Mindful Voices of Europe: Mind-expanding outdoors moments

978-2-9561726-1-1

DEDICATION

To

my backyards red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris and its tree climbing agility, eating pine nuts,

my green woodpecker Picus Viridis, playing hide-and-seek in the pine tree forest,

my cute beach bird, kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus, hatching three lovely eggs in May,

my garden nest bird Cyanistes caeruleus, making my dad the most happy in spring,

my European tree frog Hyla arborea, singing and soothing the night by my garden pond

all the birds and wild animals around, who enlighten my day with their smooth songs or flights,

the Atlantic Ocean, from which I feel a call to mindfulness, adventure and opportunities,

my dear writer Jules Verne, who has influenced my friendly hometown Nantes forever,

all of you, who have spent from one minute to many years by my side,

my beloved parents, passing on their marvelous values and their heartfelt helping hands.

PREFACE

Mindful Voices of Europe is a truly unique book of discovery, but it is no travel guide. This is a collection of short stories, authentic experiences, from 44 European writers capturing the heartfelt atmosphere of their native countries. The book seeks not only to awaken the peaceful traveller within you and nurture awareness, but also to cultivate a deep belief in cultural exchange. It is a celebration of the pleasure of words and languages rhythms, and an invitation to share in the inner-joy that travel brings.

Travelling with mindfulness at the forefront of the experience leads the mindful team of writers to tap into the inexhaustible powers of deep nature, the wild and untouched peak hiking trail less travelled, the soul talk with an overseas retreat, the migratory bird they are, the timeless sanctuary they live by, the introspective freedom of a city walk...while watching leaves dancing in the wind. Those slow life experiences will give you goosebumps of simple and pure pleasure and will enhance your own spiritual growth, like a path to serenity and your true self. All the stories resonate in unison, following the La heart being given by the conductor, Vincent Héry.

Each of the stories has a quote written in both English and the writer’s native language. Seven categories emerged. I looked for certain elements while conducting effective interviews: a love for the homeland, a great enthusiasm towards this project, an ability to express feelings through writing and a wish of a call for wisdom and consciousness.

Four of the stories within the book are fully translated into the writer’s language as a way of emphasising the pleasures of the alphabet, and the beauty of something you don’t understand. This captures the true experience of travel and of being a stranger in a unfamiliar land. On your travels you may hear music sung in a different language; you may not understand the lyrics, but the beauty of the melody still translates.

Mindful Voices of Europe is a truly unique book that seeks to re-write the travel guide, awaken the peaceful traveller within you and nurture awareness.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am deeply grateful to the many European writers who contributed their stories to this book. They have been so enthusiastic from the start; dedicated to writing, appreciative of my feedback and pleased to be on the team. I can never thank these individuals as much as they deserve, for they have made this project a reality, and I hope the support that they have given to my creative idea will turn out to be an act of spiritual ignition for others. Carolyn Myss would with no doubt set this as an Invisible Act of Power testimony in her book. Who knows how many readers might benefit from it?

I would also like to mention other authors whose books have been tremendously helpful to me at particular stages of my spiritual journey: Shakti Gawain for her Creative Visualization workbook, Christophe André for his Méditer, Jour Après Jour, Thich Nhat Hanh with Healing the Inner Child, Mantak Chia and his Taoist Ways To Transform Stress Into Vitality, Matthieu Richard for his collection of tibetan texts Chemins Spirituels.

I would furthermore like to thank Terrence Malick, the movie director of the acclaimed The Thin Red Line or Days of Heaven. In my opinion, he is a profound poet: nature appears as a privileged way towards oneself and towards the heavens, his poetry manifests itself through a phenomenology of light, open voices, sounds and pure movement; it is truly enlightening. Hayao Miyazaki and Charles Chaplin are also close to my heart.

I have a dear and precious circle of European friends who I met while travelling and staying at their homes, or when hosting travellers for free at my home. I have marveled over their spirit. I thank them so much, with deep friendship and affection.

Curiosity, passion, a sense of humour and open-mindedness have always been by my side. They have all inspired in me a desire to collect and promote European stories and cultures by native writers. My profound thanks also goes to Maria (Ukraine) and Nina (Slovenia) who have been so enthusiastic while working on this project. They have shared some moments of their life with me since I met them, staying for days with their lovely families.

My hometown Nantes, port of call of the famous writer Jules Verne, is a vibrant and friendly place to live in. It is relatively easy to meet Europeans there.

My heartfelt love and kindness also goes to nature, which has always given me a peaceful and restful place to meditate and begin my mindfulness journey.

But what matters the most in life are true friends over the years, whether you see them often or not, I could never describe how much they mean to me, so with genuine deep friendship, thank you Olivier Orseau, Manuel Salaun and Thibault Poëlane. They might not realise the powerful effect of a call or a visit in helping me keep going.

My special gratitude also goes to:

Stella Eleftheriades (Cyprus) who has been so keen on writing, proofreading and creating lovely summaries, always ready to feedback my work: she has eagle eyes.

Sophie Goodall (United-Kingdom), the main diligent proofreader, a real book lover who is proud to join this special project. She deserves immense commendation for proofreading english stories written by non native.

Robert and Rachel (United-Kingdom), Darragh and Sarah (Ireland), Mel (Malta) who have been also helpful in proofreading these short stories.

Ariana Yugay (Russia) who has designed the logo, the book cover and its contents, resulting in a professional and aesthetic product.

Melisa (Montenegro), lawyer, who supports me with the legal aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Laws.

1. HIKE THE PATH OF MOUNT SERENITY

Eight ways to quiet the mind

during a walk through the mountains

Armenia: Eliza’s love for her country is palpable in her story. She takes us on a journey through her village and up the Maymekh Mountain, where despite the trials and tribulations she encounters, the satisfaction and joy experienced bring peace and calmness.

Austria: Abandoning city life, Antonia climbs into the Buchberg, a haven of mountains, effortlessly drifting to reach the top as she rides on the beauty of the Attersee lake; behold an exquisite view that is strikingly dazzling and incomparable to that of any other.

Croatia: When we move away from urban land, and wander into the grassy outskirts, can we really become one with nature? Ivan leads us on a pilgrimage to Kalnik. Only The Strength of Stone matters.

Georgia: The dream of breathing Racha’s clean air and sleeping under those starlit skies was a lifelong wish of Zurab’s ever since he could remember, only he never expected that dream to become a reality.

Liechtenstein: Journeying into the Lawena Valley, Alexandra strives to reach the Falknis summit once more; a hike she has mastered with eyes closed. She can tell every rock, every tree trunk, branch and pebble. Viewing the beautiful Rhine valley and standing above the steep canyon below, she later finds herself at a loss for words, standing in awe amidst of a pack of chamois.

Romania: Overwhelmed by the damp city life, Ciprian dares to walk the rooftops of Romania, reaching the Fagaras Mountains, also dubbed the Transylvanian Alps. Whilst discovering Moldoveanu Peak, he breaks down the imaginary walls city life creates through social media, reconnecting with the world on a personal level.

Switzerland: Olivia finds herself reincarnated into pieces of nature, scouted by the jackdaw and reborn into the blue and green lakes. Climbing into the beautiful canvas of Niederhorn, she hikes through the Beatenberg and stretches her soul to the highest peaks, where she becomes one with the wild and untouched.

Wales: Making camp in Beddgelert, Claudia escapes to the white noise of nearby lambs and natural trickling streams that provide the ultimate Welsh stress reliever. She travels by train from the small town of Llanberis, known for its railways, and climbs to the peak of Mount Snowden, where she manages to restore her mind.

Understanding Life’s Philosophy Through Nature

ARMENIA (Հայաստան)

Eliza SARGSYAN

Lori - a special heartfelt place, set in the Armenian highlands; the place I belong to, where I am myself more than anywhere else in this world; the land of peaceful Armenian mountains, legends, myths, and fairytales. We also call it Tumanyan’s world, thanks to the great poet and writer Hovhannes Tumanyan, every corner of this region is related to a story, a fairytale. He discovered and described the unknown world of simple villagers - a world full of mystery, traditions, and wisdom.

When you enter the Lori region, there is a signboard announcing it, and below is written դբա լավը, ապո. From local dialect, this could be translated as to the better, my friend!: a unique welcome. From this place, the landscape changes entirely. It changes for the better, of course.

My hometown, Vanadzor, is a tiny city surrounded by mountains, rivers, and forests; the urban living in harmony with nature. It’s a calm city with its own slow rhythm, with no skyscrapers, and not that many tourists. During the time of the Soviet Union, it was called the green city, with health centres which were full of people from all over the Soviet Union. But after the earthquake in 1988, a part of the city was ruined. Then followed the war in the ‘90s, Independence, the 3rd Armenian Republic, economic blockade, and the so-called dark and cold years... During this difficult period, a lot of trees were cut down to heat houses, but Vanadzor still looks greener than many other cities.

8am. Waking up to Omnia’s song ‘Wake up’ seems a good start for this special day. Let this Omnia mood follow me throughout the day. Our little group starts the journey. Destination: Maymekh Mountain, 3081 m. The spring has just come to Lori. It always comes a little late. Fresh air, shining sun, marvellous nature: what else could we need for such a perfect morning?

The start is a little difficult. The path goes through forests and cloughs, with obstacles on every step. Walking becomes more and more difficult. Fortunately, the rest of the path mostly consists of fields.The few moments of relaxation, just lying on the grass, watching the sky and doing absolutely nothing, are priceless. What’s the purpose of continuing if here and now we have everything we need to be happy? Carpe diem! We also meet this dilemma during life’s journey. We always choose between dreams and big plans, and a comfortable, predictable life. It’s up to you which one to choose, but one thing is for certain: if you want the most from life, you should do your best. Wisdom consists of the ability to find an equilibrium between these two things.

A group of horses is coming. So much freedom! I could watch them for hours, but Maymekh is waiting.

Here and there you can hear the sound of water flowing under the stones. Nothing compares to the cold, fresh, mountainous water. It comes from the heart of the earth to give us energy.

After a nine-hour walk, we are at the top of the mountain. I have never been so high- except when travelling by aeroplane! This magical view of powerful mountains reminds me of the words of Paruyr Sevak: We are eternal like our mountains. It’s a special feeling to know that your ancestors looked at these views thousands of years ago, and here you are, watching it now.

Although the wind doesn’t allow me to catch my breath, I stand for some minutes and admire the breathtaking panorama. Would it seem dramatic, if I were to say that I feel the presence of ancient Armenian Gods? At least, I understand what the source of the rich imagination of my ancestors was when they were creating them. When you are watching these views, your brain starts working differently, your spirit is full of inspiration. You’re ready to reach your dreams no matter what; to act, to create, and to win. Here, closer to the skies and Gods, you breathe deep and feel alive. It is the perfect place for meditation. There’s only you and Mother Nature. No noise, no cars, no crowd; nothing disturbing you, only you with your thoughts.

To be at the top, you need to continue your journey no matter what. Sometimes you should face your tiredness, forget about your pain and fears and keep going. You are often out of breath, you think about giving up because it seems impossible to pass through all of this