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Transforming Experience at Rancho La Puerta
Transforming Experience at Rancho La Puerta.
Date: 5/8/2012 7:58:17 AM ( 12 y ) ... viewed 3709 times
A later version of this story appears with photos on the new Plant Your Dream Blog
http://plantyourdream.net/?p=12829
Some people imagine that the only way to alter the DNA of a person is through taking things apart; this is something that comes out of lab work. Then there is nature work, the kind that moves so deeply in a person through nature contact that their way of being moves in another direction--naturally--forever.
This happened to me Sunday, May 6, 2012, the day after Cinco De Mayo, a Mexican holiday, and a few days after the 90th birthday of Deborah Szekely, co-founder of Rancho La Puerta. This, the #1 Destination Spa in America, is about 20 minutes from the border of Tecate, a most delightful friendly city that lies at the base of one of the most sacred mountains in the world, Mt Kuchumaa.
It has been five years since I allowed the conditions of 911*** (this needs some explanation, See Note below...) to keep me from the Mountain, but again it is my time to return. I am coming back not just for myself, I am coming back for the mountain.
I have never been in a place where nature speaks so strongly. It is good to remember that here the spiritual tradition--called the Essenes-- that I most deeply honor in this life took root.
To keep things simple, I simply call myself Your Enchanted Gardener, but behind this is a history of 8000 years of nature wisdom. Sunday, I wore my Dead Sea Scrolls black T-shirt behind my white dress shirt that has the words, "Leslie Goldman, Your Enchanted Gardener," embrodered near my heart. It is here where my heart, and the heart of so very many people, has been touched for more than 70 years. It is here that I return again to my roots.
Looking for Photos
I spent the day yesterday taking time, taking time to seek and find most of my photos from the "Ranch," as many call it.
There is still one series of photos I am seeking. It is the building of the Cochina at Rancho Tres Estrellas, a parcel of the Rancho La Puerta landscape. It is here where food is grown right at the base of the Mountain.
The soil is so thick that a carrot releases from the ground with little effort, as much so as you can allow whatever remnants of fragmentation, that city life has embedded, to be released through a week of walking the mountain, exercising, eating well, and most of all--being in the presence of a staff that serves.
It is here where friendship reigns, and a remembrance of what it is like to be among some of the most beautiful of people--the workers of Rancho La Puerta.
We were at Deborah Szekely's 90th Birthday Celebration May 6, maybe 1000 of us. The entire economy of Tecate was been altered because of the presence of Deborah, her family, and her family of friends and co-workers.
At 90, Deborah is now allowing her hair to come down and grow out. In my eyes, she looked like a teenager. The curves of her face are softening. The years of carrying a vision of health, more than age, has had its influence.
Love reigns at Rancho La Puerta. That is simple all I can say. I saw it Sunday it the affection Deborah lavished upon an elder, a man who delivered fresh eggs to the "Professor" Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, when their children, Sarah Livia and brother Alex were little tots around 50 years ago.
The elder came with a photo of himself on a horse. The two little Szekely's were in the saddle with him. I took photos of him that likely will be looked at 50 years hence, by someone looking back on today.
A Story of a Queen and an Ancient Wheat Seed
My own spiritual work has been marked heavily by a story, a story of a King, or in my telling of the story, a Queen, who met a gardener. The Queen was seeking peace. The gardener gave her a seed, an ancient seed of wheat. At first she kept the seed in a box. They she planted that seed. When she did a whole world opened, a world where sacred seeds become an Enchanted Garden and peace is planted for 1000 years.
I, like many people, do too much. I, like others. seldom take the time to go deep enough with the little things that are so huge.
Sunday, I took time. It was easy. For years, I have been under the wing of kindness of some of these faces who work at the Ranch. Barbara tends the mountain walk. I have not seen here for five years. She greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. I had not seen Martin, the Matre-D, all these years He greeted me with a big sign of remembering as if not one day had passed since we saw each other last. At Rancho La Puerta, there is always a remembering of who you are, and it is deeply heartfelt to be remembered by others.
Then, there was Manuelita, a Consierge here for many years. She invited me to come back on a Thursday at 1 to share a bit of my own history with the Professor in her weekly class. The Professor is Edmond Bordeaux Skekely. In the first half of his 30s he brought an 18 year old wife here who was his worker Bee. It was because of Deborah, that 18-year old who now turned 90, that his esoteric and rather wordy visions became grounded.
I do not want too say too much more. More is Less. I frequently am too much; Here on Sunday through the love I felt again, through the walking around gifting ancient kernels of wheat to eyes that caught my own, under the wings of a mighty mountain that speaks as loudly in my head as if I were listening to a microphone inside me, I felt just right.
Leslie Goldman
Your Enchanted Gardener
5:52 am
May 8, 2012
*** HOW THE CONDITION OF 911 KEPT ME FROM
RETURNING TO TECATE FOR FIVE YEARS
In June 2007, I participated in the World Environment Day at Professor's Park. It was a wonderful day. I had a companion with me. We stayed over in Mexico and attempted the difficult border crossing on a Monday morning.
The Tecate Crossing had a difficult up and down slope. This exit from Mexico was inspired to add more protection as a result of 911.
There was a long line at the Tecate border the Monday Morning I cross.
I have a Vintage 68 VW van called the EG Mobile. It is a part of my presentation.
When I was crossing the border in 2007, there was an extreme line that took two hours to cross. My clutch was damaged going up and down the hill.
Likely, another driver might not have had the same damage done to their clutch.
The experience effected me deeply. It caused me to stay away from Tecate, although it retrospect, I want to say, that most people who go to Tecate, can find easy alternatives that include parking on the America side and walking across, or if you are a guest of Rancho La Puerta, arranging for a pickup.
Many people who come to the Ranch arrive from the San DIego Airport. They are picked up and driven back to the airport.
I want to say, I have always found Tecate a very safe city. I have never felt at risk, in spite of some of the conditions in recent years that have been in the press.
There is no reason for anyone who wants to visit or stay at Rancho La Puerta to think twice about transit through Tecate. It is one of the most friendly of places.
This time, May 6, 2012, I took a gentle bus ride across the border for Deborah Szekely's 90th Birthday. I was picked up in Old Town and delivered back to Old Town on a bus with other visitors.
There was ease coming and going. After five years, I was back to the Professors Park, a parcel of land gifted to the people of Tecate by the Szekely family. This first visit in five years, opened my heart to what is real inside me.
Update May 23, 2012:
I returned to Tecate between May 18-23, 2012 for the 2nd Festival of Traditional Medicine of the Americas, May 18-20 at Professors Park.
I was very concerned for many reasons about taking the EG Mobile into Mexico. I again took the EG Mobile. I stayed at Rancho La Puerta for most of the time I was in Mexico. With the help of the staff at Rancho La Puerta, I learned the times when it is possible to cross the border and not meet traffic.
There are times when a person can easily drive across the border, even cross within ten minutes!
I crossed on Tuesday May 22 around noon. There was no traffic at all!
The difficult I had crossing the border in June 2007 inspired a vision to help create an improved border crossing. It is a spiritual teaching I believe: Everything can work for the good. I am always seeking this good.
The incident that happened to be in June 2007, has inspired a grand vision.
Wellness in Tecate
Some of the first ideas about that improved border crossing are here.
http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1943007
RELATED LINKS AND PLANT YOUR DREAM BLOGS
ABOUT RANCHO LA PUERTA
UPDATE
MAY 23, 2012
Wellness Spring
http://www.wellnesspring.org/
Wellness Spring is about creating a stronger, healthier America for longer, more fulfilling lives. Join Deborah Szekely today.
Donate $10.00 now.
Leslie Goldman
Your Enchanted Gardener
Happy Birthday, Deborah at 90
http://plantyourdream.net/?p=12405
A Story about Sarah Livia Brightwood Szekely
http://www.oregonquarterly.com/autumn2011/autumn2011-digital.html
Deborah Szekely Calls for a Wellness Spring
JOIN DEBORAH SZEKELY IN WELLNESS SPRING
http://www.wellnesspring.org/?recruiter_id=276
ORIGINAL PLANT YOUR DREAM BLOG
http://curezone.com/blogs/fm.asp?i=1942684
MORE PHOTOS
http://plantyourdream.net/?p=13078
RELATED PLANT YOUR DREAM BLOG
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Date: 6/15/2012 6:06:29 AM ( 23 d ) ... viewed 1128 times
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