Travelling within to Far Off Lands

It was about two weeks ago now that my old friend and mentor Julia said to me... 'How do you feel about putting together a piece on your experiences from the last year or so...'?

After brief contemplation - and the mind questioning whether anyone would have any remote interest! - I agreed to give it a go...

I am delighted that my Dear friend Chris has agred to write about his travels to far off lands, and the journey within himself along the way...

This is his account...

So much has happened over this time, that I can only really summarise the events.

After spending a few weekends in Southern Spain, about 30 miles south of Granada, on retreats in early 2013, I started to make friends with some of the people there, and I was getting a real feel for Spanish life.

This was in conjunction with working in the corporate world for over twenty years, which was really starting to become miserable, and the work I was doing felt pointless.

I had felt for along time, maybe five years, that a change was needed; but I was waiting for a really safe option to do so.

This never came... and after having a chat with Julia one night, I decided there and then to leave my job...

It didn’t happen in quite the way I thought; my work offered me a three month sabbatical, which I accepted.

This change was supported by a growing urge within me to be close to teachers of truth.

I had spent the previous three or four years quite religiously with satsang teachers around the south East of England and further a field; I now felt I wanted this to be an every day experience.

Within a month my flat in Eastbourne was on long term rent, and I moved to a small town called Orgiva, in Spain in the Alpujarra mountains, close to where I had previously been on retreat.

It’s a funny place, not particularly quaint like some of the other local towns and villages in the area, and in many ways it’s a place you sometimes wonder how you ever ended up there!

This is also where I met up with Julia and Anadi later in the year;  they had chosen to spend three weeks in Bubion a village about 20k up the mountain, without realising I was nearby.

The main reason I chose here, was because an English Satsang teacher called Saraswathi Ma was there for six months. I had met her briefly in London a few months earlier, and felt a resonance with what she spoke about, so things fell into place nicely.

I felt so grateful during to be free from the restrictions of my old life.

It was during this time, that I really started to unwind and let go of some of the conditioning that is taken for granted in western society; for instance the idea that we have to work and be part of the system. It was so natural to be out of this.

In all honesty I have never for one second regretted all that has unfolded, even when things haven’t been easy.

The mind can still be strong in regards to the old patterns; predominately this is about how will I survive financially.

So far I have been supported every step, in many ways.

At the end of my time in Spain I was pretty much sure that going back to work on a permanent basis wasn’t going to happen, certainly not at this point and after a few days back in the UK, I resigned...which did not go down to well!

I quickly booked a ticket to India for three months so that I could spend time in Tiruvannamalai, which has the Ashram of the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi there, and then to go north to Rishikesh to be with the main teacher who I followed, Mooji.

I had visited northern India and Goa a few times before, but Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu is another world, India more as one would imagine.

There’s far too much to include in this piece about my time there; lets just say that I felt a really strong connection to the place.

The Ashram is based at the bottom of one of the famous religious mountains of India, Arunachala, this place was something special.

It is well known by the people who visit here, that energetically the vibration of the area brings your shadows to the surface...

This was the case for me too, at times it was so intense. I’ve never found crying easy, but here I cried more in six weeks than the rest of my life – it was very purifying.

After such a strong time, I was very ready to head on a plane north to Delhi and then get a seven hour taxi to Rishikesh.

It felt so good to move to such a beautiful and peaceful place, being on the Ganges certainly helped things to settle down.

As mentioned earlier Mooji was here for five weeks of satsang and it was the first time I had seen him out of Europe. So five days a week I would go to the meetings, which would have in the region of 1,000 people a day attending.

They had a very different feel to the European satsangs I’m used to, because it is open to all and with Rishikesh being a popular tourist place, there were many people just coming for curiosity, who had little interest in truth.

I returned to the UK late March 2014 to recuperate and catch up with my family and friends in Liverpool, this also involved me selling of all my remaining possession, car etc. I knew I couldn’t stay here  long term for many reasons and was waiting to see if any doors opened to a new career or some pastures new, but it didn’t .

The only real option that made any sense was going back to Orgiva to see if living there on a longer term basis was what I was looking for, so next thing I know I’m booking a flight with no return date.

It’s hard to describe this place as I mentioned before, it has a 2,000 plus non Spanish community, a mixture of spiritual seekers, older ex-pats, party people, those who just want out of the system and many other characters with varying stories.

Orgiva from what I understand, has been a place where alternative people have gathered for hundreds of years, and there is currently a hardcore group of conscious people who are trying to build something beautiful by supporting an environment of truth.

A few times over the last year or so, people have mentioned to me about the long walk called Camino de Santiago/St James Way, and this intensified during the last month in Spain and it felt like life was giving me a push, so I decided to go with it.

From Southern Spain, it is a journey in itself, getting to the start in France.

I started the plan firstly how to get there!

Initially I was going to visit some friends in the Basque country and then travel to France, this fell through and it dawned on me to go via Portugal and spend a weekend at Moojis ashram, Monte Sahaja, and then travel north to the start.

It didn’t quite work out this way! After arriving in Portugal I loved it, the place is so chilled it made Spain seem pretty intense, and considering they are next to each other, the countries are so different.

Two weeks later, I find myself living on a campsite in a tiny tent and feeling very happy, even though the place was not officially affiliated with Mooji, the vast majority of people were there for him.

For those living at the ashram you have to be in service – i.e. working in the kitchens, on the land, construction etc and it’s pretty full on.

Many people just liked being where I was staying, as it gave them a level of access to the Ashram and also a very tranquil place to stay.

Even though I had seen Mooji many times before over the previous three or four years it was great to be at his home, I felt very lucky -the dedication to truth there is beautiful.

One night I was in the communal space at the campsite and heard one of my friends talking about the Camino, so my ears pricked up and I learnt that there were many routes and a major one was through Portugal starting in Lisbon and he was thinking of starting it.

To cut a long story short, by the weekend we are in Lisbon and getting are maps and undertaking the first day of walking which was about 30 miles or so.

It’s fair to say it nearly killed me, I like to think I’m quite physically fit as I go walking every day, but I had totally underestimated the distance while having 10 kilograms strapped to my back.

The second day I was continuing to struggle and could barely walk, it wasn’t much fun! 

For the last few miles I even jumped on a train! 

The third morning I reflected on the walk and decided that being in pain wasn’t worth it. There were another 20 days left and I didn’t feel strongly enough about completing; so after a goodbye to my surprised colleague I jumped on the train to Lisbon, then headed back to Spain and a flight back to blighty.

I later found out my companion was robbed the day after I returned and he subsequently left the camino too.

After a week of hobbling around my parents home and working my way through their fridge, I received an email from the campsite in Portugal asking whether I fancied a month’s work there for bed and board while somebody had a holiday.

So with no other options I packed my bags and flew back.

I had a beautiful time there, it was hard work sometimes, but it felt honest work. Mooji was in England for a few weeks while I was there so I saw little of him, which was a shame. During this time I was trying to get a feel for the where life was asking me to go next; there were a few ideas floating around, even one of going back to England and getting a job, although the thought wasn’t pleasant!

Suddenly within a period of two or three days the option to return to India arose and everything was booked.

I am currently writing this while back at my families place, waiting to fly in a week. The finances have been a bit tight to go, but I have scraped the money together.

When there are times like this I often remember the passage below (thanks for sending me this Julia), it’s very appropriate for me at the moment.

Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now. Goethe, Johann Wolfgang Von

Hopefully some of my words maybe of interest to you.

 I have enjoyed writing down a brief account of what has happened over the last year or so.

If I could pass a message on from my time, all I would say follow your heart.

Thank you for reading.