Growing and Learning

Namaste Everyone :)

I am continuing to learn, grow and do so many wonderful things. The people I am with are so amazing and they all have so much love and energy. They also have so much to teach and share. It is really nice being out here in the mountains doing fulfilling and fun activities, and focusing on soul evolution. I have been able to go into town and better be aware of my state of being and how I am interacting with people, especially ones that may have gotten a reaction out of me before. I am also noticing that I can already better recognize egoic tendencies and fear momentums that need to be worked through so that they can be transmuted. Not only that but my connection to divine love is strengthening more and more each day.

With all of that being said here are some of the things I have gotten into the past week or so. I haven’t kept up with what day is what so this will go in order based off of the journal entry. (MSC = Morning Starter Course) (ESC = Evening Starter Course)

On this day after MSC I helped out in the Silvo Pasture using a scythe to clear out some tall grass. I had never used a scythe before and it was honestly so much fun. I was imagining myself as a medieval farmer tending to his land. Then I accidentally found a ground wasp nest and ran far up the hill as soon as I heard the buzzing. Only one of them chased me down and stung me. It honestly wasn’t as bad as I remember being stung to be. After that during C Block I dug 2 holes and helped cement in the new schedule board. The new board is in a much better spot for everyone to see and it also gives a lot more room for the schedule and any other announcements. At dinner we did this thing where we went around in a circle and talked about things we have been working through and then on round 2 we talked about things we love/are grateful for. It was a very beautiful and releasing experience and it made me feel more loved and comfortable.

This next day was lots of fun! After MSC Anusha, Ben and I were all on garden and we took the herbs that were beside the kitchen stairs and made a cute little garden spot for them. There was this spot in between the 2 paths to the kitchen and the bathrooms and that is where we put the plants. We needed to transplant some of the plants into new pots so I finally learned how to do that. It was so exciting and surprisingly easy. We put down mulch to layout the design of the garden and we made kind of a squiggly line with it. We placed the pots in there and then Ben suggested that we line the outside of the bed with rocks and it was an incredible idea! It really brought the whole thing together. Afterwards I learned how to process fennel and store it. I also realized that curry seasoning comes from a plant and the plant smells absolutely amazing. After dinner Gudu taught this kindness class. It talked about not enabling people to continue their fear momentums. We also talked about this 3 filter test that reminded me of the book “The Art of Communication” The 3 filters apply to conversation and telling something to someone. It goes like this, 1. Is it useful 2. Is it good 3. Is it truthful. Other things to keep in mind with this is, is it beneficial for the receiver, is it the right opportunity, make eye contact and keep a comfortable speaking volume and speed. It is also important to talk with the receiver and not to them.

On the next day Ben, Devaaya, Gudu and I were on build. We basically just cleaned up the area, move some appliances around in Jhanandas’ house and moved some doors up to Sauchas’ house. During C block Ben and I dug a pole out of the ground and weeded a few areas. I finally took my bike for a ride down the driveway and out onto the road and it was so much fun. With the hills here I was able to really pick up some speed and zoom down the road. The well ran low because the water for the garden was left on a little too long and the water started to come out brown so we had to fill up buckets from the overflow (a spot of running water) and wash dishes with those while we allowed the ICB totes to fill back up. This day was also the day that I finally got to meet and chat with Satguru Jhananda. Jhananda is the Satguru that helps over see everything and is who created the spiritual practices and the way it is taught. He is a very loving guy, extremely silly and loves his jokes. He is also a bandana collector and I told him we would have to compare notes on our headwear collections. At dinner we had some great conversations about conscious parenting, states of being, creating karma, tuning into and listening to the divine and many other amazing topics.

This off day was a lot of fun. The breakfast was super yummy. During MSC I was a lot more distracted. Some days you’ll have really good days where you are very clear and focused and others where you can’t maintain focus at all. I finally removed all of the $uicideboy$ and other very low energy music off of my spotify. Then we all went into Roanoke. We went to a thai restaurant for lunch. We didn’t know this until the end of the meal but they were closing in a week. The server kept having to come back and tell us they were out of stuff and it was a difficult ordering process. When the food came out there was like 3 wrong orders and she wrote down orders for 2 people that didn’t order anything. She was also getting upset at us for “not knowing what we ordered”. There was a lot of miscommunication here. It was definitely a learning experience for everyone and it also showed me some areas where I need to work through some patterns. The food was still good tho. After that we went across the street to this pizza place. The slices were massive. A full pizza was 28”. I got a slice of the garlic mushroom with spinach and some feta cheese and it was amazing. I also realized how long I’ve been here already and it really surprised me. We went to the river afterwards and it was so nice. It was also the warmest river I have ever been in. We played the classic “who can have their breath the longest” and just enjoyed the water and weather. For ESC Saucha taught for the first time since I arrived and it was really nice. He had great explanations and stories that helped relate things.

This day was amazing. I got to sit with Saucha and talk to him about tips and advice for starting an intentional community and he told me things that worked for them, what didn’t work and things he would do differently if he had to do it again. He told me things that I could need and so much more useful information. During MSC I was much more focused. I was on garden today and we harvested lots of crops. We harvested potatoes, carrots, tons of chard, kale, beets, radishes (or turnips), 1 okra (it was the nicest tea I have ever seen), basil, arugula, tomatoes, some squash and zucchini. Some of it was used for lunch as well as some wild herbs such as queen annes lace, plantain, wood sorrel, marigold petals and I think a few other things. It was the cleanest most nutritious meal I have ever had. I also helped to process all of the leafy greens and we also made fresh pesto. It is the best pesto I have ever had. We also now have Mother Herb to protect the herb garden from deer. After lunch we had a group call with Jhananda and then I took a great power nap in the hammock. Also my camera finally turned back on which is so amazing.

This MSC was the best one yet. We read document 9 and Sama brought out the tea. It was a puerh tea. It was warming, creamy and nutty with a very smooth taste. We sipped on the tea as we read and discussed the document. It really helped the energy flow and clarity and strengthening my connection with divine love. I also learned that you pour out the first brew because the first one is meant to open up the tea leaves and to warm up all of the pots and cups. I also noticed the difference in tea caffeine and coffee caffeine. Tea is much cleaner and grounding. You can also be highly caffeinated and still manage it instead of getting the shakes and sweats. Afterwards I took Yasamin to the dentist and the drive out there was incredible. The fun windy roads, the beautiful mountain ranges, rolling hills of pastures, cows grazing and many other beautiful sights. When we got back I made lunch, it was leftover rice, beans, tomatoes, peppers, chard along with some eggs with herbal seasoning on them. For a nice little dessert I mad banana, chia seeds, honey, walnuts, pecans, cranberries and cacao. After that I went to play guitar for a bit and then hangout with Maryliz and Sully while they cooked dinner. We had a really fun group kirtan after dinner and Saucha also taught me how to find and hold a rhythm. I played the tambourine during the kirtan and it was a lot of fun. After the kirtan I did some more computer stuff and then walked around and took some pictures.

This was the last day of MSC. Afterwards I played guitar for a bit and I was finding some really cool tunes. Maryliz and I cooked lunch this day. We made brussels, tofu, mashed sweet potatoes, steamed brocoli and cauliflower, and sausage. It was a lot of fun to make the food. Later in the day I had to walk to my car (it’s a pretty solid distance on a gravel driveway) and I was finally able to walk there and back barefoot. I am even getting to where I can run across the rocks. Then I played some more guitar, took some pictures and chilled for a bit. After dinner I did my final document with Saucha and Gudu. After that we all gathered around the campfire to jam, sing and dance. It was so beautiful and fun. As the night wound down it was just Sully, Maryliz and I chatting around the campfire.

This day off was great! I did my first day of solo practices and it was a lot of fun. Then I watched and read the new One Piece and it just continues to get better and better. I also uploaded some pictures to the blog. I did a photoshoot for Diksha so that he could have an updated professional picture. I have never done a photoshoot and it went great and was a lot of fun. The pictures came out amazingly. Cesar and Sully cooked an amazing curry, stir fry, urad. It was so yummy. Also I realized my guitar was left out the night before and it got down poured on and it is just fine today. We all gathered in the green cabin to watch the Studio Ghibli film “The Tale of Princess Kaguya”. It was actually a really good movie. I am also getting better at being aware of fear momentums as they arise.

The next day after the morning pergola (bridge) meeting we got a game plan for the day and all of the tools out that we needed. For breakfast we had pesto potato patties, oat meal, eggs and a great morning tea. We worked in the Silvo Pasture weeding and mulching the last 3 trees on the west side of the pasture. After that we put in this new meditation garden spot in front of the Feminine cabin. It is so cute and very fairy esque. I helped to get the groceries in and then I went to do my practices. During the practices my thoughts were running. I noticed an energy of rushing to get somewhere else/onto the next task. (As of when I am writing this I sat with those energies and have been able to start to trace them back to their roots and it has been very eye opening and releasing) Yasamin and I then started dinner make and we made yellow curry, rice, chicken and tofu, and salad with a mustard vinaigrette. Gudu and Maryliz made brownies for dessert and they were the best brownies I have ever eaten. Gudu also picked up the largest block of dubliner cheese I have ever seen and it was such a beautiful sight. Then after dinner Anusha showed us this really cute baby snapping turtle by the pond. Then we skipped some rocks and then I went back to clean my dishes. After that I went to my tent, played some guitar and then called my grandpa for a bit. Someone had asked me at dinner where my ancestors came from so I asked him and he told me that his grammy came from a country that’s not a country anymore called Prussia. He is also a direct descendant of a guy that cane over on the Mayflower called William Harlow. I also learned that my dads’ side is from Ireland.

Yesterday I was on build all day. I was digging the mud that had collected out of a trench that is already there for the water lines. Once I finished that I started to connect 2 trenches that they couldn’t get to with the trench digger because of the solar panels. It was actually a lot of fun. Digging holes is truly such a wonderful experience. During dinner it started to rain really hard and then Yasamin, Anusha and I went and played in the rain and rolled down the hill. It was so much fun and really nourished my inner child. A few days after I finished the MSC after I had thought about it I chose Saucha as my mentor. After dinner yesterday we had our first meeting and it was really nice, very insightful and uplifting. After that we had a community art night with pants, pencils, clay and other art supplies. It was an absolute blast. I opted for clay because I haven’t used it in a while and it was lots of fun getting to work with it.

With all of that being said I am absolutely loving my time here and I am growing so so so much. I am learning so many lovely and beneficial things. We are doing some really amazing work and doing lots of really fun activities. I am eating the best food I have ever eaten and I am so grateful for being able to have this experience. Always remember that you are loved, you are love, we are all connected, and as one grows we all grow. Continue to follow your path and growing through each experience that you have.

With the most amount of love and gratitude,

I will see you all next time :)

“Change your Mind, Change your Life”

Dr. Joe Dispenza