Being in Nepal I am consistently deepened and nourished in my spiritual path. My times here are often an eclectic mix of differing experiences, combining the visits to the many projects I am involved with, quiet time on my own, immersion into writings of various spiritual masters, meditative and contemplative time and of course the continuous reflection of 'who am I' in amongst all of it! The deeply spiritual vibe of the country and culture make it easy to have this deepening, plus the circumstances of the practical life frequently bring me back to look at what is truly essential.

As I write this blog entry I am sitting on my bed in our Annapurna Self-Sustaining Children Home ... it is the afternoon, the children are currently watching Bollywood on the TV (it's the first real day of school holidays and the electricity has coincided with movie time!) We have had several richly filled days and a wide range of experiences, inclusive of being with a grandfather who died last night, school exams and results given at school, making toffee and getting all sticky fingers (25 sets of them!), discussions and plans about our longer-term vision. 

Being an intrinsic part of this community's co-creating has given me so much. When we started this project of our self-sustaining Annapurna Children Home eight years ago I did not imagine the intensive effect that this project would have on my life – the openings, the heart connections and deepening in truth and spirituality. I have come to realise that the path of service, of giving ... of myself, my time, my money, my inspiration, my heart - has rewards that are priceless. I gain far far more than I could ever give. It has opened within me a deepening of knowledge that has always been there, yet as I have allowed myself to follow the actions my heart dictates, it has led me to depths of understanding/experiencing of myself, of life and truth that are fresh, and wonderfully nourishing. 

I have come to understand what compassion means and its natural impact of healing, opening and the power of simple presence. I continue to learn about letting go, and allowing myself to relax into the flow of life, to not have to 'know', to not have to 'do' ... to allow the magic and power of life to carry me into action or stillness as is needed. This is not a passive state ... truly I have been on, and continue on, a path of active self-reflection and contemplation, practicing to gently 'listen' to what is truth and what is simply my own monkey mind and conditioned thoughts/beliefs.

As each year passes I notice that I am experiencing a deeper sense of peace, no matter what is happening on the outside ...ahh so this is happening now, ahh so now this is happening ... Nepal is a wonderful place to have such practice as life is much less routine, more often the movement and chaos brings exactly what one needs to see oneself and life at another level or perspective. I feel deeply gifted by the time and experiences and the heartfelt people I have met, many whom now feel as if they are sisters and brothers to me. Having gained so much from my experiences in Nepal, and whilst sitting in the peaceful mountains this visit, I felt inspired to open the door for others to join me here in Nepal – November 2013 will be the first mediation retreat that I will offer in Nepal – come join with me for a potentially life-changing experience! I will announce details soon ...                                                                                                  

 With heartfelt love and peace ... Kira