By Jane Barthelemy. I learned an important lesson while trekking on the Camino in Spain. I walked 125 km in 8 days, which is about 15 km per day. Some days it was 25 km, some days just 8. Oh yes, my body was tired, however my mind and spirit felt total joy and freedom! I walked carefully to stay balanced. My skeleton and musculature were gently realigned each day. Even better, I enjoyed a time of peace, a chance to be with myself away from WiFi, computer, and cell phone. I was weary and my feet hurt, however at the end of the…

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You’re invited to my open house Saturday, November 2nd. I’m visiting Santa Fe from Bhutan and look forward to seeing you. Come say hello and share a cup of tea anytime between 10 am and 7 pm. I look forward to hearing how you are and what’s happening in your life. Have a snack and take away something from my old house. I won’t need these things in Bhutan, and don’t know when I’ll be back to Santa Fe. Panoramic sunsets are gorgeous at the top of Santa Fe. The most magnificent time of day will be just before the…

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Lama D and I spent a few days relaxing in Mumbai. Then I flew to Santa Fe alone and he stayed behind, due to a rejected US visa. I discovered 99% of Indian and Bhutanese visa applications are rejected summarily by the US embassy, without even looking at documents. This was a pretty tough moment, as we had prepared for months requesting a short tourist visa. However I trust that all is perfect and made my solo travel plans immediately. I arrived in Santa Fe the week of the Albuquerque balloon festival. It was beautiful, however all rental units in…

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A disappointing week in Mumbai, with record rainfall and flooding due to rising sea levels. And Lama D’s US visa application rejected in a 10-second interview, no reason given. So I’m coming to Santa Fe alone, and he is staying in Asia. I’m here until November 6th. My USA number for this period is 505-930-2745. We dressed for breakfast on my departure day in our Bhutanese dress. We are both fine. Mumbai recorded “extremely heavy” rain this monsoon, when over 200mm of downpour lashed the city within a 24-hour span and disrupted daily life. The numbers are worthy of Swedish…

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Lama D and I are relaxing for a few days in Ganeshpuri, India at the beautiful Fire Mountain Retreat Center. I’m doing my best to keep up the weekly blog, however internet is spotty here, so please be patient. Ganeshpuri is the city of Ganesh, and home of my root guru, Swami Bhagawan Nityananda. This beautiful video shows the history and beauty of Fire Mountain Retreat Center where stayin. This very unusual sadguru (enlightened saint) wandered in India and the Himalayas, eventually settling in a jungle hot springs of Ganeshpuri until his passing in 1961. Everywhere he went, followers gathered…

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Called the ‘Mountain Smoke Offering’. Lama Dungtsho does the Puja for Riwo Sangchöd. Riwo Sangchöd means ‘An unceasing offering to the mountain gods’, but it is much more than that. It is a ceremony, a puja or practice of generosity and offering that frees your heart and inspires generosity to others. It is a practice of prosperity that also brings confidence. It is a practice of healing through which we repay all our karmic debts and heal our relationships. Riwo Sangchöd is also a practice of purification in which all our obscurations are purified and burned away in the sweet…

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For years I planned to write a memoir of my life. Maybe it would be interesting for others. But now I can’t. Life is too fast, precious, and interconnected. When we live in the moment with awareness, our lives are full of amazing synchronicities. How can we even begin to comprehend, let alone alone write them down? Not sure it’s possible any more. Lama D and I are in Mumbai working on his visa to the US. By a stoke of luck we found a cyber cafe at the US embassy staffed by brilliant Indians who teamed up to help…

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Hi everybody, I didn’t want to miss the blog this week. But I’m not sure what to say. I am fine, that is sure. I am in an undisclosed location, working on an undisclosed project. All pieces are in the air. Maybe they’re permanently in orbit, I’m not sure. Details will follow. Please don’t worry. My temporary mental shift is indicated by the images below as best I can explain. I repeat – I am quite fine. I send you my warmest regards, and promise to be in touch when the moving pieces come to rest in somewhat recognizable positions.…

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This is an excerpt from my book proposal “Footprints of the Enlightened Ones”. Sending warm greetings. All is well here. I’m grateful for lovely summer weather in the forests of Paro. There are secrets in the mountains of Bhutan. And deep memories in flesh and blood. Not sure where to begin my story. But before I can tell you about the Tshechu dancers, we have to go back to the 8th century to meet the famous Guru Rinpoche. Even his name conjures a link between Indian “Guru” and Tibetan “Rinpoche” traditions. Yes, he was both. Padmasambhava traveled far and wide, meditating…

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Well, today I finally finished ALL my book proposals. The last proposal was for the Bhutan Travel Cookbook, which I decided to call “Walking in the Footprints of the Enlightened Ones”. This one was a challenge, including sample chapters and 75 MB of 90 pages in Word. I believe it will be a lovely book, like a multi-media portal into the Soul of Bhutan through memoir, stories, photos, and food flavors. All is well and I’m feeling a bit tired. Now I’m actively looking for an agent and publisher. All my book proposals are online here.  Buddha Speaks, Channeled Conversations…

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