New Life Foundation
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Sven
21 Juli 2017 | Thailand, Chiang Rai
Yesterday I was talking with my mum and she asked me when I was going to write a new blog... Well I tried. So much is going on here at New Life that I just don’t know where to start. I don’t like to write simply about what I’ve done, I want to look into it and see what I learned through it. I had the realization here that my story isn’t important at all. It’s what I get out of it, I told my life story to a few friends and afterwards I realized that it actually didn’t feel necessary any more. The lessons I learn in life are important for me, but the past is simply the past. I’m living here in the now! This is my reality for now!!
So today is the day I’m leaving New Life, this morning during the morning meeting (where the whole community comes together to walk through the day), it was time for me to say goodbye. I told them a story of what I experienced during breakfast, and I would like this story here as well. I think it’s a good summary of how I live, what I taught and learned in this place.
As always I start my day with fresh fruits, I’m really happy as I see how fresh the Bananas are, they taste just amazing. Then I see that they also have Mango, it’s been a while since they had them. I grab my Coconut milk from the fridge and walk outside with Bri. Bri is a friend of mine from Hoi An and we’ll be travelling together for the next week. I’m so grateful to see her again, she is pure, intense, loving and caring and always in for a good conversation or to go on an adventure. Can’t wait to travel together with her. We sit down, it’s still noble silence, so we bless our food and give each other a look which says enjoy your breakfast. I’m there with my food, completely conscious of every bite I take, fully embracing the moment and the intense flavors in my mouth. I definitely ate the best Bananas ever here in Thailand, they are in no way comparable with the Bananas at home. I met a woman who could enjoy here food so intense that I (almost) became jealous of her, and now I’m doing the same.
I hear the rain falling down on mother earth, I start wandering why we are conditioned to not like water falling from the sky. I stand up and walk into the rain, I feel the rain, become aware of the gentle sensations on my skin, I feel that I’m alive. I feel the cold, wet grass underneath my feet; every step I take is like a massage. I see the trees and the new leaves which are slightly lighter green then the older ones, and then this other tree has exactly the opposite. It fascinates me how perfect nature is! Everything flows as it suppose to and every action has a reaction as well. I love watching the ants, how they create highways where thousands of ants are walking on. Not only one species but multiple: huge ones and tiny ones, red and black. They work together and the small ones even make use of the big ones by climbing on their backs and taking a free ride.
The intensity of my experiences became so much more powerful from the moment that I started to live more in the now. It’s an ongoing process, some days my mind drifts of to the future or the past some moments, while in other moments I’m completely in the now. And only in that moment I feel completely alive! The colors appear brighter, the conversation deeper, I’m there with the other people.
While being here I got this definitely to a deeper level. It’s not only the need to live in the now, but also being content with where I am now. Sometimes I love to drift away in the past and the future, it’s just that I’m better capable of choosing when I let my mind drift away and when I keep it in the here and now.
So here is a little list of what I did over here:
I milked the cows for a couple of weeks, which made me understand better why I’m Vegan. Even in these perfect circumstances it’s totally unnecessary to keep the cows in a shelter during the day, milk them twice a day and clean the stalls. And then the worse part every year they need to become pregnant and when the calf gets born, the mum and calf gets separated immediately. I can’t understand how terrible that must be for any mum of any species.
I facilitated yoga twice a day and Pranayama (breathing exercise) once per day. I learned so much about creating sequences suitable for everybody, which words to use and when to talk and when to be quiet. Thank you Ayman for your guidance. I noticed my voice changing, becoming more confident on what I say and how I say it. I gave two yoga challenges where I combined my coaching skills with yoga. I got so many lessons out of this and the participants had a lot of insights and understandings as well. Two people even quit smoking out of there own insights.
I gave workshop in successes, nutrients, alignment of the yoga postures and a really intense breathing exercise. I guided different meditations and above everything I met a bunch of awesome people, beautiful souls who choose to go for there best in life. Daring to look into themselves and opening up in a vulnerable and powerful way.
What an amazing part of this amazing journey!! Can’t wait for the next adventures to happen!
So today is the day I’m leaving New Life, this morning during the morning meeting (where the whole community comes together to walk through the day), it was time for me to say goodbye. I told them a story of what I experienced during breakfast, and I would like this story here as well. I think it’s a good summary of how I live, what I taught and learned in this place.
As always I start my day with fresh fruits, I’m really happy as I see how fresh the Bananas are, they taste just amazing. Then I see that they also have Mango, it’s been a while since they had them. I grab my Coconut milk from the fridge and walk outside with Bri. Bri is a friend of mine from Hoi An and we’ll be travelling together for the next week. I’m so grateful to see her again, she is pure, intense, loving and caring and always in for a good conversation or to go on an adventure. Can’t wait to travel together with her. We sit down, it’s still noble silence, so we bless our food and give each other a look which says enjoy your breakfast. I’m there with my food, completely conscious of every bite I take, fully embracing the moment and the intense flavors in my mouth. I definitely ate the best Bananas ever here in Thailand, they are in no way comparable with the Bananas at home. I met a woman who could enjoy here food so intense that I (almost) became jealous of her, and now I’m doing the same.
I hear the rain falling down on mother earth, I start wandering why we are conditioned to not like water falling from the sky. I stand up and walk into the rain, I feel the rain, become aware of the gentle sensations on my skin, I feel that I’m alive. I feel the cold, wet grass underneath my feet; every step I take is like a massage. I see the trees and the new leaves which are slightly lighter green then the older ones, and then this other tree has exactly the opposite. It fascinates me how perfect nature is! Everything flows as it suppose to and every action has a reaction as well. I love watching the ants, how they create highways where thousands of ants are walking on. Not only one species but multiple: huge ones and tiny ones, red and black. They work together and the small ones even make use of the big ones by climbing on their backs and taking a free ride.
The intensity of my experiences became so much more powerful from the moment that I started to live more in the now. It’s an ongoing process, some days my mind drifts of to the future or the past some moments, while in other moments I’m completely in the now. And only in that moment I feel completely alive! The colors appear brighter, the conversation deeper, I’m there with the other people.
While being here I got this definitely to a deeper level. It’s not only the need to live in the now, but also being content with where I am now. Sometimes I love to drift away in the past and the future, it’s just that I’m better capable of choosing when I let my mind drift away and when I keep it in the here and now.
So here is a little list of what I did over here:
I milked the cows for a couple of weeks, which made me understand better why I’m Vegan. Even in these perfect circumstances it’s totally unnecessary to keep the cows in a shelter during the day, milk them twice a day and clean the stalls. And then the worse part every year they need to become pregnant and when the calf gets born, the mum and calf gets separated immediately. I can’t understand how terrible that must be for any mum of any species.
I facilitated yoga twice a day and Pranayama (breathing exercise) once per day. I learned so much about creating sequences suitable for everybody, which words to use and when to talk and when to be quiet. Thank you Ayman for your guidance. I noticed my voice changing, becoming more confident on what I say and how I say it. I gave two yoga challenges where I combined my coaching skills with yoga. I got so many lessons out of this and the participants had a lot of insights and understandings as well. Two people even quit smoking out of there own insights.
I gave workshop in successes, nutrients, alignment of the yoga postures and a really intense breathing exercise. I guided different meditations and above everything I met a bunch of awesome people, beautiful souls who choose to go for there best in life. Daring to look into themselves and opening up in a vulnerable and powerful way.
What an amazing part of this amazing journey!! Can’t wait for the next adventures to happen!
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21 Juli 2017 - 07:38
Stef En Karin:
Hallo lieve zoon,
Wat heb jij je gevoell prachtig verwoord. Heerlijk om zo bewust van elke minuut te kunnen genieten, van de natuur, de dieren, de mensen om je heen en vooral ook van Jezelf! Deze reis heeft jou zoveel moois gebracht! Fantastisch om yoga, meditatie, ademhalingsl-lessen te geven in die mooie omgeving daar. We zijn trots op je en een beetje jaloers.
Wij vinden het heerlijk om jou binnenkort te ontmoeten, te knuffelen en je verhalen life te horen! We hebben er heel veel zin in!!!
Liefs xxx pap en mams -
21 Juli 2017 - 08:20
Sanne:
Hey Sven,
Dankjewel voor deze blog, ik vind het zo tof om te lezen waar jij mee bezig bent en wat je allemaal leert. Tx for sharing.
Liefs,
Sanne -
21 Juli 2017 - 09:24
Ilse:
Hoi Sven,
Wat een inspirerend verhaal weer. Mooi om van een afstandje te kunnen volgen wat je allemaal leert, hoe je meer in het nu leeft, dankbaar bent en geniet. Ik ben trots op je :-)
Liefs Ilse -
21 Juli 2017 - 09:29
Marijon:
Geweldig Sven om zo intens te kunnen genieten van alles en "gewoon" in het moment te "zijn"
xxx Marijon -
21 Juli 2017 - 10:25
Kelly:
Geen idee wat ik moet reageren echt.
Vind het in iedergeval super om te lezen hoe je jezelf steeds opnieuw verder ontwikkeld gedurende je reis,
& hoe je intens geniet op dit moment!
Veel succes op je volgende avontuur.
Dikke kus!
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25 Juli 2017 - 16:57
Anika:
Lieve Sven,
Wat fijn om weer een nieuw verhaal van je te kunnen lezen!! Het zit 'm in de kleine dingen..
Zo mooi om te lezen dat je daar van aan het genieten bent. Het hier en nu. Maar ook lees ik net dat je paps en mams die kant op komen.. kei gaaf!! ;)
Om in de boeddhistische sferen te blijven: Veel liefs, 'Anicca' ^^
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