Off to Kripalu!

One of the topics that has most intrigued me over the past few years is the concept of multi and inter-faith communications and understanding.  Living in a traditional Arab Muslim society, I often struggle to understand what are the true practices of Islam and what are the practices that ultimately stem from culture, adopted into the religion in order to reinforce the identity of the community.

Earlier this fall, a dear friend and Islamic scholar said to me:

"Alena, the only red line of Islam is belief in and submission to one God."

A beautiful statement but one fraught with challenges, as it indicates the possibility that anything goes.

In the hands of an empowered, self-confident, self-aware individual, I imagine a world of non-judgement, compassion, forgiveness and peace.  In the hands of disempowered, insecure, unaware individuals - all hell is likely to break loose.

Isn't this the case with all things in this world?  Ultimately, our world is driven by humanity and the tone of humanity sets the tone for our world and how we experience it.

To make a long story short, yoga has come under discussion in some Muslim communities - should devout Muslims practice yoga or is it a competing spiritual system which must be avoided so as not to taint or distract from a pure Islamic practice?

In culinary terms, can we combine chana masala and felafel and enjoy a fulfilling meal that sustains our being?  I say yes - after all both dishes are just chick peas in different forms - plus I always find myself dipping my felafel (chickpeas) into my hummus (also chickpeas)!  Ok... maybe I need a different metaphor... inshallah, you get the jist.

I digress ... I'm off to Kripalu to participate in a yoga teacher training on Sunday to confirm my belief that though our paths may be different - in the end we are all heading for the same destination.

Stay tuned!

Photo by Jolinda Cath

A New Look ... A New Name ... A New Adventure

In 2009, as I ventured off into the world of educational tourism, my godmother suggested that I start a blog as a means of advertising.  I posted fairly consistently to South Jordan Sojourn for two years before life took over.  Now after some thought and re-evaluation, I have decided to re-name the blog as a means of more accurately portaying the work that I find myself doing in the world.  For many years, I've supported the external exploration of the world and its beauty. More and more, however, I find myself supporting the internal exploration of those around and have found that the concept of pilgrimage fits nicely with what I find myself doing.  A pilgrimage is a journey of faith through an external world that allows for better understanding of one's inner self and things that are greater than that self.  Off we go!  :)

Erjud al Matalga, southern Jordan

Nearly Two Years of Silence

Nearly two years since my last blog post.  A good thing, I suppose, as on-line silence has meant off-line adventures!  In the past two years so much has happened.  I travelled to India and Nepal, Sinai and the West Bank, led and supported five courses for Where There Be Dragons and sat quietly in the southern Jordanian desert.  I've just returned to upstate New York to rest for a few months before the adventure continues.  After the New Year, I'll return to southern Jordan to re-dedicate myself to the creation of a space that will allow for people to come from all corners of the world to retreat, contemplate and enjoy the silence of the desert.  More information to follow... meanwhile, enjoy some images from the past few years :)

Full Moon, October 2011

Camel Race, October 2012
by Fil Kostanecki

Desert trekking, September 2012
by Fil Kostanecki

Desert Clean Up, October 2012

Tweisi village, southern Jordan, January 2013

Bozenkill Valley, New York, May 2013

Sandboarding with Suleiman

Another highlight of last month was a two day visit to the desert with guests from the US.  We took a jeep out past Um Ishreen with Ahmad Radi and there we met my favorite guy from Rum Village, Mr. Suleiman Sabah - the owner of one of the only sandboards in Wadi Rum.  With board in hand we climbed some really awesome sand dunes and then flew back down again!  A great way to spend a morning!

Suleiman with Sandboard

Adventures with Mosa

As I mentioned in my previous post, some of my greatest adventures and best personal encounters have happened as a result of my involvement with couchsurfing.  Last winter, I hosted Echo from China and through her visit I met Mosa Rawajfeh - a fellow couchsurfing host in Disi, who, over the past year, has become one of my dearest friends out in the desert.  Mosa has been working in the field of tourism in Jordan for the past four years and, in addition to managing a small camp in Wadi Rum, also acts as a local guide in Petra.

Time spent in Petra with Mosa is a fascinating experience.  He lived and worked in the site for about a year.  Not only does he know everyone who works there and is greeted with great respect, he also knows the secret places and is the perfect guide for their exploration.


Last month, I had a group of visitors from the US and we had the great pleasure of exploring Petra's undiscovered spots with Mosa.  On the first day, we started in Little Petra.  Located about 10 km from the main site, Little Petra was where the Nabateans diverted the caravans that passed through carrying incense from the lands of southern Arabia.  Little Petra is also host to the ruins of a Neolithic village, which dates back about 10,000 years.  From Little Petra, we hiked to the Monastery, a mountain top facade that was the tomb of one of the Nabateans' greatest kings.  This hike was a special experience for us all as it allowed to us to avoid the mobs of tourists who visit the main parts of the site.  On the second day, we entered the site through the traditional main siq entrance but then had our lunch close to the Snake Monument which is on the path to Jebel Haroun, the purported resting place of the Prophet Aaron.  On our way back we exited the site through Wadi Al Mudlem - the 'dark wadi' and a secret Petra side entrance.  A very narrow canyon route, Wadi Al Mudlem involves clambering between narrow walls and scrambling up rock piles deposited by the spring rains.  A real adventure and something I'll look forward to doing again soon!

Mosa on the road from Little Petra to the Monastery

Fateful Encounters

I've been participating in the couchsurfing project for a while now.  Couchsurfing is an online forum that allows people to host travelers and then be hosted themselves when they travel.  I've met a lot of wonderful people through couchsurfing, including my friend Mosa, who manages a camp in Disi and over the past year has become one of my closest friends in Jordan.  

In early November, I received a couch request from Carmella, who had decided on the spur of the moment to visit Jordan.  One chilly Wednesday after Eid, I waited for her in Aqaba as she crossed two borders from Egypt to Israel to Jordan to get here.  She arrived with two Spaniards from Cairo in tow and we all headed up together with Suleiman, my regular friendly taxi driver, to Wadi Rum.  After dropping off the Spaniards with their guide, we headed out into the desert with my neighbor Salah with the intention of meeting four mysterious ladies who had come to Wadi Rum to camp in the desert.  As it was quite late, they had already disappeared into a desert canyon for the night - so Salah, Carmella and I slept next to the fire in the camp, making funny rhymes and attempting a communal dream.  In the morning, we awoke to discover that Lana, Ban, Fatima and Ruba had emerged from the desert for breakfast, which we happily shared with them.  Very quickly, we became fast friends - chatting excitedly about life, the universe, tradition, community ... everything under the sun.  We discovered that Lana has been reading Carmella's blog for years.  We decided that, with the support of Salah and his family, we would create women's camping experiences in the desert.  We analyzed gender, cultural and spiritual relations and had an amazing time.    Travelers passing through the camp were quite curious about this laughing group of ladies who seemed to be enjoying themselves so much together in a world that is usually populated by men.  After breakfast and a walk to the sand dune, we hopped into Ban's Kia (same car as mine but newer model!) and headed back to the village where we visited Salah's mom and sisters, sharing with them our ideas.   And then in a flurry of good cheer, the five ladies (minus me) disappeared into the horizon for an adventure together in Petra.    

Tasty breakfast!

Alena, Fatima, Ruba, Ban, Lana, Carmella - wow!

11.11.11 Full Moon Yoga and Breathwork Retreat

Last month, I had the pleasure of welcoming Lisa Sahakian to Wadi Rum for the first time for a yoga and breathwork retreat under the full moon.  The retreat was a fascinating experience for all who attended, allowing us to learn more about ourselves and our world through the practice of kundalini yoga and ecstatic breathwork.  This retreat also served as a rallying point for more events to come in Wadi Rum!  Keep an eye out for a calendar of events to be published soon for 2012!  

After Dinner on 11.11.11
L - R Top: Salah Zawydeh, Lisa Sahakian
L - R Bottom: Alena Bartoli, David Lloyd, Liesbeth Van Der Giessen