'Prisoner, leave your prison!'

I am going on a journey again, just like I did last year.
I am planning to return to the UK to see my old friends.
I shall continue to write more posts about past and future.
My new style is a little more poetic and I hope you'll like it.

The first poem is a quote from the Ingmar Bergman film 'In the Presence of a Clown'.

'Prisoner, leave your prison!
 Consider then, that you are your own judge...
and your own goaler.

Prisoner, leave your prison!
To your astonishment,
you will find that no one will stop you.

The reality outside prison is indeed terrifying...
but never as terrifying
as your anguish down in that locked room.

Take your first step towards freedom.
It is not difficult.

The second step is more difficult...
but never allow yourself to be defeated by your goalers... who are only your own fear and your own pride.'

Down-to-earth crafts

Aimed to get an idea of a few traditional craftsmanships I met a 71 years old blacksmith in my native town this week.  Like most old people, he was very talkative and enjoyed demonstrating the use of his tools and equipment.  He gave me a list of what is needed to set up a blacksmith workshop.  Place Creators plan to combine traditional and modern methods, e.g. we will sharpen the heated edge of a mattock by hammering if needed but do not abstain from electric welding if the middle of the same tool is broken.  He demonstrated his skills on a few axes that needed sharpening.  I enjoyed the visit and even bought a second-hand axe that should last a lifetime unlike most newly made and imported goods.

Actually, the best axe I've seen was Tony Wrench's at Brithdir Mawr ecovillage that I visited in Aug 2001.  This was the time when the authorities ordered him to demolish his roundhouse.  I remember, it became a strong example of how activists with no other power than love and non-violance can win against building bureaucrats.  (Sounds odd, but there were quite a few times in my life when I've found myself at places and at lesser known historic but not party political events.  It feels a bit like Forrest Gump :)

Busy weekends in 2013

I had meetings in the last three weekends, two in the capital and one nearby.

On Friday 18 January, the Place Creators meeting focused on agriculture was held in the building that is owned by MagNet Bank, the first and only community bank in Hungary.  One of our members managed to get a room in this building for free :)  She also organised a chance for us to introduce our aims and activity on their open Saturday full of free intruductions and taster sessions.  A closer check confirmed my positive impressions and I opened an account at the main branch on the very same day.  ("Put your money where your mouth is", said David Mezzetti at the set up of the RealFood Exeter and I remembered this advice.)

I attended the Hungarian Ecovillage Network meeting at Galgaheviz on the 25-27 January weekend.  This bi-annual meeting has grown from a few participants to over a hundred in the last few years.  Being a bit shocked by the size of the audiance, I managed to introduce our work.  I also wrote a report to the national ecovillage newsletter (Élőfalu Hálózat Hírlevél) that will be published shortly (only Hungarian, sorry).  I do not intend to translate this report or their website but keep an eye open for further written news in English to share.

The last combined Place Creators - Place Spotters open day was held all day last Sunday.  New initiatives were introduced, development plans of the Krishna Valley neighbour Somogyvamos village were unfolded and we had some time for internal issues such how we can get more Place Spotters involved in any activity, how to improve internal and external communication, etc.  Quite a few of us recognised the uplifting spirit of this last meeting and some even marked this meeting as the best one so far.

This coming weekend I plan to continue the never ending job of sorting my books and university notes.  I'm not sure if I ever get to the end...

Develop your self

As a new year gift I decided to share a few techniques that worked for me.

I started doing ten days Vipassana meditation course / retreat near Hereford in April 2009.  It was not the kind of experience one particularly enjoys and some do not understand why they repeat it again and again.  The reason is simple, it works.  Observing the reality as it is, one can see truth without reflecting on it.  The Vipassana course is not for beginners.  My meditator friends in Exeter meditate on a daily bases and do long silent retreats regularly and have much more experience to share. 

I had my first metamorphic technique massage in Dartington around a year ago.  It is a gentle message of the feet along the the spine zone.  The goal is to amplify your own life force energy that transforms old, negative and unhelpful patterning.  You start doing what you meant to do in this life.  It has various names and sometimes specific sound or vision is used.  No matter how it's done, it works.  All you need is to book an appointment and enjoy the experience. 

The Art Of Living technique is an ancient breathing technique to eliminate stress, to balance mind and life.  I learnt it nine years ago in India and started daily practise in Hungary during the refresher course called "Waves of Happiness" in November 2012.  Yoga practitioners might know one element called Pranayama.  There are more elements including a short OM chanting.  It is an ideal 20-30 minutes 'start of the day' exercise.

Some people recognise 2007 as the year when a major shift of the human consciousness started gradually and expect further changes.  Ancient texts or spiritual teachers give little guidance.  If you nourish positive emotions and thoughts while remove negative ones (Sankara, karma, trauma, whatever you call it) you are on the right path. The best time to start is now and the above techniques will help your journey.

MT and AOL techniques are easy to understand, to learn and to practise.  Combined with Vipassana meditation, these helped me most.  I invite you to share your experiences, what worked and what can be recommended?

(31-12-2012)

2013 Q1-Q2 plans

Several members of the Place Creator community are going to attend the next Hungarian Ecovillage Network meeting at Galgaheviz 25-27 January.  A brief report will be published on this blog in February.

My time in Oroshaza will be up in a few months.  I am planning to move in to the Krishna-valley community in South-West of Hungary around the beginning of the spring agriculture season.  My motivation of living in the largest and most complex ecovillage in this country is to learn how they manage with a simple lifestyle so we can use it, too.  I am hoping to share most everyday activities and work with them.  Although I visited quite a few ecovillages around Europe, I have never lived in for more than a week. 

It will be a bit like jumping into a big time machine and travelling back to Victorian Britain, just like in the BBC series.  With some difference: the BBC had cameras whereelse this village has most western goods such as electricity, telecommunication, etc.  I am planning to live either in the modern village or in the guesthouse and hoping to be joined by one or two members of the Place Creator community.  I am sure it will be great - well, and I am hoping to continue blogging there, too.

A house with four rooms

An Indian proverb says that everyone is a house with four rooms: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Most of us tend to live in one room most of the time.  Unless we go into every room every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a complete person.

The Place Creator subgroups have been working on visioning solutions in the last few months.  The subject of spirituality was briefly discussed on 7 December.  Everyone defined what the word spirituality means for him or her.  Of course, all answers were different.  We listened to each other and made an effort to under-stand.  We will continue next year with a full day dedicated to this subject.

We have been working in the mental room and it is time to occupy the remaining three rooms of our common virtual house.  The new members plan to gain first hand experience by visiting the Krishna Valley on 5th of January, prior to the Place Creators full day meeting.

Do you visit all of your four rooms every day?

Combined meeting on 21 Dec

My tour in the Pilis Mountain was great.  Starting from Budaors, I managed to bypass the capital on the way to North  and the hiking was great with a little frost that meant no mud.

Summer and winter solstice are special times of the year in most ancient cultures and ages.  Our fortnight Friday meeting fall on 21 December that was a nice coincidence.  Furthermore, this was a combined Place Spotters and Place Creators meeting.  Many of us were busy with families or friends already but quite a few who attended early Place Spotters meetings came for this one so we had the right number for a big circle.

I dare to say that this members' meeting was the most successful so far.  We worked on a few issues in small groups, had a hands-on presentation by R Varga from Garabonc followed by a vivid discussion, listened to 'Uncle Laci' sharing his experiences of places around Hungary, recalled what Place Creators have been working on in the last few months in 6 groups, shared the good news about eleven families or couples willing to join us, held a meditation in line with the global one, had a plenary and of course, celebrated Xmas and the year end.

I am sure your supportive energies, positive thoughts or prays helped us and I thank you very much for this.  The whole world is changing and we see it as crisis but it's a great opportunity if we change our perspectives.  More outlines of a new era will be visible on the horizon in 2013.