profound

OK, first things first: Yesterday morning I swam with dolphins! I have never felt such a humbleness inside of me and I sit here at the Yoga-Oasis now, still containing such a deep respect for these creatures. It was truly amazing to encounter an animal that could so very easily kick some human ass, yet is so peacefull. Dolphins seem to have a very special relationship with humans. There are myths talking of these beautiful creatures saving people from drowning and bringing them to the safety of shallow waters. At one point there were three pods in the bay. Doing formations and jumping flips and salto's. Lucky lucky lucky me and the others that were there. I guess nothing prepares you for an experience like that. 

Profound, I love that word. And for me it reflects the work with wonderful Rhiannon us 14 singers were engaged in during the last 8 days. 
Here in the rainforest as I hear birds and insects making unintended music with eachother constantly. It is reminding me of how we made unintended music and how we learned from eachother. 
The animals here all have their patterns and solo's. We invented and felt patterns and sang solo's from our brains, hearts, bodies and souls. We were pretty good, but let me tell you: The birds here kick ass!

I feel each and everyone of the people I encountered during this week in me. I realize now how close we actually were as a group: every single one the beautiful singers left something in me to go, so to speak. 
Rhiannon is such a shining source of music and inspiration, I have never seen anybody give feedback so profoundly and with so much love for improvisation, for voices and for people.

Last Thursday we went to Volcano National Park to work with dansers and one in particular: Shizuno Nasu . Shizuno lives and works up there, she loves to dance close to the lava and you can see that when she dances. Pure fire. There is a very confronting energy up there, very strong. To work with movement and dancers for me led to a profound experience. Up on the Volcano, close to the craters we improvised together and I started moving and singing completely in the moment. I felt a neutralness and an undramatic depth that was new for me. I had a moment in time of completeness. Words kind of fail. 
And as soon as I started talking about the experience, emotions and thinking came back and I had left that state, but nevertheless entered new healing. 


It was a big week for healing, I think all of us delt with our very selves in unexpected ways. 

Back to Volcano:
They say that house-prices are very low up there, because there is a real chance the lava (or beter said: Pele) might come to take your home. Rhiannon told us that some people are known to have cleaned their houses, decorate it with flowers and get it all nice and ready to be taken by Pele. 

She is very much respected. For obvious reasons. 

We also sang in a lavatube, a tunnel made by lava... You kind of realize the force there. I am very close to Lava streams here in Puna and I really want to go and see one. I'll let you know. 
There is this impressive story about a family chanting and praying to Pele to spare their house and they apparantly were heard, at least the Lava would go around them (like lastminute) and the property. Now that's what I call faith! They would have been very dead.

Friday evening we all performed for eachother. It was high quality entertainment and yet very sweet and simple, very island-style, so lovely! Bärchen got a private-lesson from Kalani about the Old Ways. Later hetold me he had areally nice chat with his Kalani's wife Julie. 
Julie cooked for us during this week: I guess the word profound finds it's place here again somehow, if you can say that about food, but you can also just state: YUMMY, VERY! 


And then yesterday morning we all said our goodbyes. As so many things that happend that week, that was so dear to me! I carry something of every single one of these people with me, just in the way I carry something of my friends and loved ones and family with me. Always there. 

It was especially funny getting all of us into cars to go somewhere. Like putting chicken in a basket. Suzanne, Rhiannon's manager, did an exellent task in organizing this though. only reason why we ever got anywhere. 
So in the end we all got in different cars that brought us to airports, or where ever one would go next. 
After dropping off my sweet German singer-friends Petra and Sandrina (who might visit me later), Suzanne gave me a lift to Hilo, to the other side of the island. That was a magnificent ride, beautifulbeautiful times 100000000.  Hawai'i reminded me a little of Tahiti in parts then. Also, it was really nice conversation we had. 

Then I took the bus from Hilo to Pahoa, where I met Aurilius and Liz. These people I just fell in love with on the spot, just love them! So did Bärchen. Hope to meet them again.

There were some chickens travelling with us in a man's bag. They were a little weired though very cute in a muppet-kind-of-way. Alas they were not very content, I guess. Maybe they knew that they were about to get sold... oh- oooo... 

In Pahoa I got picked up by Hayward who runs the YogaOasis together with Star and her partner Carl. This is a great place in the middle of nothing but rainforest and fruit-trees. 

I just took a walk around the property met some of the chicken that live here. They are very sweet and very big and they are always totally convinced that I will feed them. Carl said they get fed in two ways: food and love. You can really tell, these are happy big little chickens. Apart from the typical boaakboaak, they make the most unexpected sounds too, almost like singing. They were singing for food : ) just like me, hehe. There are also wild pigs here. Gulp. Wild animals teach me humbleness, they really do.


Earlier I had a very inspiring conversation at the breakfast-table about Japan and Bali and an instant contact with Stefan and his wife Kate, that invited me to come visit if I ever get to Japan. They live there and know a lot about the country and it's ways and where it's cheap.
So that's exciting me. I'm thinking: Bali, Japan, Hawai'i and back. Depending on the time of year. Anyone wanna join me? I might take 6 weeks off from Amsterdam tasks somehow, to have two weeks at every place. Hmmmmm.... maybe try to perform and give workshops while I'm there, hmmmm, here goes visualizing... life is great!


Aloha, much love to you!