A living student

It’s the end of May, and I’m almost a month into my ES (extended student) program.
A year is expected ahead of me, being on this wonderful land of Esalen, studying, working in the kitchen, teaching Yoga and meditation, and watching whales.

“Mindful silence”, said the sign outside the Fritz room, where the cleanse week is happening. I walked up there from “Rolf”, the room where I taught yoga, to get my raw food breakfast. Opening a fresh young coconut, sipping its juice just like in India a few months back. Inside the round room, near the fire place fresh ginger tea was awaiting. A live Granola with soaked Goji berries, fresh fruit, bee pollen, hemp seed and watermelon juice, all live happily on the table awaiting for our long chewing motion.
Outside, on the balcony sitting on the cliff over looking the ocean, a white whale cruises by. The morning light, going through the clear water and reflecting a turquoise glow off the calm moving whale, a baby perhaps.

Esalen has wonderful food, mostly fresh from our garden, but also meat and dairy options that are hard to resist working in the kitchen.
Now eating only live food, food that still has its enzymes alive, a lot of veggies, nuts and seeds, my stomach is adjusting. Even emotionally there is a release. Reminds me of when I was writing a book years back, “He chose sadness. An existential sadness”…
But then I come back to this paradise and smile with gratitude.
A few more days left of eating Liam’s live food, and drinking fresh veggie juice out of wine bottles. It even looks red thanks to the beets.

This Friday some friends will join the big gathering at Spirit Garden in Big Sur ( the near by town) to see some Aztec dancing and view some of my photography from Cuba as well as some of my work with “Bodies”, a dance and culture event.
I realize now, that I have so many dear friends around the globe that I wish could join. Well, it might have been even harder if we were traveling throughout the galaxies…

So for all you around this beautiful planet, it is a wonderful time for some cleaning, welcoming new vital energies into our bodies and soul.
Eating a bit more raw food is a great start. Now that stone fruit is arriving (like apricots, peaches and plums), the melon family is showing off, it couldn’t be easier.
If possible, eating raw veggies as well. Blending some beets with celery, munching on lettuce or a carrot, making a fresh Kale salad, some radishes with herbs and lemon, or dipping celery into tahini.
Nuts for Nuts…soak em first, soak some seeds and enjoy.

With Gratitude to this abundant land, to the air, the water, the bees, farmers, drivers, cooks, and everything that helps provide us with such beauty and nourishment.

I thank you all for reading this, and for being who you are.