Expressing the Inexpressible - Nonduality (Advaita) Retreat with Jeff Foster

It's Friday afternoon, and all the retreat guests have gone home (although of course they never left Home, but that's another story ...)

What a lovely week it was. It was a week of laughter and tears, of openness and friendship, of paddling in crystal clear waters, of eating the most delicious and healthy home-made food, of insights and revelations and seeing life unfold right before our very eyes, of meeting each other and realising that we were only ever meeting ourselves.

The retreat was an absolute joy, a gift, a delight.... and yet it was nothing special - it was just THIS - as it is. Totally ordinary, and wonderfully extraordinary.

And as the week went on, and as the questions dissolved, a beautiful presence that was always there (but so often overlooked) became even more palpable. Until in the end, there was only laughter.

I'll always remember the laughter.... that wonderfully spontaneous, contagious, deep laughter.... that cosmic laughter that reminded us (as if any reminder was ever needed!) that all is One, and all is well, and that the Play accepts and loves everything unconditionally, because it IS everything, and nothing is excluded.

Thank you, Jock. Thank you, Kalikalos staff. Thank you, everyone who travelled so far to be here. See you all soon!

With love,


Jeff Foster

P.S. And thanks to the pears, the fish man, and the plastic chairs! ;)

Permaculture weekend in Greece

The first time we held hands to "tune in" it felt awkward.
I thought that this might be a sort of religious ritual.
But Sunday morning was different.
As we formed a circle in Jock's small room,
we could hear the fulfilling rain pouring down.
I closed my eyes and thought about our plants back home.
It was late August and they had suffered a dry summer.
The hands that held mine on each side were no longer strange.
It was as if they were drops of fulfilling rain onto my heart.
I gradually zoomed out of the picture and saw us forming a circle;

a small group scared and brave,
sad and happy,
lonely and in harmony,
on a huge planet.

I thought that the first groups of humans
gathering around the fire at night
might have looked and felt similar.
They might have held hands and told stories to ease their fears.
We opened our eyes.
We were ready for our story; to ease our own fears.
The difference was that this time the beasts were amongst the human race itself.
Thank you for making our lives a bit less dry.

Rolandos from Evia Island, Greece

It's all coming to an end

So I've been "working" here at Kalikalos for the last 3 weeks, and it's been nothing short of a gift. I mean that in the most genuine way. I remember the things that were running through my head the night before I was due to fly from London: What if I don't like it? What if they work me too hard? What if they're all a bunch of crazy New Agers? Well I was wrong on all counts (bar the last one maybe...).
As I sit here typing this blog, I can hear "My Girl" booming out of the cd player in the kitchen, with the occasional chorus contribution by the chefs. Tonight's menu involves the newly re discoverd, traditional stone oven I believe. We're having pizza cooked fresh, courtesy of Craig and Beatrice (with freshly needed dough). And the feeling is great. Like every night here.
I have to say I've eaten like a king since being here. Some of the guests/staff over the weeks have whipped up some really gourmet dishes. Particularly nice was Lotties' Quinoa and Veggie bake during the Tai Chi week. But man, this pizza is smelling good right now.

Since being here I've experienced some of the most beautiful natural scenery on earth, tasted the most lovingly prepared food, picked the freshest figs (alot!) from the trees, withnessed flash floods on a bibical scale, met some of the most inspirational human beings I have ever met, had the most glorious morning runs up into the hills at sunrise and learnt things I cannot put into words. And I write this from my heart.
I intend to write a longer blog when I have longer to write it. But this pizza is smelling too good...

Thankyou Kalikalos (for now.)

Freddie M, London

Permaculture Weekend

For a staff member here at Kalikalos; the introduction to Permaculture was more than eye opening. I'm now thinking of the delicate processes of growth and food production with fresh eyes. Mother nature's a strange one to work out, but she seems to work to our best advantage when we tune ourselves more closely to her subtle demands. Who knew a cow horn full of manure and a cow horn full of quartz could be the route to bigger, fresher, tastier crop yields? Not me. That's for sure. Until now. Thanks to Craig and Beatrice for evolving my way of thinking about nature and about life. And thankyou to everyone that attended the workshop from all over Greece; you were all inspirational characters.
Freddie M, London

first impressions of a newby

Having arrived to be a volunteer at Kalikalos 3 days ago, I wanted to gather some of my first impressions, both to remind myself of the experience, and to communicate to others who may feel like coming here. New place, new people, new rhythms and new community, all too much to explain really, too much information! So I've distilled some moments in 5 haiku, I hope they communicate something of the feel and colours here.


THE COMMUNITY
Strangers welcome me
This place is warming my skin
And soothing my soul

THE LAND
Where land meets water
Verdant, fertile, fruiting green
Pink roses, blue sky

THE KITCHEN
Purple,red,green,white
And the softest rosey blush
Colours we can eat!

THE SEA
Such a unique blue
Turquoise cannot describe this
Clear crystal holding

TAI CHI AT PLAKA BEACH
Stillness is the dance
Beauty moving with the sea
In flow we are one

On I go into my fortnight!....

Sharon Usher, Oxford

Tai Chi on Plaka Beach

As the sun goes down on a late summer evening; the natural, free flowing movements of the Tai Chi echoed the natural beauty of the Pelion peninsula all around us. Gazing across the calm, deep blue ocean; fishes dancing across its surfaces, and seven of us commenced our Sunday practice.



A complete first timer to the art of Tai Chi; the experience was at first a somewhat daunting one. After the initial five minutes of flailing around in the sand, continuously losing my balance, and breaking into an embarrassing sweat; the subtle movements and graceful form I was attempting to recreate from Francoise, eventually became far more natural. After yet another fifteen minutes a strange feeling of total mental ease began sweeping over me, as my body began mimicking the moves almost automatically. It had seemed my my mind had entered almost into a calm meditation, as my body continued to flow through these movements, without any forced insistence. I will certainly be coming back for more.

Freddie Matthews (Kalikalos staff recruit and first time Tai Chi'er)

Retreat in Not-Knowing with Unmani

We had a great week of dialogues in Not-Knowing in the yurt. It was wonderful to watch individuals blossom as the week went on. It started so seriously and ended in so much laughter. Recognising who You really are seems so serious and hard work when you don't seem to get the joke, but once you do, all that is left is a smile!

Lovely to be here and enjoy this wonderful place.

Thanks Jock.

Love Unmani
x
www.not-knowing.com