Africa – Mindfulness in Practice
by Christina
Africa is mindfulness in practice. Every single day. Everything that drew me to Africa and all that I appreciate here such as the simple everyday life where time has a different meaning than in the west; the silence; the relaxed atmosphere where stress doesn’t seem to exist; being human instead of hiding behind a job, function or position; the time that seems to have stood still here, the cheerfulness and creativity of the African people and their resilience and ability to survive. All these beautiful things are sometimes also the most challenging, and by that I mean mainly the simplicity of life.
Life in all its simplicity – living from day to day, time seeming to stand still with almost no external distractions (for example a nice pub to go to) – I must honestly admit that I do not find it easy to find peace in this setting. Mindful meditation practice is about being totally present in each moment, and being mindful is about living completely in the here and now – dealing with what presents itself now and not wanting to change it or cloud it with fears, obsessions or worries about the future.
“Live in the present moment, only this moment. Yesterday and tomorrow exist mainly in your head. Stay in every moment to the fullest and tomorrow will take care of itself” is written on the mindful living calendar that Gerry got from my mother. But how do you do that?
Going back to basics has something beautiful about it. For example, the more you take the time to fully experience life here in Africa, the more you realise that everything is connected. Mozambique is still a very unspoiled country with ancient trees, wild animals and strange insects. You have to adjust to them all and to the landscapes where you live together. If you leave animals and insects to themselves, there’s no need to be afraid of them – everything can co-exist, as I’ve discovered here. We can even co-exist with large spiders and snakes! I have also become very attached to the many plants on my veranda, each seeming to have their own personality.
But a more simple life also has its challenges. In Africa, for many it’s about survival and it’s not easy to provide for your livelihood in our money-based world. My head is running away with me and worrying thoughts pass by: how can we make it all happen here in Mozambique? Who will take care of me and Gerry when we are old and frail? How do we stay healthy so that we can continue to work?
Some time ago, a dear friend of mine introduced me in to Human Design. According to the Human Design system I am a “generator.” Being in a social environment is very important to me and I am very aware of the mutual dependency that we have as human beings. Working together is something that I observe daily in Africa amongst the Africans. I must admit that I watch it with some jealously sometimes, as we in the west have become so individually focused.
Above all, I am a a social person. I like to have my loved ones around me. So can I live in an environment without my friends and family nearby? Where inspirational distractions such as a beautiful concert – a place where people come together – are absent? Is this the right place for me?
It seems to be a paradox. Because at the same time the peace and de-conditioning that I experience here, the daily practice of trusting that the path will unfold, the creativity and effort needed to make things work here and the pureness and humanity of the Africans, are all daily learnings that I feel are very valuable and can only happen when you step out of your comfort zone. It’s a daily practice to keep trusting that the direction will unfold. It’s trying to enjoy the small things in life and reconnect with nature. It’s for sure an interesting path!
