of the other zillions of life forms. It is about how each one of us interacts with this hypnotic soup, being able to observe, choose, perceive and attract rather than being sucked into the gravity of mass consciousness. It is perception itself that shapes each and every single reality – that makes it real, so to speak and we are entitled to our own and unique set of perceptions… or can just as easily be gobbled into everyone else’s beliefs about possible and impossible.


All energy seeks resolution and life is a constant and incessant flow – nothing stays stuck in the same mode forever. The one treasure that can destroy and recreate reality by directing energy wherever attention is placed is consciousness. This is why being just a Human – the Small Human Self – will bring about a completely different awareness and therefore completely different results from the ones possible by merging Human and Divine, right here, right now, in this same body, on this same Earth, observing through the compassionate lens of the God Essence within each and every Human Being’s core.




I have come to realise some time ago that only by surrendering completely to the guidance of my Essence, could I find the fulfilment I kept on seeking everywhere, could I fill the emptiness that no one ever managed to do for me, could I see beyond the multitude of illusions I created, saw and believed in – this is a daily exercise of clarity, surrendering the Ego’s wills and desires to the no-thing-ness of the Divine Wisdom that dwells in the Silent Sweetness of all that IS.

I do not need an agenda, goals to fulfil or thresholds to achieve. I can, however, dance through life, Present one step at a time, accepting my divinity’s invitations and discovering a whole new range of potentials, a whole new freedom, love, balance and joy. I can create today, let go and recreate because I know that it is not the things I seem to own, or the job I seem to have, or the money I seem to earn, or the projects I seem to create – it is none of this that defines me or that makes me happy. I have found the happiness I used to seek in all of these things already, sparkling and bubbling from within me, overflowing with each breath with each grateful heartbeat, so I can play the game of creation with ease, trust and simplicity. Anyone can, by letting go of the war inside, enjoying the silence and its whispering wisdom more and more.

I will share a few tangible examples of the fact that it is not what happens that determines our joy and gratitude, but the way we choose to perceive and experience it – either cooperating with or fighting against the gifts life bestows upon us, be they evident or in disguise. 



To be continueed...

quinta-feira, 27 de julho de 2017

The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 15

Day 13 - 19th May 2017


Back Home


Everything is smooth and simple on my journey back home and today is a very special day. 

We are having our Art in Motion Finds a Voice fundraising concert today, in Tomar and in Abrantes and for the past two weeks the teenage organizing committees have resolved all issues themselves. I am so proud and happy for them! We have so far managed to accomplish all of the aims of this concert, one of them being sustainability. There have been sponsors for all expenses and we have made sure that there is no waste. These kids are amazing when  given a chance to shine.

As soon as I arrive in Tomar I go directly to the general rehearsal and may I tell you it is a mess! The sound technicians are still connecting cables which should have been ready over an hour ago so the bands and solo artists are faffing around on stage not doing much. They are taking ages to start rehearsing and ages getting off stage. It is a complete shambles. And you know what? Nothing bothers me! I don’t feel the slightest tinge of worry or anxiety, not one single moment of doubt that when the real stuff comes they will all get their wits together and perform like veteran stars.






India has soaked into me so deep that my heart is an immense pool of peace. This is Who I Am.

9.30 pm. A crowd of people is standing outside waiting to come in. The rehearsal has to end now. 

“Everyone off stage” call the technicians and soon enough people start pouring in. In no time the whole theatre is full and there are still people outside wanting to come in. Our tickets sold out yesterday evening and there have been people calling all day to reserve tickets, but there are no more. 

People in Portugal tend to leave things for the last possible minutes and then regret having done so.  We manage to find a few extra places anyhow.

We start 15 minutes late – but as soon as we start a special atmosphere is created. The first band goes on stage - Extempore - and totally blasts it! The public are ecstatic, the performance is awesome and the tone is set for a fabuous show.




I can honestly say that it is one of the best live shows I have ever been to and this one is moved on raw talent. No special light effects or fancy smoke screens, no laser or video, nothing but the young artists’ absolute talent.






 My heart is so fulfilled and I feel such boundless joy. The public is mesmerized. No one expected something so good. The sound technicians had been very skeptical about the whole thing, not really believing that these kids would manage to pull the gig off the ground. But they did, and with flying colours.







Some solo performers are on stage for the first time and one of the bands are actually performing together as a band for the first time too. It happens to turn out to be one of the best bands in concert and is an improbable combination of friends who got together to perform at this Event. As they are sitting, waiting for their turn, they decide to form a band instead of being just a bunch of talents who joined each other for only this occasion, and call it “Paz na Terra” – Peace on Earth.

They later on decide to call the band Full House -as a consequence of a lucky Poker game. They are now booked for a load of performances during summer, mainly at summer festivals as a consequence of their brilliant performance. After the concert I was asked several times who these kids were and how they could be contacted! I take my hat off to all of them. Thank you for gracing me with your exquisite art.



This event has taught me so much! Once again it is living proof that the seemingly impossible does become possible when we believe and stick to our heart's choice.

The big challenges I placed before myself with the coordination of this Event have been:

Trust – knowing that it cannot but flow because that is my choice with all things in my life and this is no exception. Even though it involves others, I have made my choice for me so energy and consciousness adjust to conscious choice.

Delegating – knowing how to do things but handing them over to a bunch of teenagers for the purpose of their ongoing education, letting them discover through trial and error and avoiding to fix things as much as possible is not an easy task for an adult, but I managed to do just that and even took off during the last two weeks prior to the event! Of course when I left I had taken care of the things I needed to so I knew they could handle the rest perfectly well. I left in complete trust. My main function throughout the whole process was to inspire, to encourage them never to give up, to teach them how to trust in their capacities, to steer their rudder towards the final aim not giving all of the answers but rather asking the right questions, to help them learn how to delegate and how to assume responsibilites from beginning to end, helping them lead and cooperate, negotiate and decide, solve issues with simplicity and never ever doubt it would all fall into place.

Letting go of the need to control – when one chooses the path of surrender to Essence, one thing that is required is letting go of the need to control so it is no news for me. There is a difference between not controlling and doing what needs to be done. To not control does not imply to not do, it just means focusing on the main aim and following our inner rudder, taking care of each situation at a time. Knowing that each and every one has the same wisdom inside and helping everyone work in synch with their inner flow - this is letting go of the need to control.

Several times during the show tears of awe fill my eyes, a bubbling joy that cannot be described, only felt in the deep love that I Am. I could not have asked for a better ending to my magical experience in India and somehow having had such a special time there added exponentially to this concert as well so not being here for the last two weeks, rather than being a miscalculated absence, was a precious addition to the whole picture.

The show goes on until almost 2 am and it's like no one wants to go home! The backstage atmosphere is strong and supportive, happy, caring and friendly and everyone on this show - around 50 artists - is bound by that invisible stream of belonging that makes human relationships all the more meaningful. 

We are all overflowing with gratitude! We have managed to raise 1600€ for Getrude Matshe's Africa Alive Education Foundation and 404€ for CIRE (Integration and Rehabilitation Centre for People with mental and physical disabilities) and for CAT (the temporary shelter home for orphan children and children removed from disfunctional families). Also in Abrates two Associations of the same nature get a donation of a similar amount and the concert there is also a success.


Time to go home while staying home always :) When we are Present we are Home, no matter where we are.

You can watch part of the Concert by clicking here.






Here is a blog post about the concert and the Art in Motion Project.

Thank you all! 

quarta-feira, 26 de julho de 2017

The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 14 - Part II

Day 12 - 18th May 2017  


 Last impressions


... Continued.


After a while we go downstairs to the first supermarket I have come across! I was beginning to wonder whether there were any supermarkets here. I can finally get my masala tea to bring back home.

When we come upstairs again Mahiema gifts me a beautiful brown and green silk sari, not the flashy kind, but rather a very earthy flowing one. She puts it on me so I can learn how to do it. I film the process so that I can practice at home because I do intend to wear it. It looks so beautiful on me! It's as if I am clad in the Earth's gown itself. I not only feel like a queen but it feels like I've worn this kind of attire all my life. 

Remember I had decided not to buy a flashy Sari for my award ceremony because I didn't feel I would wear it after this occasion? Well the fact is that had I bought one of those sparkling Saris, which were so beautiful but rather too flashy for me to wear at any other occasion, I would surely not wear it. On the other hand, had I come across a Sari like this one that Mahiema is gifting me, I would probably not have looked at it twice because it is so discreet and at first glance the colours are not my favourite, not what I would look at. Nevertheless this one has found me instead of the opposite. 

Might I also mention that it is unique, there are not two of these because the fabric is hand painted and not repeated. Again: I am blessed. I will not only wear it, I will wear it with gratitude and honour. Thank you my dear Soul Sister Mahiema, thank you for such a special gift.






Iman receives one too and we all celebrate the occasion is joyful sisterhood.

You know the funny thing is I could have called Mahiema and not come to meet her as previously arranged, going with Ula to the Ibis instead, considering it is right next to the airport and I could have rested there until the time of my flight. But it never even crossed my mind to do so. The simple fact that she so lovingly offered to receive both Iman and I at her house so that we could visit an Indian household and have a proper homemade Indian meal before departing home was a priviledge to be accepted and honoured.

I was telling Iman and Mahiema how somehow I have this gift of bringing up people's dark side so that they can accept it, acknowledge it, thank it and bring it back home, dissolving it into the complete silence of Isness, which is generally called the Light and Mahiema asked me how I did this.

I told her I don't do it, it just happens. I touch the emptiness with my fulfilment, the dissatisfaction with my permanent gratitude, the lack with my abundance, the seeker with my Presence. Possibly because I have done it with my own darkest hidden fears, pains, griefs... these parts that are anxious to finally disappear, dropping the burden "they" have been carrying for us until the moment we are ready to bring them out of their hiding places in the subconscious and unconscious mind, "feel" an opportunity for resolution in my presence.

It is not easy to explain this in words but surely enough during dinner one of the ladies present mentions a terrible experience she had many years ago when visiting India and I refer that it was not India in itself that was to blame for that experience. In fact no one is to blame, because we attract the people, places and resources that mirror our state of consciousness at any given moment and are given the opportunity for resolution if we are willing to let go of the pain and rejection associated to an experience and ready to embrace the precious wisdom it is holding for us. Anyhow, this lady is not ready to look at that experience in this perspective, not willing to admit that it had a purpose in her life and that she can now accept it in gratitude unlocking whatever wisdom it is holding for her to receieve. And that's fine. We cannot expect to be at peace with our lives, to enjoy health and a joyful approach to life's experiences and opportunities if we are not willing to embrace the past pains and hurts we are keeping hostage for lack of love. One thing to be aware of is that once we decide to allow our hearts to open we will have to deal with the pain inasmuch as we are open to expanding the love that is and always has been available to us. Beyond the world of illusion there are not the good and the bad feelings, it is a whole, a complete bundle where by allowing ourselves to let go of our attachment to fear of pain we open the door to an absolutely new world of immense, unlimited love.

It is a blessed evening together and I hold it in my heart with gratitude.

When the time comes for me to be taken to the airport Mahiema calls a Uber taxi and keeps track of my journey, calling the taxi driver as he drops me off at the airport. Such a safe, fluid journey. I thank the taxi driver, Iman and Mahiema for the whole experience.

Throughout my journey people have repeatedly questioned me where my luggage is. I am travelling with a regular sized back pack, my handbag and now the extra pink bag Carla gave me, where I am carrying all of the gifts I have received and a few things I purchased here. Somehow people find it hard to believe that I am travelling with so little. Iman says that even her hand luggage is more than my entire luggage. I always reply that I am the one who carries my stuff so I would much rather travel light, not having luggage stop me from going anywhere or doing anything I want to. Also our outer luggage is a direct reflection of our inner luggage and the freer I feel, the lighter I travel. Even with so little I have still managed to bring along a few clothes I did not wear, so next time I'll be even more selective.

When I get to Frankfurt I have to go through passport control because I am entering the European Union again and though it is commonly believed that Germans are cold and unfriendly I am invited to step forward and go through the diplomats' gate by the nicest, most joyful passport control agent I have ever come across. It is so nice to be received by a joyful and welcoming smile! Thank you. 

The security officers at the hand luggage control line I go through are equally calm and happy, which cannot be said of the ones right beside them. The gentleman who cross checks my baggage because I had a flask of spray I had forgotten to put in the liquids bags cannot hold back a smile when he sees the spray: PeeSafe - a spray they were launching and offering at the conference which is used to disinfect toilets as well as to remove foul odours. I apologise for not having put it in the right place but the truth is I thought I had lost it somewhere. The gentleman politely replies "this is my job, there is no problem at all". On the counter beside us the officer is being quite harsh with a lady who has some liquid items that do not qualify to pass through because of their size. 

All I would like to share with everyone reading this is "choose how you want your day to serve you, how you want to use your energy, where you want to place your attention, what kind of vibration you want to share with the world". Notice that whenever you are faced with situations that make you nervous or angry and allow yourself to go that way, you are wasting precious energy that you could be using to create a calm and balanced reality instead and be aware that this choice does not only influence and serve you, but it ultimately serves us all. It does not only serve you and the ones who interact with you. At a deeper level it creates a path for love and peace to be experienced because you have opened that possibility and set a template that can be replicated. It is like when an explorer goes into a previously virgin forest no one has tread before and this explorer opens a safe passage way for him/herself and others who eventually stumble across this path. 


terça-feira, 25 de julho de 2017

The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 14 - Part I

Day 12 - 18th May 2017 


Last impressions


It is amazing how we can adjust our sleep patterns to fit any situation when we release our belief systems about our sleep requirements. Got up at 4.50 am, a few minutes before the alarm, which I never need because even in these situations when I switch it on I always precede it. And no matter what time I decide to get up or in this case have to get up I am wide awake and ready for the day. 

Sleep patterns are in fact very different the world over so just like anything else we can shape them to fit each occasion by simply choosing.

I have no idea whether people in India are usually late or on time because my experience has been one of punctuality, be it with the plane, the train, the undrground or the car. The chauffer has actually picked us up before time. We thank him and ask for his card. He took excellent care of us so if you decide to hire him in Jaipur here is his contact: 009351137520. He has written his name on the card but try as I might I cannot bring myself to understand what he wrote. He works for Rajasthan Tours, a partner on Travel Pals India. 

On our way to the station this morning the shops were mostly closed, of course, it was 6 in the morning. Nevertheless a few places were already cooking breakfast. And many people were already commuting. There is always someone going somewhere whilst others are lying anywhere and everywhere, be it sidewalks, carts shop entrances and even directly on the road! People here sit on the floor anywhere and also lie on the floor at any time so for instance at the station there are numerous people lying on the ground taking a nap and it is so natural and organic for them, and for me. 

Travelling in complete acceptance of the local culture and customs is absolutely liberating. There is a kind of peace here that is uncommon in Europe. So far I have seen no one arguing, which is a wonder in this seemingly chaotic traffic. But then again, it is not chaotic, it is organic. Still have not come across an accident either. People do not complain about their lot and even the beggars who somehow try to put on a pitiful face cannot keep it up for long.

With so much space and fertile lands in the country I asked why people would want to crop up into town by the millions, living in degraded conditions and barely managing to scrape by. The reason apparently is the same the world over: seeking for a better life, dreaming about what the Western world promises with its well devised marketing system.

I asked why there are so many unfinished houses, mostly in the cities. Again the reason is obvious: when they start building people think they will have enough for something which they then come to the realization that they cannot conclude. Food doesn't seem to be lacking though.

With so many arts and crafts and so many craftsmen and women and more than enough raw materials, India is a budding country and anyone with a mind for business can easily prosper here or by importing from India, though prices have definitely gone up and it is no longer the cheapest destination where one can buy anything for a bargain. Indian people are smartening up and are very satisfied with their current government who has done much to improve life conditions.

As anywhere, there are many issues but also as anywhere it is our choice to focus on what's not working, or to focus on what is and replicate it so that what works can nurture the whole.

The young man who had picked us up on the train platform once again takes us to the right place for the train to Delhi and we wait for it to arrive. Ula and I are not in the same carriage, which is a great thing because it is one more chance for Ula to trust being alone and feeling safe with the people around her. 

It is a sleeper train so people are just getting up, brushing their teeth and getting ready for the day. I happen to be seated with a lovely family, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. They are from Gujarat and at about 8 am decide to have breakfast. Some delicious papads I don't know the name for, with pickled mango and lime filled with something I cannot identify either. They insist that I try and I eventually surrender. Hummm... and then some baked mouth freshner - a mix of fennel and other seeds. 





They are going to visit Ashkardam in New Delhi. I've already been there, managed to precede them :) It is an impressive labour of love. It is school holiday time here so they are on vacation.


After a while they give me some seeds, another mouth freshner. Looks like coffee and tastes... not sure what it tastes like but is's a good chewy entertainment. Ah and at the age of 44 I have finally learnt how to eat mango!!! Here they bite off the peel at the top and suck it! Makes sense and gets rid of the need for a knife to peel. It's like drinking mango juice directly from the fruit itself. 

The most beautiful little girl named Khushi, which means happiness, has just made friends with me:) This family is indeed joyous and a blessing to be with. Five females - one little 9 year old, two young ladies, one of them is a biochemistry doctor and two older ladies, mother and aunt and none of them seem to lack self-confidence or to be ill treated or abused as women. 

I ask the biochemistry doctor - Dr Bherviker, if she likes her job and she answers "60% yes, the other 40% I accept and am content with, but do not really like". Fair deal. At least she likes over 50% of what she does which is more than most people can say. She asks whether my health is good, because many times people who come from the West get sick. I tell her yes, my health is great. She asks whether I've taken any medication or vaccination to come here, just out of curiosity. I answer no, I don't need those things and don't believe in those needs. I explain to her that I believe that health balance comes from within us, if we are aligned inside of ourselves our health is fine. It is once again a question of choice.

 She also believes that health depends on our emotional and mental well being. I ask whether people in India go to the doctor much or take medication. She says that they don't, only in old age and only for certain conditions that they cannot treat otherwise. She says that people are practising more and more yoga and meditation and that people where she lives are very happy. What a blessing to be here with them.

This train is a three tier air conditioned sleeper and many people are on a 12 hour journey. The family I am sitting with are coming all the way from Gujarat, which is further west than Jaipur and are going to the Akshardam temple, the one I was at on my first Sunday in India. Apparently for worshippers there are sleeping quarters which is where this family will then stay.

We arrive safely in New Delhi and everyone goes their own way. Ula is headed to the Ibis hotel in Aerocity and I am headed to sweet Mahiema's house in the area of Gurgaon, on the outskirts of New Delhi's central hub. Since Ula was not travelling in the same carriage as meso  we had different experiences, which is completely appropriate. She emerges from the train accompanied by a young man whom she introduces as her saviour. A far cry from the previous feeling of overwhelm with masculine presence and an ongoing example of her choice to rather let the masculine kindly take care of her. He is going to call the Uber taxi for her because she is carrying way too much luggage to travel on the underground. We hug tightly, our hearts tingle in the special way I've mentioned before, when two souls connect in recognition of each other and we bid farewell. I am so happy to be sure that Ula will arrive safely at her destination.

I have to take a tuc to the metro station, change lines once and then take a tuc from the arrival metro station to her residential compound. It all proceeds with no delays but takes me 2 hours to get to her place. Big cities are the same everywhere, though this one is quite a bit more crowded than any European city. The underground always seems to be going through rush hour!

Since I had not tried the all women's last carriage, I decide to try it out. Amazingly enough the atmosphere actually feels safer and more comfortable in the mixed carriage, believe it or not! So when I change for the yellow line I go into a regular carriage. I will be travelling all the way to the end of the line. After a few stations a kind gentleman standing in front of me keeps a seat that has just vacated and instead of sitting himself he offers it to me. I most gratefully accept because by now my backpack is becoming a tad heavy.


At the metro station a hoard of tuc driver tries to entice me to their tuc to take me where I am going, they all charge 50 rupees for this distance and I naturally let myself follow a youngman whom I feel to be competent. Surely enough his tuc is parked on the outer rim, so it is ready to go. It is clean and this young man happens to be the fastest one I've come cross, super confident and... he hardly hoots! As I've said before, everyone constantly hoots here, not angrily but just to make their presence noticed. The drivers here seem to have developed a sort of sixth sense that keeps them out of trouble. I can't figure how they do it but even when bikes, cars and tucs materialize out of nowhere they manage to steer clear.

When I arrive at Mahiema's place she is not at home but her maid opens the door. It is past 3 pm and everyone was worried about me because they thought I was arriving at the train station at 10.30 am. Mahiema had not understood that my train was only due at 12.30 and it arrived half an hour late. 

Lunch is waiting for me on the already set table, together with a glass of replenishing fresh water. I am humbled and blessed. I know I keep on saying this but I can't find anothr way of expressing my deep gratitude to All That Is, appreciating the silent dance that weaves people and situations together to form the reality I am choosing and allowing.

After lunch I sit comfortably on the sofa in the living room, waiting and resting. On the small table in front of me there is the leaflet: Care & Share - You Can Change a Child's Life, we will show you how. Here is the website: www.careshareindia.org. This is an international NGO based in the city of Vijayawada, in the southern Indian state if Andhra Pradesh. It is a person-to-person sponsorship program that benefits over 6500 children living in the city's slums and nearby villages. It serves street children, slum dwellers, sex workers and those displaced in the wake of natural disasters in many ways. They have built a 27 acre campus for street boys and girls called Daddy's Home, where they have living units and a school and farm. They are also also fundraising to contiune developing Buttelfly Hill, a new village that now houses already 325 children and also comprises schools. I am fascinated by the dimension of this project and share it here with you as well. May these children find their ways on this multidimensional planet where everything is possible.



After a while Mahiema and Iman arrive. They have been to a dressmaker/designer who is making Iman's wedding dress and which will be ready tomorrow for her to take with her. People here work round the clock if necessary in order to satisfy orders and keep business flowing.

I tell Mahiema that since I have chosen to completely eliminate drama from life she needn't worry about me. I am always perfectly safe, even when I arrive later than predicted :)

It may seem strange to say this so confidently, as if I can somehow control everything that happens but that is not what I mean and am illustrating here. The fact is that when we resolve our inner wars, releasing the seduction of drama and start consciously choosing our lives into shape, allowing ease, grace and simplicity to flow freely, this is what really happens. However it takes time to come to this state because the seductive compulsion for drama says "life will be so boring without at least a touch of drama". I can vouch for the contrary. The same passion used to produce entertaining dramatic situations can be steered towards living a purely magical life, in the sense that love, joy, creativity, meaningfulness, fulfilment, grace, gratitude and wonder can be much more intense and productive than drama ever was and I can guarantee that there is no lack of entertainment. The latter is however geared towards a greater good, connecting our lifestream to all lifestreams that are in synch with a purposeful wholeness that needs not have a specific aim other than just Being a shining example of harmonious balance. In the few days Ula and I were together and we shared experiences, Ula kept on saying "if you managed to overcome this I am now certain that I can too, and this is what I want for me. I am so grateful to have met you and to see that it is possible to live the way you do. I definitely am going to be calm and confident like you". I, in turn am deeply thankful for the trust, for the special bond, for the joy and wisdom we have shared these few days.

Iman and I were about to travel together but she wanted me to go with her to the mountains because she can't stand the heat, whereas I had chosen to go to Agra and Jaipur. We both went our own ways and she absolutely loved her experience and I absolutely loved mine. So much for respecting our own choices, and it was just perfect for both of us.

To be continued...

sexta-feira, 21 de julho de 2017

The Power of Conscious Choice - Mother India's Magic 13

Day 11 - 17th May 2017 


People, Places, Feelings


What's been special about today are the connections, the invisible threads that form reality.

We started the day with a visit to the Birla Temple, a beautiful Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan) the preserver and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Once again the Peace, the Respect, the Depth of Isness. It is a huge white marble construction, intricately sculpted and decorated with multicoloured stained glass windows, a place of silence where one can enter only barefoot. Thank you.






After Birla Temple we were taken to the largest observatorium in India - Jantar Mantar, which was built back in the 18th century by the same Maharahajah who built the whole city of Jaipur. His name was Sawai Jai Singh II and that's where this city got its name: Jai for his name and Pur which means city. The precision of these constructions is outstanding and they were used to study both Astronomy and Astrology.






It features the world's largest stone sundial and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We are fortunate that GG knows a lot about Astronomy and Astrology so he gives life to these otherwise unfathomable stone constructions and what might have initially seemed to be an arid site becomes a deeply meaningful incursion. 



Right after that GG had an idea - he took us to a calm and beautiful café inside the City Palace, which is right in front of Jantar Mantar, where we enjoyed exchanging contacts and wisdom and that saved us 1000 rupees (500 each) which we would have had to pay to enter the Palace. We got a general impression of this lavish royal home and enjoyed some moments of rest at a quiet, fresh place.





You know it's quite strange for me to have a chauffeur and so many people, mainly men, serving  me so well, being able to sit back and enjoy taking time to absorb and observe with no other purpose but to experience, with no doingness at all and it is so energizing and regenerating, so much clarity is then allowed. When I chose to receive all of the abundance that is available for me in asmuch as I overflow all that I Am, sharing it breath by breath, I could never have imagined how grandly it would reflect, and yet I know that it is all perfectly aligned with my consciousness. I am very blessed and thankful.

Today Ula has done her first Aspect&Soul Integration session and one of her issues was feeling overwhelmed by masculine presence and attracting abusive situations or living in fear of this possibility. Immediately after the session she accepts the challenge of going down to dinner alone, now allowing the masculine to serve her and be kind to her but not in an abusive or intrusive way. And that is exactly what happens, not because they have changed but because her perception has changed. The same goes on some time later when she goes into a shop to buy some trousers alone - again the masculine is respectful and kind to her, which leads her to realise that she was the one attracting the previous situations and feeling the way she felt. As soon as she integrated the part that felt abused and accepted a new perspective that is what came her way. This is how powerful Integration and Conscious Choice are. I am so happy for her that she will now be able to start walking through life in liberation, step by step. I have won a new lovely friend and a client all in one go and we both are in a win win situation.

Yesterday I mentioned the fact that it is a cultural thing here that everyone expects a tip and honestly if we were to tip absolutely everyone whom we get services from we would need a whole budget just for that. I have found a middle term, discerning when to tip and when it doesn't make sense, though it is my own subjective perception and each person will feel this in a different way.

The power of our perceptions is such that it shapes our entire reality. Fortunately perceptions are mutable and thus reality is changeable. 

There is something I have shared more than once in shops we have been taken to today by our guide and it is that I am not a regular consumer. I do not feel seduced at all by things and I always ask myself before buying anything: "do I really need this?" and also "If I buy this how many times will I use it and if I don't use it much and want to give it away will it be of use to people I usually interact with?" Answering these questions usually gets rid of 99% of any consumption impulses. So that's how I managed to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the handmade persian rugs, hand painted fabrics, sparkling jewels and so many other attractive things we were allowed to view, without feeling the magnetizing pull of having to possess any of it.

The artisans work painstakingly at their looms, tools and other mechanical devices, weaving colours, feelings and skills into an immense array of patterns of precious and semi-precious stones, gold, silver and wool, silk, cotton and leather... So much creative enterprise materialised and ready to serve all tastes. It is the sheer abundance that fascinates me here. It fills and fulfils me in such a way that it is as if it seeps into my pores and becomes part of my cells. Thank you.











Channi Carpets & Textiles PVT. LTD
www.channicarpets.com
www.channiexports.com
Thank you!




Lapidating precious and semiprecious stones
Thank you!


To illustrate this through a clear example, during the Conference more and more ladies started showing up with the most beautiful Saris. They looked really gorgeous in silk and sparkles of all colours. Carla justified this as being respectful towards the culture we are in at the moment. So I cross checked my position towards this. "Am I being disrespectful if I am not wearing a Sari in India, and particularly in this situation?" Honestly no, I don't feel disrespectful in any way and I do not feel that by wearing a Sari I would be more respectful than I am. I truly honour this country and its people and am very thankful for such a warm welcome. I also love and behold all of these magnificent ladies' attire, it is an honour to be amongst such beauty.

The other question I asked myself was "If I do buy a beautiful Sari how often will I wear it?" Once or twice I would say. Other than that it would be a treasured souvenir I keep closed in a closet and which only crosses my eyes once in a blue moon. So, much as I loved these Saris, I did not purchase one. However I remanied completely open to their grace, feeling them in my cells, just as if I was also wearing one!

Pretty simple. It is so liberating to not be caught up in the need to have something, to be able to appreciate the beauty around me without having to own it, to be able to absorb the places I go to without having to get it all on camera. To be free from the attachment to people, places and situations is such a peaceful state.

I am blessed to simply be here.

Thank you GG for shaping our experience in such a joyful way. I'll share with you a little episode that occurred with GG. He shared with us that he had been meaning to start a blog where he shares his wise joy every day. He has a humouristic way of putting things that brings a lighthearted breath of ease to everything. He wanted Ula and I to give him a name for his blog. We insisted that he had to come up with it himself. Today is the last day we are together here in Jaipur and as we were talking about this name issue when he suddenly spills out: Smiling Streams. What an awesome name! 100% expresses what he intends with the blog. We were insistent that the name had to come from him and it did, in the most natural way. 


Fast forward: now I am back in Portugal and GG has sent me a message on Whatsapp with a link to his very first blog post. He sent me this message "Your inspiration has worked some way... I have started the little blog. Now dear professor help me to go further... I wait... and thanks. Hey this is the link of my blog "Smiling Streams". Please do read it and share your thoughts and follow the smile movement: https://smilingstreams.wordpress.com/".

This made me smile in gratitude :) I share GG's contact here with you, in case you would like to visit Jaipur or somewhere else in the Rajasthan area: govindgopal@yahoo.com, his phone is +919829062367. He also holds Yoga retreats, Astrology retreats and is available and interested in coming over to Europe so feel free to contact GG, you will enjoy his deep wisdom and joyful love of life.