To start my adventure, I went couchsurfing in Galway for the night, just to try it out and ended up having a blast! The girl I stayed with was Irish and so lovely - she picked me up then made me tea and we chatted like old friends. I even got to sleep in a big double bed all to myself - even better than home! The whole situation just felt so natural which made me feel very welcome.
Galway city is amazing! Its so small, cute and personal.. I could have definately stayed much longer. A big difference I noticed was the relaxed feel of the place.. especially coming from Dublin.. everyone walked slower with their head up, smiling and laughing! Totally different to Dublin! It was a nice day so there were groups of people sitting in the sun having picnics and drinking all along the sea on the grass. I could hear laughing everywhere - plenty positive energy going around! I will put photos up on my next post :)
The next day was the start of my 10 day Vipassana Meditation Course. Nothing can prepare you for this course.. it was the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. But definately worth it.
It is hard to sum up the Vipassana technique in a few words but here goes.. basically you train your brain to be in the present moment by observing the sensations on your skin.. only on the 4th or 5th day you can notice these sensations as you sharpen your mind the first few days concentrating on natural breath. This was so hard as it is the opposite of calming and quieting your mind and I soon realised what a mad monkey mind I had. Your imagination just runs wild.. almost like your having crazy dreams without being asleep. Then once you feel the sensations you just observe them and don´t react. By this stage there is lots of pain to practice on - sitting for 10 hours a day with crossed feet doesn´t just come naturally. This teaches the subconscious level of the mind to stay equanimous.. not reacting with aversion to the pain and unpleasant sensations and not reacting with attatchment and clinging to the pleasant sensations.
This was all done in complete noble silence.. No talking, eye contact or hand gestures for the whole 10 days. Living much like a monk. After the 10 days though.. I felt amazing and couldn´t stop smiling! It is run by donation only - you give so that future students can enjoy. Also the (amazing) food you eat and accommodation is paid for by past students. You feel so full of love and compassion that you can´t help but want to contribute. You can´t wait to start your life full of smiles, living morally and helping people who are miserable and suffering. I think its something everyone needs to do in their lifetime.
And that brings me to the present. I am here in Carron, County Clare Wwoofing. It has been 4 days now and I am very happy here :) The first 2 days were spent drinking tea and eating. My hosts are very good for interesting conversation over many pots of tea! We have no running water, as they live with only a small tank of rain water so when I first came here we had a toilet which consisted of a small bucket in the bathroom and when your done - cover your business with ash. It took a bit of getting used to - especially with small spiders at your feet but soon feels normal (and you find your balance!) Luckily we had 2 couchsurfers from Vermont - 2 girls cycling around Ireland and yesterday they built a wooden box to go above the bucket and even screwed on the old toilet seat! It is so well done and stirdy - I am very impressed! The ash gets rid of the smell and is put in a big bucket to make compost. The washing is done with a pot of water that is kept on the fire to always keep warm. Lighting is used with candles - which also sets a lovely mood especially with the fireplace. So the work so far has been great. Jimmi and Franzi (my hosts) believe in finding work suitable to the individuals likes and what they want to learn. And believe in many tea breaks :) I have replanted a few seedlings in new pots and collected nettle to put in a big bucket of water which will make liquid organic fertalizer in a few weeks. We also boil the nettle to put in veggie stew - its pretty tasty! We also have 2 dogs and 6 puppies to keep us company/entertained :)
Living simply was a bit of a shock at first, especailly coming from the city but its normal now and I´m already used to it - I feel so calm and peaceful.. nature all around - I wake up to the sound of birds and go to sleep with the sound of cukoo´s (sound like the clock).
Every morning I am learning how to juggle for half an hour too - both Jimmi and Franzi are both involved with circus culture - an interesting skill to pick up thats for sure!
Well I will put up photos soon..
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