Swiss and French Alps

I set out on my journey to Europe in the beginning of June. My goals were to connect with the roots of my bloodline and to experience culture. Perhaps I would enjoy living in Europe?!?! Maybe Norway is comparable to Alaska and my true Viking will arise? Maybe the people are easier to connect with and closer to nature? My itinerary was open to the flow of life.

I landed in Zurich, Switzerland on June 6. I had arranged to “CouchSurf” the first evening, as I had no idea about camping in European cities. My wonderful host picked me up at the airport and saved me a lot of hassle and money (I spent around $100 for a week in Switzerland while eating a LOT of chocolate!). with his “taxi voucher.” Besides being a generous, hospitable host, he became a corky friend.

I slept under the stars on a lawn chair in his back yard those few crystal clear nights in Zurich. The roses were blasting colors and magnificent scents. I spent a few days walking through the city, listening to “Autobiography of a Yogi” on my iPod, drinking spring water from beautifully carved fountains thoughtfully dispersed through Zurich, observing the Swiss people enjoying the hot sun and playing music in the parks.

I needed to get to the Alps as I only had about 1 week before I needed to be in France for a Yoga training. I expressed this need to my host, and by the grace of God, he found me a wonderful ride to mountains right outside of Bern through the CouchSurfing website. The following  morning, I met with three older adults packing up to spend the day in the mountains. They are CouchSurfing enthusiasts and spent most of the ride sharing experiences, ethics, and the culture of CouchSurfing. We took small detours on the way to visit quaint Swiss towns (including Lucerne) and to pick up sweets that they wanted to bring with them.

Upon arriving to the mountain Nissan, we split up. The three of them took the tram to the peak of the mountain, but I hoofed it up the mountain. The forests took my in quickly, and I began filling with primal energy fed from the heart of the Alps. I passed many open pastures along the way filled with Swiss Cows with big bells around their necks, grazing on green grass and basking in the sun. I was stoked to be out of the city and in the fresh air again.

Before the sun went down, we met in the parking lot. They told me they could bring me towards Berne (capitol of Switzerland), and I could camp somewhere along the way. Sounded great to me. As we pulled out of the parking lot, we drove straight into a dark storm cloud.

            My mind raced and my heart sizzled a bit. Wahe Guru! It’s going to be a night with lightening and rain in my hammock! But perhaps something will open. After driving for just a few minutes, the driver had a random burst of inspiration, “Do you all mind if I pull off the exit and visit a friend I haven’t seen in years?” We all nodded yes in agreement. As she pulled off the exit, everyone commented on the fact that this was so “UnSwiss”. Apparently the Swiss never show up at someone’s house unannounced; obviously it must be the American boy that is rubbing off on you, they said!

            We arrived at Sasha’s home right as her family was finishing dinner. She invited us to sit on her back porch and drink some tea with a smile. As she was fetching the tea and the others were talking about “couchsurfing,” I caught a glimpse of a wooden sword in her son’s basket of toys, and became inspired to practice Taiji. Barefoot under the grass, under the swirling clouds, in a bowl of Swiss Alps, I began to flow.

            Sasha’s son, Joan, saw me from inside and quickly ran out to watch me. With wide eyes he asked, “Is that Taiji?” “Why yes my good sir, it is. And I have a sword with me from Wudang Mountain.” I unsheathed my sword and began to dazzle Joan! Super excited, he joined me with his wooden Taiji sword and I showed him a few moves. Within minutes, kids from the neighborhood slowly crept towards us. In a few more minutes, I had a whole group of kids to whom I was instructing basic Taiji to! I was having a blast! And it seemed that everyone watching was as well.

            As the time came for us to leave, I asked Sasha if she knew a good place to sling up a hammock. As there was so much discussion about CouchSurfing, and Sasha seemed confident that I am an honest individual, she invited me to stay at her home. I am so humbled by the magnificence of existence as I reflect on this experience. As it turned out, her eldest son was training in American football: so I passed with him, her middle son was looking for martial arts training: so we trained Taiji together, and her youngest daughter was beginning to play the Ukulele: so we strummed a few chords together. Synchronistic and harmonious!

            The next few days I was able to experience a bit of Swiss life. Sasha took me to her daughter’s school for a birthday party. I sat in on a bit of a lesson, and it brought me back to my student teaching days at Oakview Elementary in Marlyland. The set up of the classroom did not seem to different from American schools…sadly. I cooked Yogi mung beans and rice (which everyone loved!), went swimming in the pristine rivers, ran in the mountains, and played with the kids.

            On my last day in Switzerland, Sasha took me to the city of the Bear! Berne is super laid back compared to Zurich and picturesque with the massive snow peaked Alps in the background. One large mission in Berne: visit PanArt, the creators of the Hang. It gives off an incredible high vibrational tone that sends me deep into meditation. At the 2012 Rainbow gathering in Palenque, Mexico I played a Hang with a good brother. In the following day he attended my yoga class of 70+ people and played the Hang throughout the entire class. The sound current mixed with the Kundalini energy sent many of my students into ecstacy of tears and smiles. I am determined to get one of these drums.

            As there is typically a couple year wait list for one of these drums and a very high price (on eBay they have gone for $20,000+), I decided to walk right into the factory.  Luckily the creator of the drum just happened to be walking through. I caught him in stride and began explaining my desire to acquire the drum. He explained to me that “humans are not ready for the Hang.” In his belief, it has caused a virus amongst humans that are putting people on the street rather than “doing” something with their lives. The drum is too heady. So, they discontinued making them and have created a new instrument, the Gubal (which is a steel pan meant to bring people down to earth and get things done). I did my best to try and persuade him to sell me a drum, as I will create positive vibrations with it. Nope. Bummer.

            I found a ridesharing website, BlaBlacar.com, that people sign up for and share gas money to certain destinations. I needed to get to Grenoble, France and found a ride leaving that afternoon. The guy miscommunicated with me, and I missed the damn ride. Luckily a few German dudes were passing through later that evening, and I was able to swoop a ride with them, but they would arrive in Grenoble roughly 2:30 am.

            Standing outside of a Starbucks at 11 PM, I used their WiFi to contact Angilique, a French friend I met almost 10 years ago. She informed me that sleeping in my hammock in Grenoble was not a good idea; according to her, the city is crawling with prostitutes and crime. Luckily, her boyfriend’s brother, Franck, lives in the city and she thought we would get along. He agreed to let me put a hammock up in his backyard if he was asleep. I got the address, hopped in the van with the German dudes, cracked open my first fresh German beer, and hit the road.

            Franck turned out to be a yogi/musician/gardener/tea enthusiast brother. He woke up when I arrived in the middle of the night and set me up with a sweet bed in a loft overlooking the Alps. In the morning we shared delicious teas I brought from China with Franck’s professional tea set! French bread, cheese and Macaroons for breakfast! Delicious! I spent the next two days in Franck’s humble abode experience a snapshot of French culture in the city and preparing for my training with Karta Singh and Amrit Sarovar.

            I made my way south of Grenoble to Le Martinet,  an Ashram created by Karta Singh 800 meters up a mountain. In a beautifully valley lies a pure river, horses, many sweatlodges, organic gardens, a yoga hall, an ayurvedic clinic in the works,  and a group of Kundalini Yogis. I spent one week with completing a level 2 Kundalini module of “Lifestyles and Lifecycles” at Le Martinet. It was different from all trainings I have ever experienced. Karta Singh is an incredible being. As this week was very intense and quite personal, I will not speak of it here. Wahe Guru!

            On June 21^st, I flew to Berlin, Germany to meet my Beloved Anais….