Earthing

Earthing, also known as grounding – it’s something I hadn’t heard of until a time when I was sick for a long time not knowing what was wrong. A friend of mine who’s a doctor, asked me if I’d tried earthing, and said she thought it might be helpful, and it certainly couldn’t hurt. At the time I was desperate to feel better and so I looked into it, but living in New England, and being winter, it wasn’t practical to walk barefoot outdoors.

The idea of earthing is that there is an energy that emanates from the earth, and it’s an electrical current. People who live close to the earth, by having a lot of direct contact with earth, benefit from this energy because it’s naturally healthy for our bodies. Being confined for a large part of our lives in buildings and living indoors interferes with our contact with the current and may not be so good for our health. There’s a company that sells a device that transfers the current to a pad so you can do your earthing in your home.  

I bought the earthing pad, but to be honest, I didn’t notice a difference and gave up on the idea. I was sick at the time which was later diagnosed and treated, so maybe I just was too far from healthy to feel the benefit. When I got better, I never went back to using the earthing pad so I can’t comment it’s effectiveness, but, rather than using the device, you can give yourself more contact with the earth for free by walking barefoot in the yard or swimming in a pond. The problem is, living in New England, it’s just too cold to be able to do that to an extent that would make a difference.

The more contact you have with the earth, the greater the benefit to your health, so the you receive optimal benefit being in the water. With the earth’s energy surrounding the entire surface of your skin, you can absorb thousands times more energy than you can from walking on the earth in your bare feet.  Do you find it easier to fall asleep on a day when you spent time in the water? Did you ever notice that this effect of feeling tired, but relaxed and satisfied was not the as great if you expended an equal amount of exercise on land? This could be why.

Fast forward, and years later, I’ve returned to good health and I’m living on a Caribbean island. The big difference in my life is that I spend a lot more time outdoors. I often have breezes on my skin, and I certainly don’t have a need to take vitamin D supplements anymore. I swim in the water regularly, and I do feel that there’s something about this that’s giving me a great health benefit. It’s hard to describe, and impossible to measure, but there’s no question in my mind that it’s significant to my well-being.

the boulevard

The main town on this island has a boulevard that has a walkway that goes along the sea for a couple miles. All along the boulevard are steps and boat ramps into the turquoise sea. Towards day’s end, there’s a migration of locals heading to the area; there are runners and walkers, and swimmers who come down after work to get their exercise, as well as family members gathering to sit on the benches while children play in the water. It’s nice to often see disabled people taken to the water for some exercise, relaxation and fun.  

the sea pool

The sea pool is an area where the swim team regularly practices where they set up pool-size boundaries for laps and water polo. It’s a popular spot for people to enter the water because it’s one of the few sandy entry points into the massive coral reef. I go to the sea pool almost every day, and there’s usually other swimmers there. It seems like there’s a common understanding among the people who go there that it’s more than just cooling off from the heat of the day, we’re soaking in nourishment for our hearts and souls. The people I’ve met there are wonderful, they’re friendly, happy, grateful, and carrying a certain peace in the way they live their life. I have to say, based on this experience, I firmly believe in the benefits of earthing.  

Full Moon Yoga

If you love yoga, you would love yoga practice on a tropical island. You may be in a class where warm, soft breezes caress your skin while you relax deeply into your pose, or where the lapping waves on the shore play a musical rhythm to accompany your movement. A class that begins at the end of the day may end at dusk with a silent shavasana that lasts as long as you need to fully experience it.

The last time I visited the island, I knew my company was closing and I was going to lose my job, so I expected that it may well be my last time to enjoy my favorite vacation paradise. During that trip, I saw a post on facebook about a full moon yoga party that had just happened the past weekend. It was at a place that’s called an “earthship” which is a self-sustaining structure made out of recycled materials, and the pictures were amazing. Even though I missed the full moon event, I enlisted the help of my friend Margaret to set out to find it, but we ventured though rugged roads through a cactus forest until we gave up. We never found it, but I’ve always wanted to see it.

Now two years later, I’ve come to live here, and a yoga session at the earthship was high on my list. Last weekend, Yogarriba offered a full moon yoga session at the earthship. They were even serving prosecco and chocolate after class, so I was excited to go to this event. We met at a church so we could get a ride from someone who knew the way and had a vehicle that could make it up the rut-filled rocky road. It was much farther into the hills than I thought, no wonder we weren’t able to find it. We made a turn up a long hill and on one side of the road, you could see down the valley. Ahead of us was the earthship, a round structure with a roof top with pillars enclosing the magical space. 

The surroundings were decorated with lanterns in the trees and uplit cactus in the landscape.

  

We met downstairs in the tasting room, a cozy place with a bar and tables and a glass water decanter with fresh lemongrass from the greenhouse giving the it a refreshing flavor.

After everyone arrived, we headed up the stairs for the yoga class. 

At the top we had a breathtaking view of the sunset and the twinkling homes in the valley. The evening light illuminated the bottles that were embedded in the walls.

The yoga session was wonderful, in the peace of the hills and the warm breezes passing through the group. We were arranged in a circle, and we outstretched our arms to support each other in several balance postures. It was surprising how supported I felt and even though I wobbled in my tree pose, the support that extended through the entire group didn’t falter and nobody fell out of the pose. I had never experienced that before.

After a while, Lolymar asked us to turn and face the full moon now rising in the clouds above the horizon. We sat in silence for a long time.

After a while, we continued class, then rested in Savasana. I felt Lolymar caress my shoulders and glide her hands up my neck with rose oil that smelled heavenly. I enjoy a silent Savasana, with only the sounds of the natural environment to bend my thoughts passing through my mind like clouds. Understanding that we need to spend enough time resting in the last pose to have the maximum benefit, she waited until we were quietly getting up on our own before concluding the class.  

After class, many of us were trying to capture the moment taking pictures, but in a few moments, prosecco was being served in the tasting room offered with sweet oranges and handmade chocolates. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful night.

To learn more about Yogarriba, visit the website: http://www.yogarriba.com/ 

If you're planning a visit to Bonaire and you're interested in learning more about the yoga experiences available on this island, leave a comment below and I'll be happy to suggest something that fits your schedule.

Duo Xtreme Bonaire

I had heard about the Duo Xtreme Bonaire mountain bike race, and having experienced the climate for a month, I knew this was going to be a grueling competition. I happened by the race in progress on my walk and stopped to check it out.

The race had two courses, 50 and 70 km and was a duo race, where cyclists raced in teams and had to start and finish together.  They had several divisions from junior to masters for men, women and mixed teams with cash prizes. This year, they had 112 participants from Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, United States and the Netherlands.

I saw lots of smiles among the volunteers and cheers as each team came in. What a fun day for the competitors and their friends and families.

rough terrain

finishing the race despite each having flat tires

Neil helps out the volunteers

Rincon Cultural Market

The oldest settlement on the island of Bonaire is a small town called Rincon, nestled in the desert hills with the main port of Kralendijk to the South and the Washington Slagbaai National Park to the North. Once a month, at the Magazina di Rei, they hold the Rincon Cultural market, so I decided to check it out.

It was about a 30 minute drive from town driving on a clear road passing through a cactus forest with views of the brilliant blue East Coast. Along the way, I passed inviting entrances to a goat farm, a botanical garden and several other sparsely situated tourist attractions. As I got close to Rincon, rock formations rose to the brilliant blue sky on my left. It was in that area that I drove through a cloud of butterflies with their orange and black wings flicking my windshield. I never saw so many butterflies! As soon as I arrived into the town, the Magazina di Rei was on my right. From the parking lot, I could hear the traditional music inviting me to join the fun.

traditional dances

To enter the market, you walk through a garden with native species into a patio area with seating and tables overlooking the valley where the townspeople live. In the center was a band playing music and a beautiful woman doing traditional dances. There was a nice blend of local people and tourists enjoying the music, when I met a friend who offered me a drink. The juice at this market is well-known, the woman who worked at Budget Marine told me not to miss trying it. Andy bought me a drink of lemon juice - it wasn’t like lemonade, but more like juice with a strong flavor sweetened perfectly.

I strolled the market and met a family who own a local restaurant, Posada Para Mira. They offered wonderful sandwiches made on fresh bread. Next to her, a woman was selling hand-made bags and dolls. There was a table offering all kinds of plants and in the pavilion local artists and vendors offered their goods. A fully operational kitchen offered all kinds of freshly made local foods. It smelled amazing.

The people were lovely.

Posada Para Mira

The building itself was built in 1824 and houses an interesting display about the history of Bonaire. Historic

Exhibit hall

line dancing

artifacts from tools to musical instruments are explained in detail with well-maintained exhibits. Outside the exhibit hall, there was a bush that attracted the same orange and black butterflies that I had seen on my drive.

At this time, the music was playing a last song where people joined in to do a traditional line dance, and that was followed by a presentation by a seasoned fisherman explaining how to build their style of traditional fishing boat. The talk was entertaining and generating lots of laughs.

In many ways, it felt like going back in time, to an authentic local gathering of people sharing music, food and fun. It’s a great way to spend a day and still have time to explore the sights of Rincon. 

the best juice!

Local artist shows her talent

Soaps and botanical products made from local plants

So many butterflies!

Update on Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Red Cross volunteers who are continuing the hurricane relief efforts

It’s obvious living near the airport that there’s been no slowdown in the increased activity since the hurricanes devastated the nearby islands of Saba, Statia and St. Maarten. The island of Bonaire, where I’m staying, wasn’t hit by the hurricanes, but Saba and Statia are a part of this country, so Bonairians are putting their hearts and souls into helping with the recovery.

I counted four flights taking off and landing during the time I was watching the sunset, evidence that the efforts to bring relief to hurricane victims is going as strong as ever. The need doesn’t end when the news coverage subsides, and as conditions deteriorate, the coordinated efforts between the six Dutch Caribbean hospitals is more critical than ever. As the fuel supplies dwindle on the affected islands, more and more patients whose lives depend on generators have to be evacuated.

The two organizations of Medic Air and Fundashon Maridal are working together to save lives; Medic Air has a medically equipped Learjet and Fundashon Maridal provides medical crew for air ambulance providers and both are working in coordination with the six hospitals in the Dutch Caribbean. By the first weekend following the storm, 83 patients needing hospitalization were airlifted to safety, and the work continues. Evacuees are typically brought from the affected islands to hospitals in Aruba or Curacao, then the planes land in Bonaire to refuel, load supplies and pick up more volunteers; and the cycle repeats continuously.

Groups of volunteers are going to the islands to help with the cleanup and delivery of food and water. The first group of volunteers arrived on Statia on Sept 17 and the effort continues with volunteers staying for one-week shifts. I talked with a couple of Red Cross workers who were at the Cultural Market in Rincon this past weekend, and asked about how the hurricane relief efforts were going.

I asked the young woman named Roshendra if they needed more volunteers, but she said they are fully occupied with training the volunteers they have. She told me this week they have been focusing on preparing the next group of volunteers for going to the island. There’s a lot that’s invested in each volunteer because they need to be very well informed about the conditions they will be going into, not just that they will be without ordinary comforts, but they will see people in very desperate conditions. They have more than enough people already working with the Red Cross and local NGO’s waiting to be trained to help. She didn’t say this, but it was clear to me that helping with a donation is the best way to offer help.

The fresh group of trained volunteers were leaving for Curacao that evening, and from there on to St. Maarten. The Dutch Red Cross operates twenty-four shelters on St. Maarten and many are only tents. I asked how many people are in the shelters, and I presume they don’t have the resources to do a headcount because she looked at me as if the question was overwhelming, All she could say sadly was "It's a lot."

I met a volunteer who had returned, and I was careful not to prod because it seemed clear he didn’t want to talk about it. The only thing he would say was that it was horrible, and the violence was the worst. I took the opportunity to ask Roshendra her thoughts on how the volunteers were handling the experience. “Yes, it’s very hard on them and we know this. We spend a lot of time preparing them, but no one can fully understand before they go there.”

“The typical reaction they have is at the end of their stay, they have a very hard time when they have to return. They don’t want to leave when people there still need help. But we have to have them come back, we only allow them to stay for one week at a time.”

I asked about making a donation, as I haven't found a way that people could make a donation on-line. This is a small island, so if you want to contribute to this organization, you have to make a deposit to account 41385602 at the MCB bank in Kralendijk. 

I want to thank all the wonderful volunteers who are doing so much to help others. They are truly remarkable people. Visit their website at http://afdeling.rodekruis.nl/afdeling/bonaire

#irma #jose #maria #hurricanes