It's 6:40am and I just finished booking the necessary accommodation to go to an Ecstatic Dance retreat in Almería. It's "Puente de Mayo" + Labor day in Madrid, so I have a long weekend. The decision to attend didn't come easily, the venue is in the middle of nowhere (actually about 5Km from where a lady pointed out that the olives were draining the aquifer. Should I feel overwhelmed, escaping is not an option.
It's my first time attending one of these spiritual retreats (ugh) and I have (mostly negative) preconceived ideas about who I will meet there. I had seen the event weeks ago, and after a long deliberation with myself I decided it was not for me. After the walk my attitude changed, in part because the unknown logistics about getting there are clear now (I will take the same bus at the same place at the same time!), but it's mostly about a willingness to experience whatever happens, whereas before I would have been looking to "feel better" and the camino is a known effective balm for the spirit and soul.
I didn't really dance until two years ago, and my body seems to want to make up for the lost time. I love getting in the flow of movement and rhythm, and I can do it for hours. As I'm dancing I often think "it's so fun to be embodied conscience", and then your eyes meet those of another dancer and it becomes an intimate moment of shared pleasure.
I feel I'm getting ahead of myself, I'll write my experiences once I'm having them. If I come into the present moment I notice I haven't finished packing, which I must do before work because I wont be coming back home after the office. I must also have a productive day at work today if I want to finish what I said I would tackle this week. I didn't sleep too well so this is going to be a challenge. Is this the present moment? No.
The present moment is me noticing my breath while tilting my head because I put an earwax cleaning solution into it. Both of my ears are completely plugged in wax according to the doctor (and my hearing). I just drained one side and repeated on the other. After this I will shower and use a small bottle shaped like a bellows to flow warm water into my ear canal (I'm sure it has a name, I'll ask AI... ah it's named a 'bulb syringe'). I'm supposed to wait 10 minutes on each side with my head tilted.
Ok, let's get this published and then shower.