Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Silent summer retreat

When you find peace within yourself, you become the kind of person who can live at peace with others.
-Peace Pilgrim

I have just arrived back to Japan after a summer holiday in my home country Finland.

Straight from the high paced, crowded and skyscraper surrounded city of Osaka I landed to the totally opposite.

I joined a four day long Qigong retreat on the beach. An amazingly peaceful and beautiful place to gather energy. The weather Gods supported us with the most perfect summer days and nights.

I got grounded by digging my feet deep into the sand. I emptied my thoughts by gazing at the ocean. My heartbeat dropped down to peaceful levels by listening to the sound of the waves. The well trained qigong instructors taught me new ways to gather and store energy. And I made lots of new friends!

This last year I have been practicing qigong all by myself here in Japan and feel deeply thankful for all the energy that scents the air at the Qigong retreat. It is awesome to connect with your own energy. Joining in for a qigong practice, surrounded by others, pops up the energy level even stronger. You need to experience it to understand the magic!

My summer retreat in Finland also offered me silence. The power you get from not listening to anything.

And the possibility of
breathing fresh air. I have almost forgot how nice clean air can smell.

Something I wish to be able to buy all of this in a box here in Osaka. A city that never shuts down. And even though its a really clean city you never get the same scent as you walk in a green area.






I was also given the opportunity to visit my yogafriends exhibition LADALATO2010.

She has put together a wonderful concept from the impressions she got when visiting Japan in March. In her exhibition she has created a place for the soul to rest.

We hurry from one goal to the next and forget to admire the things we pass on the way.

We need spiritual cleansing, nutrition and cultivation. The only time that exist is the present. When we step out of the road, slow down our steps we eventually get in touch with our selves and are able to listen to our inner voice.

3 comments:

  1. Låter fint med din QiGong retreat. Jag är intresserad av att utöva det också. Tror det skulle vara ett komplement till yogan, allt som handlar om hur vi kultiverar vår inre energi egentligen. Skönt att du är tillbaka i bloggvärlden!

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  2. "Lädoyoga" :) Jaaa!
    I helgen ska jag besöka ladorna! först nu har jag tillfälle.

    Känner att qigongen liksom smyger runt i periferin - spännande och se när den kommer ut i fullt dagsljus.

    Om Shanti, Sue

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  3. Qigong + yoga = underbar balans!

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