Annie Thoe's Feldenkrais Blog

September 2, 2008

TUE 2 SEP

Re-Entry from Deep Summer By Annie Rachel Thoe

(Annie in a cave church in Kapadokya, Turkey with Energy Orbs (spirits) )

Well, it's been six weeks since I've written and I returned to work today after a three month retreat to Greece, Turkey, Oregon, Seattle and the wild places of Eastern Washington.

I am still feeling my time in Turkey and this photo reminds me of the mysteries that are unseen around us.  The flash of my camera (which is something like 30 times brighter than the sun) picked up these "energy orbs" - little and sometimes big balls of light that hover around in various, often sacred places like this cave monastery I visited that was from 300 AD (or even earlier) in Kapadokya, Turkey.  I've had so many truly amazing experiences this summer of people connecting with me in such loving ways that these orbs seem to confirm that there must be more than random coincidences and occurrences to life.  I felt a presence in this church and was relieved to find the camera picked up something as well.  There were many places like this in Turkey, especially in these sacred caves.  I have pictures in these caves with so many orbs in them that it's hard to see the people!

To add more to the mystery of my summer experiences, I had sent of a cheek scraping sample for my DNA to be tested by the National Geographic Genome Project that can identify your earliest ancestors through DNA testing and look at the migration pattern of your ancestors from our human roots in Africa.  I didn't get my test results back until after I had returned home to Seattle. 

I had picked Greece and Turkey to visit because I wanted to explore the roots of civilization and connect to the old and sacred places that I felt would speak the most to my background.  When I got home and checked my test results of my DNA sample, my genetic ancestors were of the first migration to leave Africa, go through the Mid-East and into Turkey by a town 20 miles or so from the city of Konya (which was one of my favorite places of the trip) and then head north, eventually landing in Northern Norway (where one of my family members lives).  How incredibleand wonderful that I intuitively followed this migration path in my journey this summer!  And how funny I felt in Konya, the people treated me like a long-lost relative who was coming home for a visit.

I think often of the people I met in Konya--  their warmth and attention.  They were very curious and kind to me, wanting to talk and have me stay longer.

These adorable boys talked to me for a long time and then posed together.

And this family of women also talked and joked with me.  One of the women asked me,  "Who is more fat, me or my sister?" 

I laughed and said, "No way am I going to answer that!"  

The women giggled and nodded and then the whole group posed for a photo for me to take home.  (These long rain-coats are the style there-- even in 80 degree weather.)

And then there are the sufi Whirling Dervishes, whose music often sounds Native American-- apparently the shamanic tradition of the Native Americans comes from Turkey, including the music.  I loved the symbolic dance with one hand toward heaven and the other toward earth with the human body making the bridge between the two.  This is very similar to the movements in Chinese Qigong as well and was beautiful to watch.  Below are dancers in Konya.

My latest adventure was celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Wilderness Awareness School for the past 3 days.  The experience of being with all these people of Wilderness Awareness School community reminds me of Turkey and the pervasive reverence I felt from the people there.  Feeling respect, gratitude and love for one another, for all our relations-- the earth, the sky, the birds, the trees, the stones and every living being is an expansive experience.  I hope more people can experience this and find ordinary life to be as sacred.  I am honored to have these people in my life and to experience such love and appreciation.  I'll write more soon and have more photos to share....

Peace and love to you--