A shift from spending time in water to spending time on the land is what this post is about. It's the balance between feeling grounded on the earth, and feeling floaty on the waves, that makes for a healthy equation. So, I visited Awakeland Portugal in the hills of Meixilhoeira, to plant 6,000 trees with on average about 10-13 other volunteers. An experience I like to tell you a bit more about..
The video above shows drone footage from the two parts of Awakeland, a meditation, yoga, and tantra retreat center. It's an 8 acres stretch of land, which has suffered a big fire some years ago. The reforestation has been planned for a long time, and it was the grateful job for two teams in both December and January to prepare and plant three indiginous tree species - medronho, cork and pine - into the soil. With great enthusiasm we dug holes for days, and planted with great satisfaction. Our supervisor told us: 'Plant your first tree as if it were your last, and your last tree as if it were your first.'
The work was done in shifts of three hours work, with enough breaks for tea/coffee and good conversations. Every day, we cooked together and fed the entire community. It was truly heart-warming to do this work with people that share a common belief, that we need to take care of our planet. The collective consciousness of the group was high, as knowledge was shared, moments of stillness were abundant, and the connection with the earth was felt. Awakeland hosts events that facilitate in the growth of the participants' consciousness through for instance biodanza, ecstatic dance, tantra yoga, ayurvedic cooking, and meditation. Without spoiling too much in this blogpost, I hope it fuels your curiosity and enthusiasm to come experience this place someday, they always need volunteers to help nurture the land, and bring in skills to help grow the community. And as one of the volunteers during my stay proved to me, you can also bring your cat. Take it easy, take care, IB. Video credits: @a_trace_of_yellow (Sander Machielsen)