In this post I want to share the many developments that are, and have been, taking place in the practical sphere as the Awakened Life Project makes further strides in emerging from the abandoned ruins of Quinta da Mizarela. It is truly amazing and such an inspiration to see what can happen when people unite behind a vision greater than themselves. Conditions have been challenging as it gets colder and the autumn rains set in and we are racing to get a communal kitchen and living space built so we can house all the wonderful people here who do not want to leave! But despite the challenges and chaos of too many things needing to happen, and nobody really being an expert (except Cynthia who is the Project manager par excellence!) and things always going “wrong” or taking longer than one thinks, harmony and joy prevails 🙂
So many open-hearted people, who have embraced the field of unity and evolutionary passion that is the cultural soul-space of the Project, have given themselves joyfully in so many ways…
Master Builder Adam...one happy Scotsman and handy with a hammer!
Nos dias que correm torna-se cada vez mais difícil estarmos verdadeiramente conscientes de quem somos no momento – o nosso modo de vermos (percepções, sensações, pensamentos); o nosso modo de agirmos (palavras e acções); e o nosso modo de verificarmos como tudo vai indo(resultados ou consequências).
Esta anestesia, sendo normal, torna-se quase “desejável”. Funcionamos de maneira quasi automática. E a imensidão de estímulos a que somos sujeitos torna o despertar ainda mais distante, e cria-nos a sensação de uma zona de conforto que não existe verdadeiramente. E tudo fica mais difícil quandonão temos oportunidades de nos relativizarmos com formas alternativas que nos alimentem um “novo modo de sermos”.
These daysit becomesincreasinglyhard to betruly awareof who we areright now –to seeourmode of being(perceptions,feelings, thoughts), theway weact(wordsand actions), and theway welook at howeverything isgoing (results orconsequences). Thisanesthesiaisnormal,it becomes almost‘desirable’.Works almostautomatically.And themultitude ofstimulithatcould serve our awakeningbecomemore distant, andcreatesthe feelingofacomfort zonethat does notreally exist.Andit getsmore difficultwhen we do not haveopportunitiesto experiencealternative waysof livingthat can feed our longing fora“new wayof being.”
Meditation is a foundational practice at the Awakened Life Project and it has been at the core of my own spiritual life for the last 25 years. Since January 2011 I have been leading silent meditation retreats every month, which have been powerful evolutionary events for many people. It has been a joy to introduce mostly Portuguese people to the limitless mystery of consciousness that is our true nature.
A meditação é uma prática fundamental no projeto e tem sido o cerne de minha própria vida espiritual ao longo dos últimos 25 anos. Desde Janeiro de 2011 tenho vindo a liderar retiros de meditação em silêncio todos os mêses, que foram poderosos eventos evolutivos para muitas pessoas. Tem sido uma alegria introduzir as pessoas, na sua maioria Portuguesas, ao mistério ilimitado da consciência que é a nossa verdadeira natureza. Continue reading →
I still have a huge smile on my face from the joy of the Permaculture Gardening course Annelieke and I facilitated this weekend. 14 wonderfully enthusiastic, committed and curious participants came and dived right into quinta life, permaculture gardening and the waterfalls!
People said they felt welcomed by the people of the Project and embraced by the beauty of the valley and everyone settled into to a relaxed and easy rhythm from the very start. The kitchen crew provided sumptuous, fresh raw and vegetarian food which is a perfect complement to the clean air, fresh water and outdoor living.
During August, Pete, Cynthia, Adam, Mim, Laura and our Portuguese friends Ricardo & Teresa, went on a 10 day retreat with Spiritual Teacher Andrew Cohen in Tuscany, Italy. Andrew´s profound contemporary teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment is the guiding light and inspiration for the Awakened Life Project and the retreat was an extraordinary journey into our individual and collective evolutionary potential.
Pete, Cynthia, Adam, Andrew Cohen, Laura, Mim, Ricardo, Teresa
With a retreat format of meditation periods, teachings, question and answer sessions and discussion groups, the retreat was a roaring success with 300 people literally experiencing radical transformation step by step every single day, including us!
If you are interested in learning more about the spiritual perspective and experience that we are living here at the Awakened Life Project with ever more inspiring results then I recommend you buy the new bookEvolutionary Enlightenment: A New Path to Spiritual Awakening.
In this book Andrew Cohen redefines spirituality for our contemporary world–a world characterized by exponential change and an ever-expanding appreciation for the processes of evolution. Based on 25 years of groundbreaking work as a spiritual teacher and the editor-in-chief of the award-winning EnlightenNext magazine, Cohen has synthesized an original path, practice, and philosophy focused entirely on aligning yourself with what he calls “the evolutionary impulse.”
His message is simple, yet profound: Life is evolution, and enlightenment is about waking up to this fundamentally creative impulse as your own deepest, most authentic self–so that you can play an active role in creating the future.
You see a book trailer on this video:
I am giving talks about Evolutionary Enlightenment in Portugal, the next one will be in Porto on Saturday 8 October.
And if you are in Porto or Lisbon and really want to enter into a transformational journey in a group format based on the teaching of Evolutionary Enlightenment, there are still some places left for the Evolution of Consciousness Course that starts on October 12 &13. Click here for more information.