Back in Upaya!
- 1 dec 2015
- 2 minuten om te lezen
It's been about 4 weeks now since I returned to Upaya Zen Center (in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA) and it's great to be back. A few days ago Roshi Joan (Halifax) said to me: "You look good. You look healthy." And I said: "I feel good. I feel healthy." It's true, I do feel very fit and strong, which feels very good!
My body really likes the climate here in Santa Fe. It can get pretty cold here, but it's a very different kind of cold than in Holland (or Northwest Europe in general). Here there is so little humidity [NL: vochtigheid] that you don't get the damp cold [NL: waterkoud] that gets in your bones. Here it's a very dry cold, and I love it. Sometimes the thermometer says it's below 10 degrees Celsius, and I walk around in a t-shirt and with bare feet in my crocs without a problem. In Europe that would be impossible for me. Here we get a lot of sun, and the sun is still quite strong. In terms of latitude [NL: noorderbreedte] New Mexico is at the level of Morocco, so when the sun shines, you really feel it, even if the air is cold (Upaya is at about 2300 meters above sea level). My body seems to thrive on it [NL: gedijt heel goed]. And my moods are similarly sunny :-)
We've already had snow here twice. The first time a little bit (see the first pictures), and the second time about 15 centimeters. It doesn't last very long, because of the strength of the sun, but it was enough for a snow fight, and for an afternoon of sledding [NL: sleeën] with Eri, a wonderful and lovely resident from Japan/California who had much less experience with snow and sledding than I do. We did end up with bruised butts (well, especially Eri, actually) but as she said that's part of the fun, which I fully agree with :-)
And because the weather is often nice, it is easy to go outside and exercise. I skip ropes [NL: touwtje springen], and a few times a week I go out mountain biking in the surrounding hills (see the last pics, made by Eri Suzuki).
But it's not just the weather, of course. And it's not just my body that likes it here. I love being here, at this center, with these people, with this teacher (Roshi Joan Halifax). Upaya is a special place! I love the beauty you see here (both outside and inside), and I admire and resonate with the vision behind Upaya, the steadfast dedication to letting that take shape, and the heart with which it is all done. I find it impressive, and feel proud to be connected with it.
And I just love my life, and what it looks like now. It's been about 9 months since I left my job and my home and I became a fulltime travelling zen student, and I can really notice that my practice is getting stronger, more focused and more energetic. It's not just my body that is becoming stronger. I feel very inspired and motivated, and I am happy. Full steam ahead!
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