Catching the wave

Some days are just magical and Life is playing vividly within you. It feels like catching a big wave, finding the exact balance and then just ride along, trusting the ocean to be supportive and to bring you to your perfect place. Those days are like tuning in to a certain frequency and feeling the equilibrium within that current. 

Those are the days when the heart and mind is open and anything is possible. Interesting meetings occur and at the end of the day you'll go to bed with a big smile knowing and feeling with every cell in your body and every space in your heart, the (in)visable connection between all meetings and happenings in Life. 

The year when it all changed

Last year, by this time, I was still in Japan. It was autumn, just like now here in Sweden. It was the harvest season and naturally there was a strong focus on food! Well, in Japan food is always important! I remember I enjoyed making natural sweets out of steamed Sweet potatoes adding some coconutmilk and chopped walnuts.  They look pretty yummy no?

The photos below used to make me happy but now when I look at them I get very mixed feelings. The pictures are taken a year ago from a local farmer's market in Nasu, situated in north Tochigi prefecture just beneath Fukushima prefecture. 

Recently I saw news that a couple of months ago, beef from Tochigi was banned due to high contamination levels. That means, beef from four prefectures now have been banned. So how about the rice, vegetables, fruit and water? Are they safe? How about all the innocent children eating this every day?

Looking back at last year's bountyful autumn makes me happy for the past. That we could live a life taking so many things, especially food for granted.  It makes me feel how rich yet innocent we were. Not knowing what was going to come. Not knowing how fragile life actually is and how one happening can change everything. 

Even if it sometimes feels like we can't do much to change the situation from the other side of the world, we can take a look at how we live. What kind of energy-sources are we supporting and what do we want to support? Are we ready to give up some comfort to create a more sustainable future? What kind of world do we want to create? What kind of world and lifestyle can we with confidence show and teach our children? 

While contemplating that, sending our love and healing to the people, to the nature and to this world that are suffering is a strong support more  than doing nothing at all. This is a great way to develop compassion. 

I pray for healing. I also pray for the correct information to be revealed in order for people to be able to make active choices. 

I pray for the children to have a bright future with a healthy nature to play in.

In the mood for autumn

The past few weeks have been filled with small projects. I have been doing everything and nothing at the same time! You could say that there has been a focus on being in the nature, reflecting upon nature, picking edible mushrooms in the forest, cooking and making crispy bread, making a sourdoughbase  and then sourdough breads, making wild yeast, spending time with friends, family and meeting new people. On top of that the usual stuff like practicing yoga, studying Ayurveda and working. You could say it has been a typical autumn so far. The only thing I miss, is sitting by the fire, waiting for the なべ (japanese stew/soup) to get ready. In my heart I share those moments with my japanese family and  friends. I miss you all and send you lots of love.

Nature's camouflage!

Saturday night

How will you spend this Saturday night in the beginning of October? I am being fortunate to celebrate this evening by joining a pranayama, bija-mantra and kirtan workshop! I am really happy about this and I am looking forward to meet these teachers (new to me) and to reconnect with my yogi-friends out there. Lately when I am joining a workshop I am always meeting someone I already know. We are all drawn to the same energy-boosting events. And yes not to forget, Stockholm is a very small place after all!

The teachers of today's happening are Todd Tesen and Michael Stewart.よろしくおねがいします！(yoroshiku onegaishimasu- there are too many translations for this expression, but I am sure some of you will understand! ) Have a lovely evening! Namaste.

Autumn is here

The leaves have turned slightly yellow. Some of them are even orange or red! The other day it was rainy and the temperature was about 10°C. This means it is already autumn, no? It feels so early though.

In Japan, the autumn comes gradually, step by step, in a gentle way to prepare us. In Sweden it comes more abruptly. All of a sudden it is dark and cold and we find ourselves using a jacket, wrapped in a scarf and wearing boots saying  "Hey, what happened to the summer?".

Momiji-tree near my village in Japan, last year.

There is something calming about this season though. It makes me relaxed and gives me inspiration to learn something new and at the same time it gives me power to deepen my interests.

If you have a tendency to run out of energy during this time of the year, it can be truly life-saving to have small projects to focus on. In my case that would be my yogapractice, which is actually not just a small project but a Life-long focus : ), and my ayurvedic studies. Well, that is a practice to keep up for a life-time as well, but anyway you know what I mean!

The autumn gives time and space to naturally withdraw a little. Withdraw from all that outgoing summerish energy, being so externally focused, blooming and fiery. This time coming now is more slow and introspective. I believe we need some of that as well.

Feeling so much love and appreciation for the nature and for the earth also gives me a slightly different experience of the weather and it's seasons. That makes it easier to accept the dark and the cold (at least now I can say that when it is just in the very beginning of that looooong period without any Light!). We'll see in a couple of months! In the meanwhile, I will do my best to welcome this time that gives space for more quietness, creativity and stability.

Dinner at Lao Wai

The other day I finally got the chance to pay a visit at the Lao Wai restaurant in central Stockholm. Since I have heard that it is always crowded I made sure to make a reservation. Entering this small restaurant with a typical east-asian setting, minimalistic and clean, made me travel to Japan in a second. How about being in the present? : )

Anyway, the friendly staff welcomed us and brought us the menu. Wow! So much wonderful food to choose from! Finally!

Being a vegetarian in Stockholm is usually extremely boring when it comes to going out for food. The usual choices that you have are curries or soups, some roasted vegetables, sallad or vegetarian lasagna or pasta. I mean in the long run, how stimulating is that? I definitely prefer cooking the food myself rather than going out.

But that was until the other day.

Lao wai definitely won my heart!

http://laowai.se

It was just like the place I am dreaming of in here. Only using fresh vegetables, fresh spicies, lots of Soy-meat and tofu. All vegan. All gluten free. And the best of all NO MSG!!!!! 

The taste was real authentic chinese and taiwanese taste and I just couldn't stop eating! This is the place where a non-vegetarian person wouldn't even notice that the food is all vegan! That is an excellent grade for a Vegetarian Restaurant. After spending more than five years in Asia, eating asian food is what I call "real" food. It is tasty, healthy, makes you full, looks beautiful and has an idea behind.  Lao wai showed a perfect example of that.

We stayed for more than two hours and absorbed the asian atmosphere.  After a delicious dinner, we stepped out in the rain, full, satisfied and smiling. Suddenly we were back in Stockholm again...

The restaurant Lao wai has existed for 18 years now. Same place. Same owner. I hope to see that place continue to bloom for a loooooong time in future! Big thanks to the friendly staff for such great food!

Xie xie.

September moon with the yogateacher Ganesh Mohan

I just realized that more than two weeks have passed since I last posted something! Five days ago was another Fullmoon. Oh, time really flies! In Japan they say that the most beautiful moon in a year is the september moon. It is is called "chu-shu no meigetsu". It is said to be in the middle of the autumn and it is the harvest time of the year so it is an important moon.

Some part of me really wanted to celebrate this special moon from my sacred place in the japanese mountains but instead I was in Sweden joining a wonderful Yogaworkshop for the great teacher Ganesh Mohan. Of course, I don't regret that at all.

Most of the lectures were based on discussions and philosophy covering some parts of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It made me  feel certain of that we need to have a core in the practice- something to hold on to. We need be clear about why we are practicing yoga. Sometimes yogaclasses in the west can be really "fluffy and flowery" without any  real direction or just far away from the source.  There is nothing wrong with that, it might still benefit many people,  but for me I need to stay in touch with the basic concept of Yoga and stay to the teachings that are firmly rooted and have been supported and paved out by the people that have walked the path before me.

Three days filled with yogaphilosophy and therapeutic yoga leaves me with more confidence to what is true to me. I am so happy for having received this chance. Namaste.

New Moon-welcome once again

Today is the day of a new beginning. It is the dark moon or new moon of august 2011. Even though the time of the new moon can make me feel physically heavy, as oppose to Full moon when my energy is all over the place and I experience this extreme sense of Lightness,  I like the new moon in the way that it is a new beginning. 

Every month we are naturally given this chance to set out a new beginning within ourselves. Of course we can change our mind, life-intention and begin something anytime, but having this regular rhythm makes it feel more supported. More grounded. It is a reminder to clear and reset the mind. Just by sitting down and taking a couple of minutes to focus on the coming month we can with very small actions honor the rhythms of  Nature and with awareness create a difference in our life. Lets welcome the new moon and this coming month!

Silence by the beach

Yesterday I had some time off. It was a wonderful day with plenty of sunshine and it felt like a day in the middle of the summer! I took my bicycle and went on a small excursion. 

This is where I ended up! I must say it was truly magical. After spending more than five years high up in the mountains it was so refreshing being by the sea, listening to sound of the waves and feeling the breeze. From rock solid Earth-element to fluid   changeable Water-element.

After all, yoga and ayurveda is about finding ways to harmonize and balance the five elements within oneself. Once we have done that we can  begin to experience  the reality beyond the elements. Something which is not dependent on that constantly changing nature of our material world. 

To be able to do so we also have to harmonize with our external environment and with the surrounding elements. We have to realize that we are all co-dependent. What happens on our inside can be a reflection of what happens outside of our body. What happens outside of our physical appearance can be a reflection of what happens on our inside. This way the border between our in- and -outside becomes very vague and begins to fade... 

Being all alone on this wonderful beach made me feel like I lost my "I" for a moment and became one with the nature. It was so peaceful that I lost sense of time and space! Spending time in nature is definitely the greatest healer of all.

Namaste, to you all beautiful Beings!

Roses

When it is rainy and you just can't get yourself out of the house, it can be really nice to cheer up oneself by taking a look at old photos.

I found these wonderful flowers in a park a week or two ago. Aren't they lovely? Just looking at them makes me smile and feel energized! You can almost sense the sweet scent...

Yoga by the Sea

I found this wonderful jetty by the sea. Suddenly it was as if it was calling me; Please come and do Yoga here! I can provide the best space for you! 

What could I do? Yoga of course!

Walking out on the wind- and -weathered jetty with the water clear as crystal, I must say it was very tempting to take a swim! Instead I followed the previous call and dived into my Yoga practice. 

I didn't feel like following any particular system but instead just listen to my inner voice. It all ended up in a blend of Surya Namaskar, Yin-poses, standing asanas- in general it was just a long meditation... 

I love Yoga-improvisation!

Take your practice to a Natural place!

Bring your Heart into your practice...

Do your practice from the Heart!

Bunge Museum- turning back the clock 400 years

Yesterday I decided that I wanted to do something cultural.

The sudden urge to reconnect with the past gave me one easy option- pay a visit at Bunge Museum outside of Fårösund where I am currently residing. I took my bicycle and like all the other days I could never tell if it was going to be sunny and summery-kind-of feeling or if it would begin to rain heavily. Prepared for both I left the fortress where I stay and left for the museum.

The museum is situated along the country-road and consists of collected buildings from 17th and 18th century. They show how people used to live 400 years back and I must say it was impressive. There were so many small houses, all for different purposes. 

This stone house is an old wood-fire Sauna where they used to dry Linen. It was also used as a place for the women to give birth. Maybe this is where the idea of giving birth in a warm bath originates from?

I managed to come just on time for the guided tour. It was only one more couple and me. The guide was very well informed and made the tour fun, interesting and personal. 

We were shown some clocks that they used 400 years ago. Those clocks had only one indicator. Of course that one indicator showed only every hour. The guide made a joke about our time were minutes and seconds are so important. We all laughed and said it would be kind of nice to have only one indicator and that it would feel more relaxed in that way. 

Have you ever heard of Instant karma? That is the Karma that comes back to you immediately after you have thought, said or done something.

Well, I was totally struck by instant karma that same evening!

After finishing a massage-treatment I walked back to my room with my hands filled with things. Suddenly my alarmclock dropped to  the floor . The battery went out and the sound of the crash was pretty bad. Total suicide I thought as I picked up the clock and took a look at it. I was wrong. You can see for yourself:

My clock had lost its minutes-and- seconds indicators. Now it only indicates every hour, just like the clocks used to 400 years ago (the yellow indicator is just for the time to set the alarm).

I have decided to continue using this clock and I must say it works very well in private but still not so well while giving a massage  treatment where the minutes actually do count... 

But honestly, isn't this little happening or coincidence quite weird?

Shalom Hutte

Don't we all need more of this?

Love all - Serve all

  

Written on the wall at Shalom Hutte in Azumino, Nagano- Japan.

Shalom Hutte is a cosy place offering accommodation,  a cafe and a shop all based on an ecological concept. They focus on Natural food and organic farming. For us vegetarians it is a great choice! They sell plenty of Macrobiotic food in the shop and they also have a place for making wood-fire baked bread.

If you have any time off while visiting Nagano it is definitely worth a visit! Enjoy a graincoffe and okara-chocolatecake while reading a book or simply just look out over the rice paddies and listen to the sounds of all the Semi, although they are highly seasonal insects! 
Otherwise there is time and space to contemplate the meaning of Love all, Serve all...

The Nature's Eyes

This morning I took a chanting-walk along the shore in north Gotland.  I go out every morning to have my own time before opening the  Yogaclass or Massage-work. It was before 6am and I was watching the beauty of this creation.

Suddenly I saw some stones laying down by the side of the road.

I took a closer look and found out that somebody had painted eyes on two of them. I couldn't stop smiling and it felt like I discovered a treasure! 

Those eyes made me wake up from my own bubble. It was a reminder about the presence dwelling within any living being. I could feel those eyes looking at me, same as I felt my own existence being looked at from the plants, trees, birds etc. Sometimes we forget that we are all part of the same creation and that we are all living beings with the same right to exist. Same as I watched those wonderful stones I could feel how they were watching or at least sensing me and my existence. Same with the wonderful flowers that I passed by, I noticed them and they me. Very simple and yet so powerful.

Later on at night I witnessed the Moonrise by the sea. When I turned my back to the moon I saw the Sunset  by the forest. That was magical.  Even more magical was the feeling of the Moon and the Sun being right opposite each other and observing one another. Both of them being so full of energy. Both reflecting the same light. Ha and Tha. Yin and Yang. All woven together under the roof of the Universe.

Local shop- Gotland

                                                                                                                                                                                            

This charming old house used to be a grocery shop. Isn't it cute? It is situated by the sea in a windy place.  It is standing there all alone!

Over time it has developed into a café so now you can enjoy a coffee or tea in the outside, when the wind is gentle...

The day after today...

Look at these old road signs. All rusty and the colours are fading. The best one is the one that takes us to Tomorrow. I love that. 

What is tomorrow? Who knows? No matter how much we are planning for tomorrow we can't control all the circumstances around it so again who really knows about tomorrow? I certainly don't but it seems like this sign takes us there and that feels kind of nice.

From Mountain-life to Island-life

Due to March 11 I didn't know when to return to Japan. It made me stay in Sweden much longer than expected, but after 7 long months of waiting I could return for two weeks. Two intense weeks that passed so quickly. I got to see all my beloved friends and I got to hear many news on the current situation that I will share later. Just when I started to get grounded I had to go back to Sweden again. This time for some Yoga and Body-work. Those two weeks in Japan felt way to short but the reason for going to Sweden was calling me somehow.

Now, here I am, in the swedish countryside of Gotland! I took my bicycle for a ride and I enjoyed every single moment. I have missed being in the Nature. Spending time in the nature helps so much to develop Mindfulness. Open up to Grace! I couldn't take away that smile on my face! I felt so free riding my bike on roads full of pebbles surrounded by holy trees and sacred plants. 

There were plenty of animals to talk to and I even found a small hedgehog by the side of the road. Poor thing, he was breathing so quickly when I tried to take a close-up photo of him. I am sorry that I filled you with fear! ごめんな   さいでした！ゆくいり　いっきをすって下さい！　Please breathe slowly!

Spring Water or Contaminated Water?

Being back in Japan again gave me the pleasure to drink water straight from the mountains. The taste is slightly sweet and it is so soft on the tongue. Everyday I felt what a richness it is to be able to drink clear spring water. While I was enjoying free water endlessly pouring out from the mountains, the people in Fukushima, Tochigi and other nearby prefectures have to buy their water from elsewhere. They can no longer drink their tap water. They can no longer drink their spring water. Why? We all know why.

I feel so sad for everyone who has no access to clean water. Our body is made up of 70% water so if you have a choice, think twice before you choose your water. Our earth is also made up of 70 % water, so think twice before you throw something out into the ocean.  The nuclear disaster in Japan made the Nuclear Power Station release huge amounts of radioactive water into the sea. This makes me deeply worried about the seacoast of Japan.

What is happening to the fish and the sea plants? The situation must be really bad. Or let me say, the situation is bad. I ask for open and proper information on what is happening.  This should be a concern for everyone. This is not only a problem for the japanese people or the japanese society. Nuclear disasters concerns everyone, in other words this is a problem we have to solve together. To be able to solve something we need an openness of what is actually happening and what is being the real situation. No more hiding of important data or news. Please! For the benefit of our children, for the benefit of our Earth and for the benefit of everyone walking on this earth together. For the respect of Life and of all living beings.

Drinking that lovely spring water made me only temporarily happy since I know the reality is so different just a few hundred kilometers away. Then I wonder,  how safe is my water?

Mountains in Japan and a shiny airport

For the past 5,5 years I have lived in a village situated high up in the mountains somewhere in the japanese countryside. I moved there as a 24 year-old girl in the coldest month of the year without knowing neither the language nor the culture of mountain-life. Why did I  move there? That is a long story which I might share later. 

Who could ever get tired of this?

The life in the mountains has been my greatest teacher. I have learnt so much that I feel is so valuable but difficult to really explain with words, wherefore I hope it will be understood between the lines one day...

  




Last winter I went back to Sweden for what I thought would be only for a couple of months but March 11 came in between and there I was, in Sweden, worrying about what was happening in Japan. My village was safe even though it was struck but strong earthquakes many times. It was so heart aching being far away from the place and the people that I love, knowing that they are going through such a hard time.  Physically I was blessed and protected for not being there at that moment, but my heart was there the whole time.

The intended 2-3 months turned out to be 7 long months. While finally stepping out of the airplane sensing the humid air, smelling the smell of Japan and listening to the beautiful language my heart began to melt! I almost started to cry at the Konbiniコンビニ as they say, short word for convenience store, when I saw the Onigiri おにぎり (riceball) and green tea bottles ー  it all felt so extremely Natsukashikatta なつかしかった。

On the way to Japan the plane stopped over at Beijing airport for 6 hours, leaving me a lot of time to sleep on a bench and also taking various photographs of their super shiny floors and walls! Take a look at the reflections!

Reflections on Happiness

 Yesterday was the evening of the Fullmoon. I decided to take a walk around the lake. It was so peaceful and quiet. Everything seemed so perfect. Each stone were in the right place, each tree were just where it was supposed to be. The feather that I found, the flowers, the birds and the water were all connected. There are so many stories to discover in the nature and it never makes me bored. Every day it looks a little different, it feels a little different, it moves you in a different way...

It is just like when you practice Yoga. Everyday is a new exploration within yourself and in the Nature of being who you are. Practicing Yoga and spending time in the nature really goes hand in hand. Doing yoga makes you more receptive to notice even the smallest happening within and spending time in the nature makes you grounded and feel the connection with nature and the part that have in it. 

After a while, the borders between doing yoga, living your life and being in the nature fades out and it all becomes the same- one melody. People say that the real challenge is to be able to practice yoga or meditation in the midst of all the distractions, that the place you are in shouldn't matter- being in the city full of people or alone on a mountain peak. I would say it Does matter. I do believe that certain environments can support you more, nourish you more and take you so much further on your path than if you would have chosen an other time, place and environment. 

After all, happiness is not about struggling to feel happy (although of course we need to make an effort) it is simply about Being Happy so choose carefully in your life, where you want to be, with whom you want to spend it and how you want to live.                                                        

                         Life is here to support us!