Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Summer Solstice in Ecuador


There are remarkable healers in the world. Giovanni is perhaps the most talented of any I have met, and I did so in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador.

I first met Giovanni at his home in Otavolo where preparation was underway for a 9-hour sweat in his backyard. It would be my first, and it was an experience that will stay with me for the rest of my life. He patiently explained through translation the flow of events to the three white, female Americans who had signed up for the experience. The other 25 participants ranged in age from 20 to 40. All of them spoke fluent Spanish - most were experienced in the rigor and routine of the journey we were to embark upon.

The ceremony that started at 9 pm and finished shortly after 6 am was lush, ripe with ritual that served as the connection to Mother Earth. With the summer solstice just days away, we joined our Ecuadorian companions in a celebration of life and renewed commitment to all that nature provides. The ebb and flow of heat, the pitch black of the lodge, the smoke and the smells combined with music to create a separate world from which we awakened by breaking our fast. Exiting that next morning I found a world brighter and more vibrant than I had ever seen. Giovanni's shepherd of the hot stones - central to the ceremony and back breaking work - was rewarded by a full body chiropractic adjustment the likes of which I may never witness again. And again Giovanni spoke to me, gently responding to my questions, interpreting my dreams and acknowledging the embodied sensations of an event that in its own way can be equated with the beauty, struggle and exuberance of childbirth. What an amazing way to celebrate Mother Earth.

A mere few hours later he arrived at our mountain-side inn, Casa Mojando. This time his healing took the form of a massage. For one solid hour my body was held with reverence as Giovanni skillfully moved through muscle groups and chakras. Mind, body and spirit now knitted together with the previous night’s experience.

On the solstice itself, he joined our group in San Clemente to celebrate with the indigenous community of which we were guests. Our gift from him was a second sweat for the Canadian and American guests, this time between two and three hours, where I was honored to sit in the inner circle and participate in the ritual itself. Shorter – yes. Sweeter – in certain ways.

Rich in ritual, simple in design, with intention clearly stated, Giovanni’s work is healing the world. Ecuador is a country from which I am learning a great deal.