(português) (Nederlands)

The sun is shining. It is striking. Actually, in Portugal the sun almost always shines, so it is surprising that I notice it. But then again, after two months of almost incessant rain, the world does look different now. For me, the world looks different in January anyway and that makes me doubly happy. The intense green of nature and the bright orange, juicy oranges in the trees, the red hot poker blooming and the thick grass everywhere I look, we all owe it to that rain. 

Today, I have an appointment with Liza Komjati for a foot massage. At her home. She gave me this session as a present for my birthday last month and I am redeeming that voucher this morning. Liza and her partner Mark have been living in Portugal for almost a year now and are starting to find their feet. Their house is situated on a hill not far from us. 

Liza has set up a nice, warm, comfortable place for the foot massage. She says she has no official training in foot massage however she has become wise through self-study, lots of training and by  experiencing massages. Liza is a beautiful woman inside and out who is extremely serious in what she does. I have no doubts whatsoever about her work. The treatment is as promised a deep relaxation and, like foot reflexology, works on physical and mental levels for time to come. I experience this talent of Liza’s as an asset to our community. 

Later, we sit in the sun with tea and biscuits and the three of us – Mark has just returned from his daily dip in the ice-cold river Sever – talk about this paradise where we are allowed to live and about what is on our minds today. I tell them that I am reading Siddharta by Hermann Hesse for the umpteenth time. What emerges from that book is how important it is to be able to think for yourself, to be patient and to fast.

Most of us are “being thought” without knowing it ourselves. They let thoughts come and go, jumping on the bike carrier of such a thought and allowing themselves to be carried along without self-examination, without checking in whether it is right for them. If you cannot think independently, you cannot feel what is in your heart either. So you live a life that goes from left to right, focused on the outside world. Too many people are dissatisfied or unhappy and don’t know why. I see that on their faces. Therefore, being patient with themselves and others is not their strong suit. And fasting? Fasting is unknown to them. Because compensation for the dormant dissatisfaction is sought in the worldly life of booze, food and other addictions like digital image and sound.  

Nice huh how such a text remains topical. I learn from it every time and, a treatment with Liza automatically unravels your thinking and makes your head very clear. So I would say, jump in!