#BeyondRecipes
PASTAMADRE-RETREAT
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Upcoming appointments in Brandenburg and Apulia
Discover the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.
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For those who want to practice mindfulness in daily life to open up to the awareness of the present moment:
The sensations in our body, the thoughts we identify with, the stories we tell ourselves while doing so, and our emotional patterns and reactions.
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From there we learn how to cultivate a deeper, more authentic and loving relationship with ourselves and others.
As we, Maria-Lucrezia and Frank began to work on the concept for this retreat, we both thought of that quote from the Sufi mystic Rumi:
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"Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself."
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That was exactly our experience: we wanted to achieve change "in the outer world" - until we understood that real change can only be achieved within ourselves and in our relationship to “what is there” - reality.
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And so, we continued to poetise Rumi's lines:
Yesterday I thought I had a problem
- today I realize I face a challenge.
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Yesterday I made mistakes
- today I get new opportunities to learn.
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Yesterday I wanted to be perfect
- today I wish to be complete and authentic.
Yesterday I was stressed about doing all the ordinary things - today I see in them the space in which I can discover the extraordinary.
But before we come to tell you more about the retreat and how we developed it: How did it all start?
I, Frank, found Maria Lucrezia on a meditation app. We had both been familiar with meditative practice for some time...and something magically drew me to Maria Lucrezia's photo - the universe had decided and made me find the woman of my life. There were so many parallels - and so many mutual complementarities. I, Maria Lucrezia, was surprised to find so many similarities and the ability to understand each other so well and easily, despite the difficulty of not speaking the same mother tongue, with someone so far from "my world". The "common language" for me was the inner work we had both done up to that point. Now I realize that it is this deep looking and listening inside that really allowed me to open up to this wonderful and so unexpected adventure that I feel the relationship with Frank is. Since we met, we have not only started meditating together and explored new practices; we have also shared a lot about our respective experiences: We feel how our yin and yang aspects complement each other fertilely.... I, Maria Lucrezia, bring things into the body and onto the earth. I, Frank, bring things onto the point. I, Maria Lucrezia, bring clarity with emotions. I, Frank, bring clarity with words. I, Maria Lucrezia, love the formless beginning of every making - creation. I feel at home in the darkness of the depths. I, Frank, love the precision of formulation. I feel at home in the light of the heights.
What is meditation for us?
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Meditation for us is a time when we consciously practise focusing our attention on the present moment - on what is at this very moment, HERE and NOW.
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This present moment is the only moment in which everything happens, in which life really takes place. We can no more change the past. We cannot yet know the future.
LIFE unfolds only in the here and now. And only in the here and now can we get in touch with ourselves, pay attention to the sensations and feelings of our body and explore the true nature of our mind.
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For us meditation is not separated from life. It is a practice that helps us to live more consciously in the unity of body and mind. Thus, we can better develop the potential that this unity offers us.
How did we get the idea to develop food preparation into a meditative practice?
When we look deeply at such ordinary things as food preparation, we discover that they can only happen in the present moment - in the here and now: I wash the vegetables - while I wash them. I cut a tomato the moment I slice it. Most of the time we do these small and ordinary tasks while our attention is elsewhere. We call these activities ordinary because they are repetitive and automatic in our lives, so most of the time we can do them without being fully present in what we are doing. That's why it happens that my hands cut tomatoes while my thoughts travel back and forth between the past and the future: for example, to what I experienced in the office a few hours before. Or to what I want to do after dinner. In such moments, my head and body are separated from each other and busy with different tasks. I miss a valuable opportunity to reunite them and to experience all the benefits of their unity.
Why is it important to bring body and mind together?
Our experience tells us that when we consciously connect body and mind, there is so much to discover: > By focusing my attention on the body, I first learn to ground myself and calm my head and body. In this way, I enable myself to relax and be serene. > As through muddy, troubled water, it is very difficult to see clearly when I am restless and agitated. Only through calm and stillness my ability grows to see things "as they really are". Only through calm and stillness can I act effectively. > The moment I begin to see things more clearly and act in a more balanced way, my relationship to the outside world changes. This outside world, which in turn is determined by my relationship to it, changes in a "miraculous" way - because I change. THUS we return again to the quote by Rumi: By changing my relationship to reality, I realize how the extra-ordinary and the ordinary are inseparable; how the ordinary and the extra-ordinary are interwoven. Through this change I find wisdom, and this wisdom keeps me in constant change.
What are we doing?
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We develop food preparation into a daily meditative practice of mindfulness.
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We focus on the simple little tasks of everyday life to transform them into precious moments of calm and relaxation.
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We create an intimate and loving atmosphere where everyone can feel welcome, nurtured and understood.
What do we learn?
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To use mindful posture and movements as anchors to return to the here and now.
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To consciously slow down our daily routine and transform repetitive daily tasks into moments of inner listening.
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To find joy, enthusiasm and a positive attitude in the small everyday tasks of life.
Why is this important to us?
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Because we want to share our personal experience of meditative practices that have so profoundly transformed our lives.
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Because we trust that what we have learned so far can be effective for the benefit of others.
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Because we want to pass on something that brings us joy and makes us happy; that first and foremost enables us to unfold our full potential.​
#BeyondRecipes
retreat-dates
BRANDENBURG, Germany
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Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd of September 2023
LANDHAUS ROSENWINKEL, Rosenwinkler Dorfstraße, 16909 Rosenwinkel
#BeyondRecipes
Re-Discovering oneself in daily tasks
with Maria-Lucrezia, Frank and Sabina
Retreat in German and English
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We live in challenging times: Our days are often tightly timed, technical devices determine our daily routine, and we often miss the time to take a breath. While we are working or focused on tasks, the needs of our body are completely forgotten:
We don't feel that we are hungry, thirsty or tired. We don't move for hours.
We have lost the natural and deep connection to the inner body.
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How do we get back in touch with ourselves?
landhaus rosenwinkel
APULIA, Italy
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Sunday 16th to Friday 21st of July 2023
(5 nights)
Arrival Sunday 16th July until 5:00 pm
Departure Friday 21st July um 10:00 am
CASINA SETTARTE, Contrada La Chiusa
72017 Ostuni
#BeyondRecipes
awareness in daily practice
with Maria-Lucrezia, Frank, Francesco, Nico.
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Retreat in English and German
The retreat moves within the triangle of meditative practice - sustainable lifestyle - the art of Cucina Povera. How does this fit together? Through a more conscious and loving approach – to ourselves and the world around us!
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Being present with all 5 senses!
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Maria-Lucrezia shows us how the preparation of food can be transformed into a practice of conscious being.
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Frank guides us in different ways to a finer inner perception through silent and dynamic meditations.
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Francesco helps us to awaken and consciously perceive the energy (Qi) of the body with Qi Gong exercises.
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Nico uses the vibrations of Tibetan singing bowls and gongs to bring us into contact with the vibrations of life energy.