A hike in the Austrian Tyrol, along the River Lech from its source to the waterfalls on the Bavarian border at Füssen.
This is one of the last wild river landscapes in Europe. A trail that follows the Lech for around 125 kilometres from its source near Lake Formarin in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg to the Lech Falls at Füssen in the Allgäu, on the German border, close to the famous Bavarian royal castles of Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein.
The route links three regions and two countries, each with its own traditions and history. From the Arlberg region to southern Allgäu, via the Tyrolean Lechtal Reutte nature park: the Lech has shaped these regions over the centuries. The river has played an important role in the history of trade routes. Numerous species of birds and wild orchids make up one of the most species-rich habitats in Central Europe. To preserve one of the last wild river landscapes in Europe, the Tyrolean Lech Nature Park was created.
It's very easy to get in touch with people. They spontaneously ask you to take photos with them, where you're from, where you're going and how old you are. It's surprising for Europeans who aren't used to these familiar approaches, but it's also pleasant because the conversation starts very quickly. At the same time, the smile is omnipresent. All you have to do is accompany your gaze with your smile and it will be returned in kind. Even if the discussions do not go very far into the intimacy of each person, this makes for pleasant and warm encounters.
Purnima or Poonam is an auspicious day in Hinduism. Poornima is the full moon day and many important rituals and festivals takes place on full moon. It is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Vrinda, personification of Tulsi plant (sacred basilica, plant used for their healing properties against the stress). This day also marks the birthday of Matsya, the fish incarnation of Lord Vishnu. On this day of Kartik Purnima, taking a sacred bath at places of pilgrimage, known as ‘Kartik Snan’ at the time of sunrise and moonrise, is considered to be highly sacred. Lord Vishnu is worshipped with flowers, diyas and incense sticks. Devotees generally observe fast on this day and recite the Satyanarayan Vrat Katha after performing Rudrabhishek.
At the equinox, night gives way to light. In Egypt, this passage may be very faintly felt, yet the rebirth is here. The energy that is increasingly taking its place to revive what was dormant during the winter. A new passage through this mythical place under the influence of an alchemical gaze.
This was a following of the magical journeys: As in the past, we visited the pyramids, the Sphinx, the hanging church Le-Moallaqa, and the Cairo Museum, this time with Patrick Burensteinas. If the places we traditionally visited don't change, the view on them changes with compagny of Patrick. They are full of history where the knowledge was teached and developed. They are also full of light that passes through the body directly to the heart. The mind falls silent to let an inner voice speak - a luminous voice, full of vibrations of unconditional love, resonating throughout the whole body.
Author of more than 30 books, Daniel Meurois guided us in the spirit of his first tome on the life of Jeshua and his passage through the temple of Heliopolis and the Great Pyramid. A spirituality impregnated in the stones several thousand years old. The torpor of these constructions is only apparent and with a little effort they open up and let us feel their frequency.
The whole boat was booked for our trip with Lise Bourbeau. According to her world-famous "Listen to your body" method, she prepared a one-week programme for us, focused on « Renaissance » : exploring what we wanted to let die... to be reborn. A work on oneself surrounded by the calm that emanates from the river in harmony with the formidable and powerful energy of the Egyptian temples. Temple of Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Temple of Edu, Sanctuary of Kom Ombo, Temple of Philae, Temple of Luxor.
It was my first trip to Egypt with Don Ernesto Ortiz and the discovery of the magical places of the Giza plateau and the necropolis of Saqquarah. On a personal path to raise consciousness and connect the spirituality to the everyday in the light of a poetic and existential approach to the soul. Powerful vibrations reinforced by mantras and meditations in contact with the stones charged with history. Leaving in the Red Pyramid what you wanted to leave there and coming out of the womb to be reborn. The entry into the Great Pyramid before dawn under the light of the Moon on Wesak day was reinforced by the vibratory chanting in the heart of the pyramid. Unforgettable moments leaving a living imprint in the heart. A permanent flame that can be rekindled at any time.
With the clarity of the landscape, the contrasts between the land and the sky stand out in all their power. The land finds its fertility through water and forms islands of greenery among the brown mountains. Between 3,000 and 5,600 metres above sea level, the air is dry and the humidity low. Staying with local people allows a perfect immersion in this world close to the sky. The Ladakhis put on their festive clothes, coloured and contrasting the colour of the earth, to attend the festivals organised by the Buddhist temples. Rituals to chase away evil spirits where each mask has its own meaning. The region close to Pakistan, with an unstable border, is sometimes a source of armed conflict. The discovery of the welcoming Muslim villages contrasts with any spirit of hostility.
Haridwar is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism in northern India, where the Ganges River leaves the mountains. The city is a very important place of pilgrimage, because according to tradition, the devotee who bathes in the Ganges at Haridwar has his sins erased and escapes the cycle of rebirths in the world of forms. Every day of the year, at nightfall, tens of thousands of people gather to attend the ritual to celebrate the Ganges. It was an introspective stay in the Santosh Puri ashram on the banks of the Ganges with some visits to Rishikesh. Christmas time spent differently.
According to the local adage, God gave the Swiss a watch and the Malagasy time. It's true, people take their time, wait for the taxi-brousse at the side of the road without worrying about the schedule and, moreover, keep their smile. It is a red earth country, with high plateaus, rice fields and lemurs in the forests, often forming national parks. The population knows the medical benefits of the island's wild plants and uses them extensively. The link between man and nature is palpable at every step. The round trip from the capital Tana to the Indian Ocean coast in the region of Tuléar (Toliara).