Grupo Vida Desperta: Meditação Semanal e Conversa Consciente
Qualquer pessoa sinceramente interessada no crescimento espiritual, evolução e meditação é bem-vindo.
Encontrar-nos-emos todas as sextas-feiras às 19h30 na Eco-Casa da Quinta Cabeça do Mato. Terminaremos por volta das 22h15.
Chegue em silêncio, por favor, e sente-se. Quando toda a gente estiver já reunida, meditaremos juntos durante cerca de 45 minutos.
Após a meditação, haverá um pequeno intervalo, também em silêncio. Juntos vamos, em seguida, ligar-nos numa forma específica de conversa direccionada para uma prática/exploração espiritual.
Inicio este grupo com o objectivo de realizar uma experiência no âmbito da evolução da consciência. Tudo será novo em cada encontro. Não sabemos o que é possível. Tudo dependerá do grau de interesse, confiança e compromisso para irmos além dos enquadramentos de referência habituais.
Não vamos tentar resolver nenhum problema. Não vamos tentar curar os nossos traumas. Tudo isso tem o seu lugar, mas esta é uma experiência diferente.
Vou arriscar imenso nestes encontros e vou pedir a todos que arrisquem comigo…
Esse risco passa por deixar lá fora o pessoal, o familiar e tudo o que pensa saber sobre quem você é, como você funciona, o que precisa para se sentir seguro ou participar num grupo, o que são os grupos e como estes funcionam.
Convido-o a abandonar tudo isso em benefício desta curta janela no tempo. Vou pedir-lhe que se junte a mim no desconhecido. E o que é o desconhecido? Acredito que vamos descobrir, quando nos encontrarmos!
O propósito deste grupo é experimentar e fortalecer quem REALMENTE somos, o Eu Verdadeiro, normalmente escondido atrás do véu das nossas ideias rígidas, identidades, medos e desejos. É a parte de nós que nunca foi ferida nem traumatizada e, por isso, não precisa de ser ouvida, curada ou educada. Esse Eu é livre. É a parte de si já unicamente interessada no Bem, na Verdade e na Beleza. Esse Eu não toma as coisas pessoalmente, porque não se identifica com a personalidade.
E, mais importante ainda, interessa-se apenas pelo Despertar e pela Evolução. Não quer descansar para se sentir seguro. Quer mergulhar no desconhecido, no que vem a seguir, no que ainda não aconteceu.
É a fonte da Vida e do Amor. Tudo o que é necessário para expressar este Eu Verdadeiro é ser completamente honesto na profunda, verdadeira e mais elevada porção da experiência… e ignorar tudo o resto!
Quero dar as boas-vindas a qualquer pessoa que se sinta inspirada a participar no início daquilo que espero vir a ser uma grande aventura.
Pete
No commentsAwakened Life Group Fridays 7.30pm – Meditation & the Emergence of a New Consciousness
All kinds of things have been written and said about meditation. But TRUE meditation is so utterly simple. By true meditation I mean when it is practiced with the sincere intention to awaken to our true nature, not just for stress relief, for visualization, or to get something for ourselves. And what does the intention to awaken mean? It means we want to GIVE ourselves to the Mystery of Life.
The way we give ourselves in meditation is by doing absolutely NOTHING because we already ARE that Mystery. And that is the challenge! If we are willing to let everything be exactly as it is, regardless of the movement of mind, emotion, and everything we think we are, over and over and over again, a door begins to open, and we begin to uncoil and merge into the ocean of vast, original, infinite Being…
When that infinite Being is the consciousness in which we then come together it is like the light of the new dawn breaking into this world. It is a Consciousness from which a new world and a new humanity can be created, free from the taint of ego. All that is required is a willingness to awaken to our life as an expression of the One Life that animates all and everything.
So if you are interested in joining us for meditation and exploring this potential please come along to the Roundhouse at 7.30pm Fridays.
Love Pete
No commentsThe Secret Arts of Slate Stone
Here I am learning the secret Portuguese arts of creating beautiful walls of slate stone from the masters! Wielding brush and damp sponge I was soon delicately revealing the choicest stones from under the layer of cement that was applied to fill in all the holes.
With expert instruction from Fernando and Philippe I was learning fast. However, it was only after they insisted I stop for a brief copo de vinho/redwine break with them, that my stone polishing flair went to another level. I joked with them saying now I knew the secret of their art!
Next day they were busy laying the stone floors, which they laid with passion and precision in hardly any time at all. They gathered huge slabs of slate from the nearby ruins and carefully crafted the different shapes and size together.
The whole house is looking so amazing we can hardly believe it. Here are some views from above the house and valley…
Sustainable Living Project in Central Portugal
Here is a message and invitation from fellow eco-warriors in the area, Sophie and Andy at the Farm of the Bees…
Eco-Living Central Portugal has a new focus! We (Quinta das Abelhas) set up the eco-living project with the intention of offering courses, workshops and practical experience of sustainable living on a large riverside quinta we planned to buy. Unfortunately the purchase of this new quinta fell through and we no longer feel we have sufficient space, time and energy to devote to the project. Thus we have, after much consideration, decided that the best use of this website and the funds we have already been kindly donated is to promote and support other sustainable projects in the local area (Central Portugal).
The project’s aims remain the same, and we will now be adding to the funding by sharing the profits from our business Pure Portugal Ltd to help meet those aims:
- To support and promote local ecological and sustainable projects, courses and events;
- To encourage visitors to gain practical experience of eco-living;
- To inspire, empower, & enable people to reduce their ecological footprint;
- To bring together communities and individuals working for sustainability, self-sufficiency, and low-impact living;
- To collaborate on various projects and share ideas and experiences;
- To network with national and international projects on sustainability.
Check out the website at www.ecolivingportugal.org
Awakened Life Group: Weekly Meditation & Conscious Conversation
Anyone who is sincerely interested in spiritual awakening and the evolution of consciousness is welcome to attend.
We will meet at 7.30pm on Fridays at the Roundhouse at Quinta Cabeca do Mato. We will finish around 10.15pm.
Please arrive in silence and sit down. When everyone has arrived we will meditate together for about 45mins. After the meditation there will be a short break also in silence. Then we will gather together and engage in a specific form of conversation as a spiritual practice/exploration.
I am starting this group as an experiment in the evolution of consciousness. Every time we meet it will be new. We don’t know what is possible; it all depends on the degree of our own interest, trust and commitment to go beyond our habitual frames of reference.
We are not going to try to solve any problems. We are not going to try to heal our traumas. All of that has its place. But this is a different kind of experiment…
I’m going to take a big risk at these gatherings and I’m going to ask everyone who comes to take that risk with me…
The risk is to let go of the personality, let go of the familiar, let go of everything you think you know about who you are, how you operate, about what you need to feel safe or participate in a group, about what groups are and how groups work. My invitation is for you to abandon it all for this brief window in time. I’m going to ask you to join me in the unknown. And what is the unknown? I guess we will all find out when we meet there!
The purpose of this group is to experience and empower who we REALLY are, the True Self, that ordinarily remains hidden beneath the veils of our rigid ideas, identities, fears and desires. It is the part of ourself that was never wounded or traumatized, that therefore does not need to be heard, healed, or nurtured. That Self is already originally Free. It is the part of you that is already only interested in the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. That Self doesn’t take things personally, because it is not identified with the personality. And more importantly, it is interested only in Awakening and Evolution. It does not want to rest, to be safe. It wants to dive into the unknown, into what is next, into what hasn’t happened yet. It is the wellspring of Life and Love. All that is required to express this True Self is to be completely true to the deepest, truest, highest part of your experience…and to ignore everything else!
I look forward to welcoming whoever feels inspired to come at the beginning of what I hope will be a great adventure.
Pete
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Schist House Renovation at the Quinta
The water tank is completed and the house is well on its way!
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Here is Juliano proudly introducing his handiwork!
We are at the quinta everyday now planting and clearing the land and it’s such a joy to look up and see our house appearing before our very eyes stone by stone! The original house was 2 rooms, one up and one down. The original room upstairs is now our living room (sala) and downstairs is the kitchen. We have added an extension on, the top room is our bedroom and the bottom is the bathroom with a little wood storage/dog house space next to it.
The whole house will be in slate stone. Where there are bricks (on the new section) it is being stone faced. The walls on the original part had to be raised as the bottom floor was very low. These walls are being done all in stone.
We are getting estimates on the solar hot water system, wood burner central heating system and the general solar system. Then all that’s left is getting the water pump and the pipes in place!
The pictures will tell the rest of the story! If are looking for a builder we can wholeheartedly recommend Eusebio Santos and his crew. They are efficient, the price is good, they are great guys to have on ones land and they do a great job.
Stay tuned, will post more photos as the job continues!
Cheers,
Cynthia
1 commentExploding After Rain
After plentiful and much needed rain in April the dry stream is now gushing pure mountain water across the Quinta and over our waterfall. It is a wondrous sight to behold and also wondrously bracing to take a dip in!
Down from this waterfall which borders the Project stretches the amazing gorge of Fraga da Pena. It means Gorge of Pity in Portuguese, which must have been some medieval morbid Catholic interpretation of this gorgeous gorge, so we are renaming it Fraga de Alegria or Gorge of Joy!
It was voted one of the top 10 beauty spots in Portugal recently and after the rains it is echoing with raw elemental splendour.
There is something about waterfalls I find completely captivating. If Nature is a mirror then the rushing waters and explosive fronds of incandescent spray evoke the Uncontainable Mystery of Life in all its wild glory…
Crashing clear cascades
Seething dance of the cosmos
Freefalling abandon
White light
Ever mounting crescendo
Fount of Life
Bestowing
Becoming
Shouts I AM…
Forever ungraspable
Forever flowing
Forever felt in the Soul
May you find the fount of freefall!
Love Pete
1 commentWow, We’re Really Doing This!
The Awakened Life Project has been in the making for a long time. I’m not sure exactly how long but it started to come into our consciousness about 2 years ago. 8 months ago we found the land; 4 months ago we bought a big chunk of it, we started our blog and many friends have visited and supported what we are doing over time. So in practical terms the project has been well underway for quite a while! I think that’s why it was so surprising to me that it wasn’t until a 12 ton bulldozer showed up to put in a track & a couple of local friends came to help us burn the branches from the fire that I thought to myself, ‘Wow, we’re really doing this!”
It was a Monday at 8:30 am we met Joao and Elsa (one of the owners we bought the land from) at the quinta. They got there early and had already begun working. It was pouring down rain but they had still managed to get a fire started to burn the brush we needed to clear. We were happy to get the last remnants of the fire cleaned up and to prepare the hillside for planting new trees.
About 9am we heard a rumbling from down the valley and sure enough Joao (yet another Joao) and Pedro and a really big bulldozer showed up as scheduled. We had a lot of things we needed the bulldozer to do and we were a bit nervous on the effect it would have on the look and feel of the quinta
First we needed to put a track down to the first house we are renovating and it wasn’t clear if it would be possible. We didn’t have a lot of width and the incline was quite steep so it was bit dodgy from the beginning. Not only were we putting in a track but also we needed to dig out a space for the 10,000 liter water tank that will gravity feed all the buildings, as well as needing to dig out another space for a car turn-around, and yet another space for our bathroom and kitchen!! An idea that came at the last moment was to put in a terrace to the side of the house for a patio, greenhouse and a good sunny spot (in Zone 1) for some orange and lemon trees so we needed this done too!
Joao was recommended to us as the best digger in the area. Once he got there I could see that he was fearless and operated the bulldozer with precision and determination. Pedro hadn’t worked in the mountains as much and was less of a daredevil and sometimes looked at Joao as if he was a bit crazy. I have to admit that if I hadn’t been so completely confident in Joao’s expertise I would have thought he was a bit crazy too! We needed every bit of his nerve to accomplish what we needed to have done.
So as Joao and Pedro worked below the rest of us were working above the houses clearing and burning brush on the mountainside.
Every time we’ve had Portuguese people help us on the land I’ve been amazed at how happy they are while they are doing really hard work. Working with Joao and Elsa was like this. There was so much joy coming from them as they worked and such a sense of family and communion as we worked together. Even in the pouring rain on a steep slope they didn’t hold back and I found myself inspired to keep up with them – well maybe not keep up with them but at least not look like some city slicker that didn’t have a clue about what she was doing! In fact I do have to admit this was my first conscious fire/burning experience. And another confession before I go on is that after the fire we had I was very nervous about purposefully starting another one, so when I woke up and it was raining I was a bit relieved. In the end I didn’t need to worry as Elsa and Joao knew what they were doing and were very conscious of safety.
After about 4 hours of slip sliding around and numerous attempts at trying to light another fire we surrendered that we needed to stop and try again on a dryer day. Even though we were wet and cold our spirits weren’t dampened and we ended up finishing clearing the hillside about a week later, which is great.
Meanwhile Pedro and Joao were moving A LOT of dirt.
It was quite something to see the land transform. As I mentioned Pete and I were both a bit nervous about how these changes that we needed were going to affect the quinta so over the next 4 days we spent a lot of time watching what was being done.
Parking space & turnaround
After the first day I started to relax as the track didn’t leave the horrible scar I was expecting.
In fact something surprising emerged. Because we didn’t have to destroy any existing slate terrace walls or any other existing structures it became clear that we were actually ‘extending’ the quinta, something new was being created without disturbing anything old. It turned out to be the perfect blend of old and new coming together to create something different that fully embraced both. I think this is the first time that I felt that we are not only reviving the old but we are bringing something new to this amazing place. I’ve always felt the presence of all those who have contributed to creating this extraordinary place but somehow I hadn’t seen myself as one of them! Now I see that we are not only caretakers of the old but are the conscious creators of what is to come.
By the end of the week everyone had gone and Pete and I stood looking at all that had been done. It’s hard to express but there was something very moving about having so many people on the project at one time working to help make it a reality. We’ve had friends come and help in the past but somehow this was different. I don’t know if it was because the Portuguese were there or because so many major structural things were put into motion, all I know is that ‘Wow this is really happening!’
From LA to a farm in Portugal…Diggin’ a carrot patch!
Stay tuned for updates as the water tank is built, the house renovation starts, we figure out our solar and water system. If you have any suggestions on any of these they are greatly appreciated!
Cheers,
Cynthia
1 commentReflections on the Green Gathering/Encontro Verde
A BIG THANK YOU to Karyn, Steve, Becca and all the other good folks who contributed to making the wonderful Green Gathering happen! I don’t know quite what I expected but these four days over Easter were deeply inspiring and heartwarming beyond my expectations.
While there were creative workshops and presentations of all kinds from soap making, chi gung to permaculture to planetary healing, for me it was primarily the intent and openness of all the people present that made it such a positive event.
A mixture of about 200 Portuguese and resident foreigners of all ages gathering together in a palpable spirit of love and passion for change.
While Cynthia was giving Reintegration massage to some fortunate folks, my time was spent mostly hanging out talking with people, helping out in the café and, on Good Friday morning, giving my ‘workshop’ on the Evolution of Consciousness. Only 3 people turned up initially, but then after I began a guided meditation, one by one people were tiptoeing into the dome and sitting down. Soon we were all in a deep meditation together and when I opened my eyes I was surprised and happy to find that we were about 20 people in the circle. It was clear to us all, as the unifying pulse of meditation filled the dome, that what we were was something far greater than our individual minds and personalities. I said we didn’t have to name it but let’s call it Consciousness…
The meditation had lasted for 45mins (much longer than my planned 20 minutes!) and I was running out of time. So next I launched into a presentation on the evolution of the manifest dimension of this mysterious no-thing called Consciousness…that so far ends up being us!! I held up a drawing I had made that illustrated the leaps from No-thing to the Big Bang to Light & Energy to Matter to Life to Mind to Ego to Spirit. The Ego represented our experience of individuality and separation; our current evolutionary threshold. The realization of Spirit pointed to an awakened individuality in conscious connection with the entire creative process of cosmic evolution. Shedding our identification with our ego-sense in a fundamental way is like cracking a cosmic egg! Our ego doesn’t disappear but the floodgates of our heart open to embrace Life as an interconnected whole…
I shared my own experience of how living in conscious awareness of such a vast context meant ‘my’ life is brimming with tremendous wonder and purpose. And, in that, the experience is one of being infused and propelled forward by Life itself.
As I spoke about this many people, especially the young Portuguese, lit up with an unmistakable spark of recognition. I was very struck to see that this perspective framed the crisis that humanity faces in a way that was new and compelling to them. When I said that the deeper systemic change that was now needed had to come from a within, and that adopting alternative, sustainable lifestyles, while important, was not enough, everybody was right there agreeing that this was the most important thing.
It felt like we were all just getting started and beginning to lift off together but then I had to end as our foray into timelessness had meant that I had gone way over time! I said I was inspired to continue the exploration with a regular group or to keep in touch by email. While some people scribbled down their contact info a young girl from Lisbon came up to me with pure passion blazing from her being and said; “There will be a much bigger bang when we go beyond the ego together.” Now that was amazing!
It was a pleasure spending time with the young Portuguese people over these few days. There is an openness and innocence about them that is refreshing. Definitely different from the generally more cynical and jaded self-consciously ‘cool’ youth of Northern Europe and America. Maybe it is because the consumer culture of materialism and narcissism is less entrenched here, and there is still an awareness of connection with the earth and community, I don’t know. Still it gave me hope that Portugal won’t have to dive as deep into the same fragmented madness as we have. The young folks from ECO-GAIA and InfoNature were a great bunch of activists to be around!
One of the most interesting things that happened was a spontaneous gathering in the dining tent on the subject of community. As there were a number of people either already beginning communal projects of some kind or planning them, one such group called Terramoja who are planning a community based on Permaculture principles. initiated the meeting. Kudos to Emma, Chris & Yass for making it happen! With rapid-fire translations between Portuguese and English, much passion and experience was shared regarding both the practical and interpersonal challenges of embarking on the journey of community. It was moving to feel so many people feeling the longing to come together to forge a new future. And it was disarming also to hear a number of people be so transparent about the challenges they faced both individually and collectively. I shared my experience of beginning the Awakened Life Project and our emerging vision. I also shared some of my experience of the inspiring potentials and potential pitfalls of communal life. Having been a member of a very focused community for 14 years I realized I had plenty of experience to share!
I didn’t actually get to as many of the workshops as planned, as I was busy connecting with so many new friends from both the local area and further away. There was no speaker system announcing the events so we would lose track of time in meandering and passionate conversation. However I did make it to workshops on solar and hydro energy (thanks Robert Kuchta), Tibetan Singing Bowls (Amazing! Thanks Toivo) and Family Constellations (thanks Angelika), which proved to be a profound and deeply moving voyage of communion and healing.
It was fantastic to meet so many great people and in the process I felt that our Project began to have more context and meaning. Many expressed interest in what we are doing and I felt the sense of us being part of a wider movement here in Central Portugal moving in the direction of greater consciousness, creativity and sustainability. So to Jutta & Carlos, Isabel, Cibele, Rui, Nuno & Helen, Emma & River, Emma & Yass, Chris, Joanna, Paula, Michael, Jacquie, Viren, Lourdes, Dominique, Elisabet and others, thanks to you all and I look forward to being in touch and seeing you again sometime.
Love Pete
PS Here are some more photos…
Yoga on the grass
Feltmaking
Origami workshop, I think!
Shop in a dome…
Shower block
Roundhouse back view
Roundhouse inside
Solar cooker
Low impact bathroom facilities
Building a wiki
Camping amongst the trees
Making mud bricks
Steve coolly masterminding the event from behind shades with the delightful Angelika
UM GRANDE OBRIGADO A Karin, Steve, Becca e a todos que contribuíram para a realização do maravilhoso Encontro Verde! Não sei bem o que esperava, mas estes dias de Páscoa foram profundamente inspiradores. Aqueceram-me o coração, para além de qualquer expectativa.
Mais do que os criativos workshops e apresentações sobre temas tão diversos como confecção de sabão natural, permacultura ou cura do planeta, foi, acima de tudo, a abertura de todos os presentes que tornou o evento tão positivo. Uma mescla de portugueses e estrangeiros residentes em Portugal, num total de cerca de 200 pessoas de todas as idades, reuniram-se num espírito palpável de amor e paixão pela mudança.
Despendi a maior parte do tempo a conversar, a ajudar no café e, na boa manhã de sexta-feira, a dar o meu workshop sobre Evolução da Consciência.
Inicialmente, apenas três pessoas apareceram. Porém, uma vez iniciada a meditação guiada, as pessoas começaram a entrar no dome em bicos de pé, sentando-se, uma a uma. Mergulhámos rapidamente numa meditação conjunta profunda e, quando abri os olhos, fiquei surpreendido e feliz por perceber que éramos cerca de 20 no círculo. Todos percebemos, de forma clara, que o dome fora preenchido pelo pulso unificador da meditação percepcionámos algo muito superior às nossas mentes individuais e personalidades. Expliquei que não havia necessidade de atribuir um nome… Chamar-lhe-íamos apenas Consciência…
A meditação durou 45 minutos – muito mais do que os 20 minutos planeados! – e o tempo fugia. Iniciei, então, a apresentação da evolução da dimensão desta misteriosa «Não-Coisa» chamada meditação… até agora, acabamos por ser nós!!
Este meu desenho ilustra os saltos da «Não Coisa» para o Big Bang, para a Luz & Energia, para Matéria, para a Vida, para a Mente, para o Ego, para o Espírito. O Ego representaria a nossa experiência da individualidade e separação; A realização do Espírito apontava para uma individualidade desperta em conexão consciente com todo o processo criativo da evolução cósmica.
Shedding our identification with our ego-sense in a fundamental way is like cracking a cosmic egg!
Projectar a nossa identificação com o nosso ego é, fundamentalmente, como estalar um ovo cósmico.
O nosso ego não desaparece, mas os portões do nosso coração abrem-se para abraçar a Vida como um todo interligado…
Partilhei a experiência de que viver consciente de um contexto tão vasto como a «minha» vida enche-se de uma admiração e propósitos tremendos. É a própria vida que me impele e inspira a seguir em frente.
Falei sobre este assunto com muitas pessoas, especialmente jovens portugueses, e senti imediatamente uma faísca inconfundível.
Quando referi que a mudança sistémica profunda necessária teria de chegar do interior, pois adoptar estilos de vida sustentáveis, apesar de importante, não é suficiente, todos concordaram. Senti que estávamos apenas a começar uma descolagem conjunta… Depois percebi que já ultrapassáramos o tempo disponível para o nosso workshop!
Expliquei como me sentia inspirado a continuar esta descoberta com um grupo regular ou através de email. Enquanto algumas pessoas escreviam os seus contactos, uma jovem de Lisboa dirigiu-se a mim e com pura paixão a irradiar do seu ser, disse: “Haverá um bang ainda maior quando formos capazes de ir todos juntos para além do ego”. Foi incrível!
The Evolution of Consciousness, Reintegration Massage & The Green Gathering
Our good friends Steve & Karyn are hosting an event at their quinta over Easter called the Green Gathering. With demonstrations and presentations on themes such as solar power, chi gung, permaculture, herbal healing, manifesting abundance, and meditation, along with music and delicious vegetarian food, it promises to be a very positive and eclectic happening.
Besides helping out in the cafe and keeping the music flowing in the evening jamming session in the roundhouse above (me that is!) Cynthia will be offering Reintegration massage and I will be doing a presentation on “The Evolution of Consciousness” on Good Friday at 11am in a dome somewhere.
I will be delving into what it means to awaken to our own lives as being part and parcel of a vast cosmic evolutionary unfolding. Embracing a context that fully embraces the tipping point times in which we are living, we can discover a purpose and release a passion for Life that can have a profound transformative impact on ourselves and our relationships with others, and of course our beloved Mother Earth.
Maybe see you there…
Pete
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