"I had to go all over the world to collect your energy."
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
I suppose that's the hazard of global living: leaving piece of yourself wherever you land. That, weddings and other rites of passages of loved ones, and picking up interesting diseases. Ringworm (or some other fungal rash variation), now that's sexy. A red blotchy blow to the ego. (Which along with an unexpected haircut is on my list to embrace! embrace!)
Last Sunday was my on
ly day off in a 3 week span. Plus, my workdays have been hovering around 14-hour zone; hence, the slow blogging. Two weeks ago we started a community food garden for our kids, with over 40 people pitching up to dig, hack, and generally get dirty. I was assigned to hands-in-dirt tasks the Zulu women didn't care for, and also because when I used the big tools they shook their heads and smiled and pointed to bigger ladies to do that job. That, and I screen-printed precisely a bazillion t-shirts to sell for Eco Saturday (and we sold, like, 10?). (Photo: busy digging holes for fruit trees!)
In an early celebration of Earth Day, last weekend we celebrated Eco Saturday. It was a well-attended (about 300 people) day of game drives, pita pockets (why are white people so much pickier about what goes in their pitas?), pony rides, Zulu dancing (from little kids in suits & white gloves to a professional troupe in traditional garb), face painting, a garden mural, and the general mayhem of a first-time event. I have never seen the employees work so hard, move so quickly, and smile so much. Some even thanked me for organizing it--after they'd worked their butts off for 8 hours straight! I think the staff were especially excited their families got to see where they work, and as a happy surprise, a bunch of my ladies showed up in traditional costume, adding even more color to a beautiful day. Looking at the rolls of resulting photos, I'm pleased to see people had so much fun. There's definitely room for improvement (one can never really advertise enough!), like making more money and having more learning activities for different ages. Overall, I'm pleased, for employee and community goodwill most of all. (Photo: learning to throw rubbish in the bin)
Between ladies telling me , "You came to Africa to work! You should stay!", community members smiling and waving as I drive by, a lady coming to say she wants to work with the kids (first time we have not actively recruited), and employees asking for additional conflict resolution reading, which I'm excitedly turning into a weekly course, I am overjoyed (and overwhelmed), to see 
such positive progress. Although all the work (and occasional loneliness of rural living) does get exhausting and I feel like I'm becoming uncentered. Giving to others and neglecting healthy selfishness takes a toll. So, the titular quote is from a bio energy healer I treated myself to yesterday. Warning: about to get metaphysical. (Photo: laughing on Eco Saturday--winter's a-comin!)
Massage/yoga/acupressure/tai chi/etc all unblock clogs in energy channels (think: those bioelectric energy fields viewed by medical machines/auras/prana/qi or whatever you want to call it). Most of us feel more open after massage/yoga/etc, and I had never felt something as strong as this bio energy healing. I literally felt energy coursing through me (a low-grade full body wave-orgasmic feeling, or a pleasant version of a limb falling asleep but waves of that energy pulsating through the body), from toe to head-top, and later felt toxic energy draining from my feet, followed by positive energy surging from my crown. 
I left feeling so revitalized and was sent with the message to "be aware of your expectations" (very apropos for overachiever me who even did some work for India amidst the recent craziness). Also had a vision/dream (of a skinny black man with braided hair holding 3 bundled babies onto a wooden plank like loaves of bread, and a hysterical lady crying and pleading for him not to take off their clothes, to which he turned his head away to ignore her), felt compelled to buckle my seat belt for the first time since I've been here (maybe this is part of taking care of myself, although on these roads being able to jump out more easily might arguably be safer), and as a reminder of my over-giving tendencies, still feel energy surging out of my third eye chakra (it's too open). (Photo: metaphysical VW in Pietermaritzburg)
She was the second to tell me my neck and head rash (ringworm? eczema? dry skin?) is related to thinking and not then speaking my piece. On that note, I've been reading about mind-healing ala the famous Louise Hay as well. Do I think one can control disease with the mind alone? Not really. Do I think negative thought patterns contribute to disease? Absolutely. (There's scientific data on that, and on the positive thought flip side, think of the placebo effect!) I'm working on banishing self- criticism and guilt (the other two big offenders are resentment and anger, which thankfully I'm light on). I find all of this metaphysical-ness extremely fascinating; apologies if it's not your cup of tea (mine, by the way, is herbal, sans sugar, sans milk). (Photo: second full double rainbow in a week outside the office)
P.S. Please, if I phone, don't worry what it costs. Besides food (which costs little fresh from the farm), it's my only personal expense (there are no tempting shops within 50 km). Talking to you is infinitely more valuable than buying some sweater or seeing a movie. Promise.
Posted byValerie at 2:40 PM
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