Thursday, July 15, 2010 I have left Paris after a wonderful week with family... and now we are on our next WWOOFing farmstay with a family just west of Annecy, south east France.

It is hot, hot, hot... and the harvest is beginning. Yesterday Roger and I picked buckets of blackcurrants, next come the framboise... the raspberries. This farm is in rolling countryside and the outlook is more what I imagined of the French countryside. Fields of shimmering wheat, farmlets scattered around small towns with turreted chateaux adorning the hills.

Last night was the celebration of the 14th July.. a big day in France. The father, Daniel and I  into the local village for the celebrations.. a big feast. A huge marquee set up in the town square with long trestle tables and lots of family's enjoying their evening meal. (Daniel's wife, Evelyn and Roger didn't want a late night so they retired for the evening). We arrived at 10pm for the firework display which had been delayed a while so we walked up to the local chateau and enjoyed the busy scene from up above.

As the night sky darkened even more we made our way down to a meadow to find a spot right under the display. What a display! The best light and sound show I have ever seen. With the community counting down the start, the music began and it was an emotionally evocative piece. I would love to tell you what it was ... but I don't know! It was full of powerful crescendoes and dynamism... quiet running melodies and uplifting trumpet fanfares... with the lights and sparkles of the fireworks dancing and flying through the air. It was breathtaking. The finale was unbelievable.. even now I shake my head thinking of the extraordinary shower of colour and shapes... a great night.

This festival once again emphasised to me the emotional power of music and how the choice of it at ceremonies, festivals, even at home has such an impact upon our senses...

This was also highlighted by the fun music the DJ played for the dancing. Everyone, from the young ones to the oldies had their feet tapping for the dance music.

Daniel and I did a little rock n roll on the dance floor with hundreds of young people before retiring at 1am. Daniel and Evelyn's son, Timothy was there and he and his girlfriend didn't get home til after 4am. We needed our beauty sleep... that, and the fact, that we were getting up at 6 to mow the meadow!

Sunday, May 09, 2010

The book Dancing in the streets – A history of collective joy written by Barbara Ehrenreich has captured my imagination. In her writing Ehrenreich looks at how and why people celebrate together… and also what we fear about it. She explores the history of ecstatic rituals and festivities and the way in which it has bonded communities from our early beginnings and through the Roman, Greek and early Christian civilizations to more recent times. It has been fascinating to read especially in light of my experience this weekend.

On Friday we were enjoying a three hour walk with some friends in the Derby Dales (in the UK). We made our way up from the river into the small village of Youlgreave for the classic walkers pub lunch.  Hiking up the winding path into the village we heard the sound of Middle Eastern music drifting down upon the breeze. Now, in England, this is not at all usual so following my nose (or ears in this case) I came upon a hurdy gurdy man practicing a baroque piece of music… the strains were hauntingly beautiful.  The player was sitting hunched over a wooden instrument slowly winding a handle on its side. His fingers tapping the keyboard attached to the underside of the instrument. He finished his piece of music and paused, rather shyly, to receive our praise.. . and our questions. Having never seen a hurdy gurdy we were full of questions. He was happy to oblige us. The hurdy gurdy is like a rather large violin with a keyboard attached and a wheel that activates a roller that performs the duty of the bow. It has a louder sound with a drone that creates a rich sound. (I hope I have done the instrument justice in my description!) Anyway, what on earth was he doing here in the village of Youlgreave? It was the 2010 Hurdy Gurdy festival and we literally stumbled upon it.

Having found the timetable for the weekend I signed up for the dance class on Saturday morning and with a small amount of nervousness and a large dose of inquisitiveness and excitement joined the line up!  I had a ‘ball’! French and Breton dances are simple steps that are performed in lines, in couples and in large groups (our teacher said he has seen hundreds of people dancing together in France). Like the old barn dances I was taught in high school (many, many years ago) we twirled and spun and took simple steps here, there and everywhere. Sometimes I stumbled over my feet and my brain was confused as to what went where but overall I got the hang of it pretty quickly. During this time I spoke only a few words to the other dancers. Our focus was on the rhythm, the beat and the timing.

I went back for the afternoon session and twirled, spun and laughed some more while learning the Bourrées in 2 and 3-time, Mazurkas, Waltzes and Scottisches. The footwork and circle dances are quite hypnotic and suspend all thoughts bringing you fully into the present moment – which is lots of fun and deeply satisfying.

In the evening  Roger and I attended the performance of traditional musicians (an all female group, Sym and a lively dance group called Bof!). The dancing began when Bof! hit the first strains of a Muzurka.

A few of the dancers on the floor knew me from the classes and invited me to join in. People were laughing and smiling and while I didn’t speak more than a few words to anyone present I was amongst ‘friends’ and part of the community. The bonding was extraordinary and echoed Barbara’s theories on the effect of group dancing especially at rituals or festive occasions.

I love the synchronicity of how life unfolds, the timing of meeting the hurdy gurdy man in the street, reading the book and the dance classes… and in two weeks we head to France where I am sure we will find more local dances to join in and now I know the steps!

May you enjoy a dance or two!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Following on from my blog entry yesterday, further on in Beth's uni assignment was the following story which she has given permission to share here. Thanks Beth.

My diary entry from Arnhem Land, August 2008

"Out of the swag at 5am in the darkness, walking the 2 kms to the escarpment edge-we have been asked to walk in silence, in respect for the ceremony, we arrive, women by the dozen, torchlit..to the campfire where our Yolgnu friends wait..sitting for a long time in the dark we wait in silence for the dawn, stars disappearing, we look towards the sea.

One of the women begins to speak, she tells us how the predawn is for them as Yolgnu women, it is the time they wake, and cry and sing.....for the past, for the present and for the future.

Before anyone else is awake the women are crying and singing. She explains about country. We are on Lirritja country, over there is Dhawa country. There's a lot of cloud and we won't see the sun for a little while this morning. The women chatter, then one by one begin to cry and sing, sing and cry the dawn. We are all invited to join in, to not hold back and we do.

Crying at the depth and quality of the collective voices, rising with the smoke from the fire, crying the dawn, crying our own pain, many women on this sacred land as the day wakes, we wake the day with our voices rising.

The birds begin, we sing like the birds, we sing with the birds, with the land, with the lightening dawn....then, all is quiet.

Nobody wants to move, then, one by one, women stand and speak. The Yolgnu women thank us for coming, coming the long distance from our homes, to listen to them. THEY thank US!

Galumbu had a dream as a young woman that many women would come-she said that as we sat together, her dream had become a reality.

Later I overheard a conversation-an ABC journalist was asking for an interview, she wanted to talk about women's ceremony. The elder said yes, she'd be happy to talk with her, about singing, about crying, 'our women are crying too much these days with all that is going on'.

I feel my heart open and open as I walk back to camp, to another day of sitting with the women, making baskets."

 

Beth wrote, "My own experience of being with the Yolgnu women of Arnhem Land was profound. I made the journey on my own around the time I was breaking up from a ten year relationship, I was traumatised and in deep grief. I'm beginning to understand why my time with these women making baskets was so transformational as I now recognise elements of the healing that occurred through the process. Collecting the fibre, dying it, weaving, the touch with natural world was enlivening. Creating a basket was a form of externalising what I was feeling, there was a safe space created, stories were told, there was listening, there was laughter, there were tears."

Thank you Beth.

Sunday, April 25, 2010 My dear friend in Australia, Beth Wrigley, emailed me her uni assignment to read, as she often does and I was touched by this paragraph she wrote,

"There are very few words in Aboriginal languages for health. The word punyu comes close to meaning well-being. Punyu is tied in to all the elements of healthy life-strength, happiness, knowledge & social responsibility-reciprocal care of one another through proper lore, ceremonial processes & relationship building. These elements allow us to know ourselves deeply, to have a strong sense of belonging & identity(Atkinson, 2006, p. 2,3)."

May we all take the time to honour our health and wellbeing by telling our stories, celebrating life's milestones and daily rituals and reaching out to others.

Lots of love to you across the world from where I sit in the Derby Dales in the UK

Saturday, April 24, 2010 There are flowers everywhere... bursting forth from the hedgerows, gardens, church yards, hills and meadows... it is uplifting and brings a smile to my heart!

Flowers can say so much... especially when othey are least expected. Today Fiona and I sent a big bunch of flowers to the Graduates of the 2006 Dru Yoga Teacher Training Course who are gathering at the beautiful retreat centre in Kincumber, Australia.

Fiona and I are part of that group, however with me overseas, and Fiona having just had her beautiful baby Erin (with proud dad, Al) we are thinking of them from afar.

They have coordinated a beautiful candle dance for the teachers in appreciation of all they have given and I know the graduation ritual the teachers have planned will be extra special as they have an art of making all milestones a joy.

Congratulations to our dear friends who will be acknowledged for their hard work ... and lots of fun and completing their course.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

I felt very blessed to be in Wales this weekend for Liz’s 70^th and I was also invited to a women’s gathering on the Saturday. Sarah had celebrated her birthday in January but because of the snow storms that had isolated many parts of England in that month had waited until now to call a gathering. She wanted to invite many of her women friends who were over 50 (I was given a concession pass!) to join her and share their wisdom on getting older.

We gathered down on Newport Beach, on a glorious still, blue, sunny day (with no sound of planes overhead!).



The tide was out … which is a long way in Wales and the beach was quiet up at the far end. The first few ladies had gathered wood and made a fire that we all sat around. We laid out the picnic blankets, hot drinks and cakes that we had each brought to share.

The circle started with our elder in the group, Jennifer, (a sprightly 72 year old) adorning Sarah with a floral tiara and singing a song of love and appreciation. Sarah was overcome with emotion. This was followed by another beautiful woman sharing two poems about the craziness of aging and Jennifer sharing a poem on the blessings of aging.

Sarah thanked everyone for coming and invited us to share (without any pressure to have to speak) our wisdom on getting older.

The topic of aging bodies began our conversation, followed by the acknowledgement of losing ‘youthfulness of body’ but not spirit.

Then a dear friend of Sarah’s had written a letter that Sarah asked me to read out. It was a lovely honouring of her own aging process and what she was looking forward to. It affirmed her excitement about what was to come. Sarah’s friend had also written a lovely meditation which I asked if I could guide people through for a few minutes. Everyone agreed. The stillness and appreciation was deepened amongst this beautiful group of women. Relaxing onto the sand while sitting, listening to the waves rolling in, feeling the gentle breeze across our face, awareness of our breathing, the very breath of life, and listening to our heartbeats…

The stopping in silence was a welcome interlude in our busyness to get there and set up; and the excitement of the circle.

We touched on courage, creativity, companionship, craziness, the liberation and freedom of aging… acceptance of who we are and how we are. I loved one lady who told, with humour, the freedom of now walking up the mountain with her trousers stuck In her socks looking like a geek, and another’s delight at not caring anymore if she fell asleep on the train with her mouth wide open... and snoring! Acceptance of who we are!

We discussed the fear of becoming old and our bodies become incapable of doing what we used to do, the necessity of facing death, our mortality and experiencing our vulnerability, the significance of community support, the desire for some to live where they can see the ocean and watch the coming and going of life, the wish to set up an aged care facility with likeminded and kind people, the importance of listening to the body  and to take heed of its needs, the specialness of being 60 – changes to work and free time… the change of hormones and the increase of intuition… the becoming of the wise woman. Another lady talked about her desire for a calm mind and an openness to the joy of dying.  Jennifer shared the challenge and the gifts of being forced to be still when she had major back problems and couldn’t walk for nearly two years and the importance of stepping out of comfort zone and taking risks.

We honoured the up’s and downs of the changes, family, work, money and restrictions. We shared our hearts honestly and openly, we laughed and there were a few tears. 

Then a suggestion came for a paddle in the ocean… up to the knees…

We headed down with trousers rolled up. My toes touched the shallow water on the edge of the shore and I was surprised at its warmth. Wading deeper the water around my ankles brought a chill that made my bones ache.  Nope… not for me… I backed out to the warmth of the one inch depth. 

The prompt of going in to waist level was taken up by four ladies (three who were nearly 70!) who wore just their knickers and tops… and of course, in the exhilaration of it all it was decided a full swim was in order. I was glad to hold their clothes and cheered them on.

It was freezing (the water is seriously cold here in the UK!) yet those who were bold dived in loved it! They paddled around, albeit briefly, but I admired them and honoured their courage! I am still grateful I kept warm! I have swum in enough glacial pools to know how long you stay cold for after getting chilled to the bone.

Back on the beach and around the fire we chatted some more and before the circle closed I asked if I could make an offering to the group. They agreed. I honoured the wisdom and support that comes from being with a group of women. The love, the companionship, the acceptance, the sharing all uphold us in the rich and varied role of being a woman. This gathering celebrated our shared wisdom and our aging. I acknowledged the power of stating our truths in a circle of women and thanked everyone for the gifts they had brought into my life. I invited everyone to think of a quality they would like to see enhanced and if they wished to, share it in the circle to give their wish power.

Women asked for patience, courage, creativity, playfulness, time for more rest, trust…

It was a heartfelt exploration of our lives as aging women. To close the circle Sarah asked if we would all like to sing… and she led us in a spontaneous chorus of ‘row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

We are indeed rowing our boats gently through life and the afternoon was indeed a dream time.  And as one lady said, we have earned these wrinkles. We are women wrinkled from tears and laughter, hard work and spending time out in the sun, from raising families, from loving and heartbreak. Thank you for a special celebration of life.

Thank you Sarah and happy, happy birth day.

 

 

Friday, April 16, 2010

We drove from Monyash to south west Wales on Friday for the gathering of Roger’s clan.

We turned up the Crosby, Stills and Nash album and bopped along the highway in anticipation of being with some of his very dear friends and being back in a gorgeous part of the world, the coast near Cardigan. 

Liz was celebrating her 70^th birthday and people were coming from far and wide, in particular the hippies from the 60’s that were part of the lifestyle in Wales all those years ago.

It was lots of fun as people reconnected, danced and partied on into the night. The old rockers, Hawkwind played, and prior to them starting old dance favourites were delivered by the iPod.  I loved it.  I danced for a while then stepped back to watch the people on the dance floor. I was marveling to see the four year olds, the teenagers, the mid 30’s to 60’s and the sprightly 70 year olds shaking their tail feathers.

A few close friends had written songs for Liz which were receieved with a hearty round of applause and Liz herself, to the surprise of many, got up and said a few words… very few in number but huge in meaning. It doesn’t take much to convey how much you love and appreciate your ‘clan’.

Happy Birthday Liz!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

We left Portugal richer for our time there walking along the river Mondego and climbing the hills and valleys surrounding Tabua and for staying with some beautiful friends. Now after a night with Roger’s daughter, Jess and her husband, Julian, and babysitting our two beautiful granddaughters we are in the coastal village of Mevagissey.

On Sunday it was Mothering Sunday so Roger suggested we go for a walk along the coastal footpath and go out for lunch.

We had  a long walk south to Gorren Haven hoping to find a local pub ... the one and only pub had shut down last season so we enjoyed a mothering Sunday lunch in a little 'cafe' in the village where the seats were placed amongst the dog food and cleaning liquid shelves… most romantic....Roger and I enjoyed the unusual ambience while two teenage girls cooked us lunch. Nothing like an adventure and not what we expected… on our way home along the cliff walk we found a spot in lea of the wind and had a nice snooze overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

A note on Mothering Sunday: I love being a mum and my children have honoured me in so many ways... mostly, by just being themselves. This time apart has been challenging at times as I miss the regular contact that we enjoyed when living in the same country. And I know that it is enhancing our appreciation of each other and I am enjoying writing the good old snail mail type of letters to them. My own mother - well she is a gem and I appreciate her greatly. She has been a vital link in keeping the website shop flowing smoothly with my assistant, Jennie.

When my parents were travelling last year and I spent six weeks with them I took the time to write them both letters, that I read out to them. Letters of love and gratitude... it brought tears to my dad's eyes, and was a very special moment that I treasure.

Saturday, March 13, 2010 Our dear friends, Dave and Suma, in the north of Portugal have a strong and vibrant community of friends around them. We joined their singing group, meditation evening and an evening of dance. The latter spoke to my heart directly... it was rich, fun, flowing and non verbal... and as Gabrielle Roth, its creator is quoted as saying, 'if you want to get out of your head, get into your body'.

There are five stages to this free form dance: Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness.

Gabrielle has a fabulous website that gives more details of this beautiful ritual and gorgeous imagery and quotes. I also loved her appreciation of the need and strengths of having a community around us. One that is alive, vibrant and open to dance with.

If you see this art form in your area I can wholeheartedly recommend giving it a go. I had a ball!

Tuesday, March 09, 2010 My dear friend, Fiona and her husband, Al are have just had their little baby girl today and I have spent a lot of time thinking about them over the last few weeks... especially the last 24 hours.

Today, while thinking of Fiona and Al, I was reminded of another dear friend, Ali, whose Blessingway ceremony I attended when she was pregnant. As part of the ceremony we passed a thick red crocheted thread around the circle of friends wrapping it around each one of our hands as we shared a blessing for our pregnant friend and her husband and soon-to-be born baby.

It was lots of fun and also very intimate creating a sense of closeness and connection. After everyone had spoken I cut the red cord so that each person could take their piece home. I acknowledged our bond and the importance of our continual support to Ali and her family. I pinned that piece of red crocheted wool on the noticeboard in my office and I would see it every day and think of her and her beautiful family. It was a powerful symbol of connection and supported my prayers to them on a daily basis.