Chorinho

Sharing a bit of Brazilian Popular Music...


"Choro, traditionally called chorinho ("little cry" or "little lament"), is a Brazilian popular music instrumental style. Its origins are in the 19th century in Rio de Janeiro. In spite of the name, the style often has a fast and happy rhythm, characterized by virtuosity, improvisation, subtle modulations and full of syncopation and counterpoint.

Choro is considered the first urban popular music typical of Brazil.

In the 19th century, choro resulted from the style of playing several musical genres (polka, schottische, waltz, mazurka and habanera) by carioca musicians, who were already strongly influenced by African rhythms, principally the lundu and the batuque. The term "choro" was used informally at first to refer to the style of playing, or a particular instrumental ensemble.

Just like ragtime in the United States, tango in Argentina and habanera in Cuba, choro springs up as a result of influences of musical styles and rhythms coming from Europe and Africa."
Source: Wikipedia


Enjoy it!

Matterhorn

A couple of months ago I delivered a speech in my Prestigious Speakers Toasmasters club in Barcelona where the core message was "every time you fall, get up, shake the dust and keep walking."

Recently I had to face a big new challenge in my life. Something that I had never planned before moving to Switzerland, honestly. I was "kindly asked" by my partner (who is an excellent skier) to learn to ski.
He loves it so much that he wanted to share that joy with me. For that, I would have to learn how to do it.

I was a bit sceptical.... Being a Brazilian, my closest relationship with ice was an ice-cream. Running down slopes was never part of any plan in my life.
But there I was, in the beautiful Zermatt, facing the 4, 478 metres (14,690ft) high, gigantic Matterhorn, thinking, "What the hell am I doing here?"


However, at this stage in life I have learned to take new challenges as opportunities. Opportunities to open new doors, to see new worlds, to discover new talents within myself.

And with that mind-set, I took my first class. Wow, it was fun!
I realised that breaking a bone was not that easy. So, the first fear was conquered.
Now, I had to practice. And so I did. I practiced over 3 hours each day, non-stop. I have to say that I was impressed with my own self-determination.
After 8 days, my big day arrived: I was finally going down a slope.

The pure air coming into my lungs, the absolutely amazing landscape, and the sense of freedom was such a powerful experience that I wanted it more and more, and each day I was aiming to overcome another little step, practising, polishing, and doing it over and over again.

When I was on my teens someone once told me: "The higher you go, the hardest and painful is the fall..." Not a motivational advice I might say. Thank God, somehow, I never followed it.

These past two weeks, being there, at the top of the world, looking at Matterhorn, such statement came to my mind and made me laugh. Taking the ski experience as an analogy to that statement, if I had a chance to meet that person again, I would love to say: "Dear friend, aim for the highest you can imagine. You will fall, of course, it is part of the learning process. But, every time you get up, you will be a step further, you will be amazed with the new talents you discover within yourself, and the new environments you will be surrounded by. And I can promise you that you will be willing to fall as many times necessary to conquer those new horizons."


T

Sin Condiciones

"Quiero que me oigas sin juzgarme,
Quiero que opines sin aconsejarme,
Quiero que confíes en mí sin exigirme, 
Quiero que me ayudes sin intentar decidir por mí,
Quiero que me cuides sin anularme,
Quiero que me mires sin proyectar tus cosas en mí,
Quiero que me abraces sin asfixiarme,
Quiero que me animes sin empujarme,
Quiero que me sostengas sin hacerte cargo de mí,
Quiero que me protejas sin mentiras,
Quiero que te acerques sin invadirme,
Quiero que conozcas las cosas mías que más te disgusten,
Que las aceptes y que no pretendas cambiarlas,
Quiero que sepas, que hoy, por lo menos hoy, tu puedes contar conmigo,
Sin condiciones."
Jorge Bucay


Descifre, con Bucay, las entrelineas de su poesía.


Parte I

Parte II

T

The Dark Side of the Light Chasers

"We live under the impression that in order for something to be divine it has to be perfect. We are mistaken. In fact, the exact opposite is true. 

To be divine is to be whole and to be whole is to be everything; the positive and the negative, the good and the bad, the holy and the devil.

When we take the time to discover our shadow and its gifts we will understand what Jung meant by – The gold is in the dark.

Each of us needs to find that gold in order to reunite with our sacred self.

The dark parts of our psyches are only dark when they are stuffed away and hidden. When we bring them into the light of our consciousness and fine their sacred gifts, they transform us. Then we are free.

Each aspect within us needs understanding and compassion. Turn your wounds into wisdom.

Shadow work is not intellectual; it’s a journey from the head to the heart. Owning your shadow restores your body’s natural tendency towards wholeness. When you are whole you are healed.

When we can lovingly hold all of these traits together in one hand, without judgment, they will naturally integrate into our system. Then we can take off our masks and trust that the universe created each of us with a divine design.

Then we can stand tall, embracing the world within.”

T

PS Extracts from "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" by Debbie Ford

The Anam Cara

"In the Celtic Tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. 

One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul love; the old Gaelic term for this is Anam Cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and Cara is the word for friend.

In the early Celtic Church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. With the anam cara you could share your innermost self, your mind your heart. This friendship was an act of recognition and belonging.

You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the ´friend of your soul’. This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special companionship. In this love, you were understood as you are without mask or pretension.

Love allows understanding to dawn, and understanding is precious. Understanding nourishes belonging. When you really fell understood, you feel free to release your self into the trust and shelter of the other person’s soul*."

Today, Valentine’s Day, celebrate love taking the teachings from the Celtic culture and bring them into our daily lives, and awaken the anam cara who lives within us, around us, with us, and which most of times we are too busy to aknowledge.

Nourish the anam cara within you and celebrate love every day, forever.

T

*Extract from Anam Cara – The Spiritual Wisdom from the Celtic World by John O’Donohue

Release Yourself from Old Wounds

There is a story of two monks journeying home who come to the banks of a fast flowing river.
When they reach the riverside they see a young woman unable to cross.
One of the monks picks her up in his arms, carries her through the current, and sets her safely on the other side.
Then the two monks continue on their travels.

Finally the monk who crossed the river alone can restrain himself no longer and he begins to rebuke his brother,   "You know it is against our rules to touch a woman. You have broken our holy vows!"
The other monk answers, "Brother, I left that young woman on the banks of the river. Are you still carrying her?"


Remember, when you hold on to old wounds you continue down the road carrying that burden....

Release yourself from your old wounds, and open your heart to new possibilities.

T

St Brigid's Day - February 1st

Brigid was born at the time of major transition in 5th century in Ireland. She embodies in herself the pre-Christian Celtic and Christian Celtic spirit. It is generally accepted that St. Brigid built her double monastery for men and women in Kildare around 470AD.

A woman of wisdom and common sense, Brigid's genius for leadership and organization is widely recognized.

Brigid was one of the many Celtic saints who insisted that a vital component of the spiritual life is having a soul friend (anam cara). Celtic Spirituality has a profound sense of the presence of God in everyone and in everything. IT is a spirituality nourished by ritual, tradition, contemplation, experience and story.

Saint Brigid is one the few saints who stands on the boundary between pagan mythology, Druidism and Christian spirituality. Saint Brigid is the most famous female leader of the early Celtic Christian Church.

Brigid is remembered through the ages as a woman of the land.

Her feast day on the 1st of February marks the first day of Spring in the noorthern hemisphere. 

It is the season when we celebrate new life on earth.

It is believed that Saint Brigid's Cross protects the house from fire and evil.

"Saint Brigid's Blessing

May Brigid bless the house where in you dwell

Bless every fireside, every wall and door

Bless every heart that beats beneath its roof

Bless every hand that toils to bring it joy

Bless every foot that walks its portals through

May Brigid bless the house that shelters you."