My Soglio, 2009
I love the non-competitive, gentle and quiet yoga that Jody practices and teaches. I love its emphasis on the breath, on listening to your own body and the positive encouragement and acceptance radiated by teacher and students alike.
Switzerland has fascinated me, ever since mother shared her favorite story of Heidi with me. Here was a strong, independent little girl, who thrived in the fresh mountain air, and lived a simple life with her loving Grandfather, his goats and his healthy fare of goat milk, cheese and dark bread. To get ready for Soglio, I reread my mother’s 1899 copy of Heidi, by Johanna Spryri and translated by Helen B. Dole.
Rising before dawn, to the sound of Rupert’s morning song, set the tone for each day in Soglio. I was often the first to get outside, waiting on the steps for the others. I greeted them with hugs, and an occasional whispered exchange. I liked the silent walk to meditation, and the meditation just seemed to flow into yoga and song, and the beginning of a whole long sweet day.
In Jody’s yoga practice, we keep our eyes closed…and there was at least one gorgeous day, when the sun was beginning to warm us as we did our morning yoga, when I felt it was ridiculous to keep my eyes closed and miss all the beauty that I should be able to see, as well as feel, in this uniquely beautiful place. And so I did open my eyes – wide! - and closed them tight immediately. In fact, I was afraid I might be blinded for life, because I had looked directly into the sun! Fortunately there was no damage. I spent a lot of time soaking up the majestic mountains in the afternoons—when there was no need to shade my eyes. As I look back, I think I never felt that there was too much, or too little, time in the rest of the day.
I loved the group hikes even though I was the oldest, slowest, and heaviest person in the group. Someone always patiently stayed behind with me, and I rested when I had to. I once looked back up a steep trail, where I saw such indescribable beauty of the sun and sky and mountain and flowers that I could hardly stop looking. It was a totally different scene from the dark, leafy path ahead. Another time, while resting, I discovered a tiny little altar, half hidden behind a rock. No one else, scurrying by, had seemed to notice it. I also discovered a rock formation that appeared to be a large tortoise, and determined that the slow, steady spirit was perhaps my totem for my Soglio stay. Before arriving in Soglio, I had bought a small Galapagos Tortoise from the Zurich Zoo, as a keepsake. It now serves as a reminder of the calm, steady energy I felt in Soglio. There were times, after a long hike, when my back miraculously stopped hurting, and I could straighten up and keep walking, and even sing “My Knapsack on My Back.” Swimming in the waterfall pool was a wonderful treat after a hot climb, and the refreshment is still a vivid memory.
I loved my time alone: walking, writing, painting, meeting native villagers and other vacationers, and resting. I found my own special places to be “in awe” and to be alone—and felt especially lucky, to have a small sunny room with windows that opened onto the children’s playground of the “Palazzo Salis” hotel next door. It was my “Heidi” loft—very comfortable, with two wide windows.
A surprise to me was how much I came to love the other retreaters. Between Alan and Rupert, all my detailed questions about actually getting from the airport to Soglio were answered, and then again about how to get back to Zurich. Both men entertained us all with comic routines, and prepared the most delicious, healthy and colorful meals. Alan made my favorite tea every night, and Rupert, my “ally”, was endlessly patient in accompanying me up the mountain trails.
Petite Camille, the only native Swiss in the retreat, roomed across from me, and felt like my Swiss sister. She advised me on many things, taught me about famous Swiss artists, explained special Swiss and Italian foods and the money system, and reminded me when I talked too loudly. We shared ice cream cones, dinners, shopping excursions, personal stories and current concerns. She had a beautiful singing voice. She often offered to accompany me places. She was an unfailing friend.
Marianne, a native Dutch woman, was blond and tall, outspoken and gorgeous in her bright colors. She spoke English with the Dutch accent that I loved from my childhood in Zeeland, Michigan. She had dimples, and loved to laugh. She played the flute, sang beautifully and led a “cycle of life” routine many times. She and I exchanged foot rubs, and she shared some of her raw wool with me. On the last evening, we both erupted in joyous merriment when we looked into each other’s eyes. We felt young, reckless and overflowing with happiness.
How could I leave out Tisha, who shared her poetry and love of Mary Oliver’s poetry tapes? She recorded the Soglio church bells for us, shared her lovely singing voice, and hiked with incredible energy. Tisha lives in Ann Arbor, and I regularly meet others who know and love her. Kristin grew up in East Germany, and taught Russian before emigrating to Switzerland. She remembered gathering mushrooms in the woods with her Grandmother. She has grown-up children, of whom she is proud, and she loves classical music. She also sang beautifully, and had an unusually musical laugh. As a physical therapist, she gave me suggestions for my back, and often checked up on me.
My purchases were mostly postcards and stamps, and two large calendars—one of “Alpen Blumen” and one of the Alps themselves, taken in different seasons of the calendar. These two calendars, plus four large posters filled with picture memories, are my visual reminders. They take me back to a place of beauty, a time of nurturing and sweet sharing of human companionship and physical health, and a freedom from heavy responsibilities.
What still inspires me? The beauty and colors of the Soglio mountains and hills, wildflowers and waterfalls, the sounds of the water and church bells, cowbells and goat-bells, laughter and voices singing in harmony, the sweet scent of the fresh air, newly mown grass,….but I am inspired and passionate, not only about memories of Soglio, but also in the simplest little discovery in my own back yard and the great blue heavens. Life on this earth is a wonderful gift. I think we are made to love this place, and the amazing diversity of life we see.
When Mary Oliver asks, “And what do you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” I answer “I plan to look, and listen, and love all life, on this wild and precious planet.”
Mary Mostaghim 3/23/10
