Dear members

Well, back after three weeks on the magnificent island of Florianopolis off
the east coast of Brazil, in amongst the 7% of the Atlantic Rainforest that
remains. Two of the three weeks were spent at a very intensive and intense
Ayhuasca seminar being fully deconstructed, having my beliefs and values
challenged in an idyllic paradise. Coming back has been tough (it's amazing
how much "stuff" can build up in three weeks - even in a yogic life) but not
nearly as tough as the journey was. We partook of the revered Native
American brew ("the vine of death") five times over twelve days,
interspersed with discussions, presentations, meditations, too little yoga,
Tai Chi and unbelievable food. For me the reconstruction process will be
lengthy because there was so much to deconstruct but I hope to share some of
my learning's with you over the course of the next few months as I digest,
distil and work out the meaning of what happened. At the outset, I must
highly recommend this process, Dr Eduardo Luna (the facilitator) is doing
another seminar in January together with a lucid dream specialist and a
holotropic breath practitioner, in the Amazon Rainforest, if anybody is
keen - I would love an excuse to organise it. We are also thinking of
hosting him here.

There is so much to tell - from becoming a wolf at full moon, to some scary
moments when Eduardo's shamanic skills were tested to the full but for now I
would like to share a simple but powerful analogy that came to me in one of
the visions.
The journey to enlightenment/expanded consciousness can be likened to
travelling from Cape Town to a destination - the first decision being
deciding where to go to and what direction to set out in. Thereafter, you
have a large choice as to the modes of transport e.g.: walk, run, bicycle,
car, bus, jet, etc. At the outset it is important to realise that no mode of
transport is 'better' than the other, each has its pro's and con's. Some
will make you physically fit in the process (walking, running, cycling),
some will allow you to observe the countryside and appreciate the journey
(bus), whilst some might give you the ability to change your route and
explore side roads and interesting sights (car). Taking Ayhuasca in a
controlled, intention-orientated manner with proper facilitation in a safe,
environment is a bit like chartering a Lear jet - yes it's quick but it's
very difficult to understand what you have done or to appreciate the
distance you have travelled and there is also a real danger that you will
become hooked on flying and speed rather than the journey or destination.

In my life I have searched for God, spirituality, meaning, fulfilment and
enlightenment with an impatience that did not allow me to realise that the
answers lie within ourselves. Each of us will choose and experience a
different journey and come to different realisations at different times, we
may not be heading for the same destination - perhaps cycling around the
beauty of Cape Town might be your choice!

A good teacher will free you to explore your own body and mind and to come
to the conclusions that are correct for you at that time. This is the reason
I am not a big believer in gurus that prescribe not only the process but
also the conclusion and how you will feel along the way. How can they
possibly know what's good for you when their only measure is their own
experience? Yoga, meditation, religion, sweat lodges, dance, trance, prayer,
etc are all just instruments that allow you to connect with yourself to
discover the beauty, love and contentment that resides within us all - no
trips to the Amazon or Himalayas are mandatory! In Ashtanga yoga, the breath
is everything - that is what detoxifies the system, it relaxes and calms the
mind and through the meditative focus allows you to explore the spaces
between the thoughts which is where a bigger world awaits us.

For sure this experience has shattered my world but it has also given me a
glimpse of a place that I can now access in my daily meditation or yoga
practice. My challenge is to not forget, and integrate it into a meaningful
life that achieves the objectives I wish to satisfy. Life is really so
simple in it's complexity - it's all about the choices we make and the
consequences thereof - we can't have everything but we can learn to be happy
with what we get - that is my wish for you!!
More to follow.
Final thought: How can there be a right way to get 'there' if there is no
'there'?

With Love,
Chris and the Moksha team.

"Growing is the most important and essential endeavour that a human being
can undertake. You can make and lose money; you can be promoted and demoted
in the world. Never, at any stage, is there certainty about what will happen
to you in this life. However, there is one thing that nobody can take away
from you - the growth you attain through you own search for Self-knowledge.
Furthermore, this growth and understanding become the foundation that
sustains you through any and all worldly difficulties, and that allows you -
whatever the form of your physical experience - to find in life a
continuously unbroken flow of total well-being."
~ Swami Chetanananda