Day 141: Ronda... Wow...

In Osho's Tao: The Golden Gate, The Venerable Master said:

"The supreme Tao is formless, yet it produces and nurtures Heaven and Earth. The supreme Tao has no desires, yet by its power the sun and the moon revolve in their orbits. The supreme Tao is nameless, yet it ever supports all things. I do not know its name but for title call it Tao."

Some call it Tao, I call it Ronda.

Ronda's famous Puente Neuvo.

Andalusia is a one of the most breathtaking places that I have ever seen. It is a treasure trove of quaint villages who's white washed walls bathe in endless sunshine. Its rolling green hills and lush valleys have often appeared in my dreams. Its natural perfection tingles the tongue and lingers on the palate. It's a feast for the soul as well as the eyes.

Considering my past experiences at the Alegraluz Tantra Center, I was hard-pressed to believe my life could get any better. The morning after Martin's weekend Tantra workshop, we were sitting around having breakfast. Today Martin was driving to his house in Ronda to take his son Liam to school. Anna asked me "Are you going?" As I got in the car, I would shortly discover this was one of the best decisions I ever made.

The drive through the mountain road was awesome!

Too bad we weren't on motorcycles!

Even before I saw Ronda, I fell in love with the scenery. About an hour's drive from San Pedro, Ronda is nestled amongst majestic mountain ranges. The appropriately named, Serranía de Ronda wind their way from the coast to the village. 12 years ago Ronda was only accessible to people with strong constitutions and 4x4 trucks. Thankfully Spain built a modern road which allows easy access to this spectacular city. If you're not too distracted by the views and motorcycles, along the way you can catch glimpses of the old road. Martin told stories and showed me interesting points along the way but I could only divert so much of my attention. When we turned a corner and saw those white buildings for the first time, it was magical. Sunlight beamed upon the white houses and Ronda shone like a pearl.

Ronda off in the distance.

Getting out of the car and squeezing my pack through the half open French door, felt like my first day in Italy. It was fun for me to experience where Martin calls home. While he rents a building to house the Tantra center, he owns a quaint apartment in Ronda. It was small but cozy, with a small kitchen, living room, bathroom, and two bedrooms on the second floor. Once we settled in he offered to take me for a tour.

Martin's street!

In Ronda you will get robbed if you don't have a dog.

Having lived in Ronda for seven years, Martin knew enough about Ronda to make me think he'd lived here his whole life. He took me down his street and around the outskirts of the town. It has been under the control of the Romans, Christians, and Muslims, and Spanish, and each has left their mark. Ronda is not only culturally unique but geographically impressive. Sought after not only for its views but a spring on top of the hill, It's easy to see why it was so highly fought over. Today, Ronda is the third most visited place in Spain; where all of Europe comes to vacation. Martin's tour was my favorite tour since I've been in Europe. He seemed to know about everything, which was excellent because I would soon be giving a similar tour.

The entrance to the old city.

The stairs on the left are 3,000 years old!

The Christians destroyed all the mosques' domes and made steeples.

Microsoft background.

A panorama of the old entrance to the city.

Costume or not, I was still the biggest cock.

In order to be considered a gentlemen you have to own a horse.

Here's 'Pene Rock'. Heh heh.

Rooooooollllling hills.

"Just one more step back, you're almost in the frame, Martin!"

A long way down.

Which is the new house? 

Reasons why Ronda is my favorite.

Even the panoramas don't do it justice.

A beautiful system of carefully dug irrigation ditches.

Heat will kill all of the wildlife soon – I was there at the best time of year.

The Romans carved this pathway out of the solid rock.

Not sure how this moss worked but it makes for a great photo.

A house's spring fed sink.

One of the ruins near Ronda's old mill.

When we got home I received an email from my childhood friend, Monica, who I was hoping to meet. She told me that she arrived in Spain safely and gave me a run-down of her itinerary. I couldn't believe it, she was coming to Ronda tomorrow! I went to bed that night thankful to be in such a magnificent place and excited to share it with Monica and David mañana.

It was shortly after 3 by the time we met. Walking to McDonalds, Martin and I bet on whether they would be there or not. Sure enough, there they were, crossing the street with their backs turned to us. Locked onto my target, I took off at a full sprint. Closer, closer, closer... When she turned around it was too late. She screamed and David almost had a heart attack as I picked Monica up and twirled her around. Hugging her and beaming, she started laughing. The feeling was surreal. I never imagined I would see Monica in Europe. What a treat. I introduced Martin and we headed off to get ice cream and coffee.

No matter how long it's been since I've seen any of my friends, when I see them again, I always feel like nothing has changed. It was the same with Monica. I didn't want to talk, I just wanted to enjoy her company. I'm getting all fuzzy reminiscing. Phew!

It was such a pleasure to see Monica and David!

I was excited to share Martin's knowledge by giving Monica and David a tour. Earlier that morning Martin took me for a second tour, down one of the cliffs that Ronda's famous Puente Nuevo bridges. It was an adventure down narrow trails, through crumbling ruins, and across treacherous drops that was not for the faint of heart. As Monica and David worried about getting home before dark, I thought this would be a great route to take them on.

Isn't she the cutest?

David wouldn't follow me across the cliff... What's wrong with him?

Go to Ronda as soon as you can.

Seriously, buy the next plane ticket.

I miss Ronda already!

The tour began well but as it continued, their aversion to danger increased. Finally we came upon a bit where we had to shimmy along a narrow edge with a steep drop below us. It was too much for them so we turned back. "Everyone travels differently," I said. We continued the tour along a more appropriate route but soon it was time for them to go. We had a beautiful time together. Luckily they were staying just minutes away from San Pedro. I knew I would see them again in a few days. With warm hearts we parted ways and I made my way back to Martin's apartment.

The sun sets after an amazing day.

I was looking forward to spending a few days in Ronda, but the next morning Martin told me that I was needed back in San Pedro. Initially I was slightly upset but when I found the girls would be practicing their massage training on me I had my seatbelt buckled in a flash.


Adios!

Check out the rest of the photos!

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Day 137: Alegraluz Tantra Workshop

Another morning at the Alegraluz Tantra Center. I woke up to the sun shining through my window and warming my face. The morning breathing and breakfast all went as normal, however today was a special day. Today was my first day as a student since I graduated. Martin gave me the opportunity to take place in his Tantra workshop.

Tantra me, baby!

This workshop was to train two ladies from Denmark in the ways of Tantra. They were clients of the center and I was fortunate enough to go along for the ride. Anna came to the center after I had been here for a few days. She arrived late one night and smiled when we were introduced but I got a bit of a cold diva vibe from her. The next morning when I added her on Facebook I understood why – she is a model. Over the next few days before the workshop we spent a lot of time together getting to know one another and as she opened up, we quickly became friends. The other student was Jane. Jane is a friend of Anna, and also from Denmark. She's a warm woman that's the mother of two with some visible remains of her crazy younger years. She's a lot of fun and easy going, but it was with Anna that I found a special bond. Without Anna, I would have been completely unprepared for these workshops.

The workshops were not my first introduction to Tantra. My first day here Martin told me about Tantra giving me "opportunities to see myself" but I didn't understand until I experienced it. Anna started training with Martin almost immediately and soon she needed someone to practice on. I was in the right place at the right time.

Following my shower, I walked across the hall into the massage room. Soothing music mingled with the incense, Anna was sitting on the mat. She greeted me and asked me to sit with her. After a brief introduction we began breathing together in the Tantric style. Breath is extraordinarily important in Tantra. Tantric breathing means breathing deeply into your lungs so that your stomach swells and breathing out making a sigh in the tune of a vowel, "aahhh", "oohhh" or "eeeee".

So Anna and I are breathing together and going through various Tantric poses. We would lay together and breathe, moving our hips and the breathing would become faster and faster until we would both take a deep breath and let out a big sigh. It felt extraordinary. We were naked and many of the poses were sexual, but even without penetration, it felt like having sex. I felt this energy flowing through me that I had never felt before. In fact when I would breathe heavily my hands, shoulders, arms, and mouth would all tense up. At one point Anna asked me how I was and I laughed because my mouth was so tense that my words stumbled out of a small porthole that my lips made. It was an odd mix of comical and spiritual. As we finished up our session I had little clue what had happened but a comforting feeling of intimacy and unspeakable understanding of Anna and myself. We had a few of these sessions and it's funny how not having sex brought me more understanding of sex than having sex. Now I understand that having sex is not about penetration or orgasms but about the exchange of energy. Anna's sessions were the perfect introduction to Tantra and now it was time for me to learn some of the techniques she used.

Martin's photos are brilliant – this is the Meridian Tantra ritual.

With my lungi wrapped around my waist I entered the workshop room. It was pleasantly warm – Martin, Peter, Jane, and Anna all smiled as I entered. When I sat down, Martin began. Over the next two days we would be learning twelve Tantric rituals which can be used to help patients. These twelve rituals were divided into three types, the first four focused on breath, the second touch, and the third energy. Martin would demonstrate each ritual, then we would practice the ritual in pairs. As a pair we took turns, one person would give the ritual and the other would receive, then we would swap.

The twelve rituals we learned were:

Breathing:
1. The Tantric Greeting (appetizer)
2. The Hug (heart to heart)
3. Bonding (Laying on top of one another)
4. The Game (agressive, sensual, seductive)

Touch:
5. The Blanket Pull
6. Ring Finger Rub
7. The Butt Push
8. The Meridian

Energy:
9. Worship
10. Self love (lips, breasts, stomach, groin)
11. The Trifecta (buddha, scissor, sit)
12. Namaste

After every ritual Martin asked each of us what we felt. Feelings varied from person to person but most of our comments were similar. In fact, there were some rituals, namely bonding, the meridian, and the trifecta, where I was overcome by the feeling that Anna and I experienced the exact same thing. I can't explain but I was sure whatever I was feeling she was feeling also. Sure enough, when it was her turn to speak, she smiled and agreed.

A part of the Worship Tantra ritual.

Experiencing these rituals was profound. They are designed to induce a higher state of consciousness and they did so successfully. I felt like I was meditating because my mind was switched off for most of the time. The mindless feeling that I described is a curious one. Most people would think that a mindless feeling is not a higher state of consciousness because for them consciousness only exists in the mind. Through meditation and now through Tantra I have been discovering that we are much more than our minds and our bodies. Especially in the Western world, we have so much to learn about spirituality. Similar to meditation, you don't notice the benefits of these exercises until you've completed them. After many I could feel energy surging through my body –  like bubbles or vibrations charging up my spine, through my head, back down, through my arms, legs, and toes.

This beautiful pose is part of the Trifecta Tantra ritual.

This was my first time experiencing these feelings and quite opposite to drugs, with practice these feelings will get stronger. Tantra is awesome and I want to experience more. Tantra is a technique for discovering parts of yourself. You cannot discover these parts of yourself through the mind. There are no passages you can read or thoughts you can produce that will even give you a glimpse. The only way to learn is through experience, which is why Tantra does not tell you, it shows you.

As the session closes we show respect and gratitude with Namaste.

It goes without saying that the two days of workshop were life changing. I feel like I have silently gotten to know myself in ways that I cannot express. It dawned on me the other day that we are conscious of so little of what we experience. In these Tantra sessions there were some thoughts I was conscious of, some things I was semi-conscious of but unable to express, but I have a feeling that about 90% of what happened during these exercises I am completely unaware of but am still able to benefit from. I cannot thank Martin enough for including me in these workshops as they have been one of my most enjoyable moments of growth on my trip. I feel more whole, more confident, more relaxed. Thanks again, Martin.

Adios!

Day 134: The Alegraluz Tantra Center

Once again I find myself immersed in an unexpected situation. Carnival in Cadiz ended and I needed to stay around the South of Spain in order to meet up with my dear friend Monica who was coming to visit from the States. I cannot express how excited I am to see her. It's been four and a half months since I've been around someone that has known me for a long time. She is also bringing a package from home which includes my drivers license, medical card, and my debit card which I've been without since my third night abroad. Instead of CouchSurfing, I wanted to try something new.

Welcome to a Spanish paradise.

In the first week of my trip I signed up for HelpX, a website that connects volunteers with places that need them. Until now CouchSurfing had met all of my needs, but since I had a week to burn and the weather is warm, I thought working on a farm would be the perfect hangover cure. Before I left Cádiz I sent out a swarm of requests to interesting places in Andalusia. A few days later a group in Marbella said they could use me. Their description was pretty vague but they said they could use a graphic designer so I was excited to learn more. As I left Cádiz I had no idea what I was in for.

Since I didn't hitch hike, the trip was boring. Thankfully I arrived so late in Marbella that they were all asleep so I spent the night in the bus station. The next morning I was off to San Pedro, a small town near Marbella where these people live. Despite not knowing where to get off the bus, luckily my timing was perfect and soon I pushed their door bell. An incomprehensible young voice crackled through the speaker. "It's Ross!" I said, and I was in!

I jumped in the pool. It was rather cold.

I passed through a heavy wooden door into what appeared to be a vacation resort. Sitting behind a green lawn and clump of banana trees was a large house, swimming pool, grilling area, and two smaller houses. I followed the red tile walkway straight, past the pool, unsure of where to go. A face appeared behind the glass of one of the smaller buildings in front of me. The glass door opened and out flowed a warm greeting sealed with a hug. Her name was Ansa. Amazed that I made it here, she showed me around and soon I met the rest of the crew.

The back door of the big house.

Paradise is inhabited by four people. I was greeted by Ansa, a kind woman from South Africa. The next person I met was Peter, who is from Ireland and organizes the volunteers. He was the one who I corresponded with through email. Then Maria, a vibrant woman who travels the world healing clients and wife to Martin. Martin is the heart of the operation and owner of this business which I was about to discover.

Martin with myself and Anna, a student.

Peter sent me Alegraluz's websites, but exactly what they did didn't sink in until I heard it in person. "Most people think we're a bunch of sex freaks," Martin told me. Talk about unexpected situations; Alegraluz is in the business of Tantra. I was comfortable to begin with, but I was coming from a point of no knowledge. As Martin described more about what they do I became more comfortable. He told me that "Tantra gives you opportunities to reconnect with yourself." While most Tantra schools focus on states of bliss and 'happy endings', Alegraluz strives to help people rediscover themselves in order to live their lives from within. "We have everything we need to live a fulfilled life inside of us," Martin continued. It was immediately apparent that there was much I could learn here.

Ansa, Anna, Peter, and Martin starting their day.

As Martin got up to continue his work, Peter began to show me around the house, describing my duties and the rules. In exchange for free board and meals I needed to work five hours a day. Most importantly I needed to post ads on free classified sites promoting upcoming Alegraluz events. Posting ads is the only religion here. Apparently, all of Alegraluz's income comes as a result of these classifieds. It sounded like drudgery. I hoped to do some hardcore labor like lifting hay bails or something. Sitting behind a computer posting ads all day was not what I was looking for.

 

After CouchSurfing for so long, this was a big change of lifestyle for me. The first two days I spent with the Alegraluz crew were lovely but I felt uncomfortable and upset with posting these ads and spending so much time on the computer. Looking back now I realize that it was because of this preconception that I felt uncomfortable. Thankfully, once I accepted that I had to post these ads, I was able to focus on the positive aspects of my environment.

Ansa enjoying the sun.

The people, the lifestyle, the location, the food, and learning about Tantra has made my life over the past week immensely pleasurable. Every morning just after 7 my alarm goes off. At some point before 7:30 I get out of bed, fall into my pants, and shuffle into the living room where we do breathing and stretching for an hour.

The vibrant colors of the fisherman's boats are beautiful.

By 8:30 I'm eating a breakfast of museli, honey, fresh fruit, raisins, yogurt and cinnamon (it's my own concoction). Sometimes I meditate in the mornings after the breathing and stretching but usually it is enough of a meditation. After breakfast I try to get my ads out of the way within two hours. I've also been taking photos of the crew in order to revitalize their website and improve the ads. I'm happy that my design skills can be of use.

Lunch outside in the sun.

Lunch is the big meal of the day. Everyone here is an amazing cook and we all take turns. Normally there is a salad that compliments a few pots replete with nutritious deliciousness. When the table is set I'm always reminded of the feast scene in Hook.

Anastasia made one of the most delicious meals I've had and didn't eat any.

I usually recover from lunch by taking a walk to the beach. The relaxing sound of the small waves lapping against the rocky sand. Blue sky illuminating the brightly colored fishing boats. A ways down the shore I can see the white buildings of Marbella and across the sea I can see Africa. Paradise.

The beach!

Night has fallen when I finish the rest of my work and then it's yoga time. Peter leads a nightly Yin Yoga session which makes me feel like I'm dying. There's one pose called 'full saddle' where you sit on your feet and you're supposed to lay all the way back. Beginners use pillows to raise their back up off the ground to a comfortable level – I use the sofa. The best part about Yin yoga is also the worst part. The poses are held for around 5 minutes each. After 5 minutes of 'full saddle' I feel like my legs are going to explode.

I went for a jog one morning and found these horses.

The smell of tea and call to meditation signal that it's time for bed. Sometimes a few of us will get together and watch a movie or play cards. I've also been reading two books by Osho. Unfortunately I can't read for long before I pass out. It's nice to have my own room and place to sleep.

Full moon the other night. Amazing over the sea.

Now that I've gotten over my initial mindset of lifting bails of hay, I've become extremely comfortable here. The people of Alegraluz are warm and genuine and through them I'm learning about life and growing spiritually. We've become great friends. In fact, a few days ago Martin did something he never does. He let a volunteer take place in one of his Tantra workshops; but that's a story for Friday.

Adios!