Body. Soul. Style.

It’s been a few weeks and I feel I have finally gotten back into my normal routine processing and integrating the deep lessons feeling forever changed by the experience. It seems that many think that Burning Man is simply a party, a place to go get lost in the desert for a week. Well In a sense it is and it isn’t. It’s a place where one can go to lose the ego, the identity that you have been accustomed to and become a part of a community. There is no talk of what you do it is simply a place to EXPRESS who you are and this is done without words. RADICAL EXPRESSION one of the 10 founding principles upon which this city in the middle of the desert is built upon. (And it is truly a city with a hospital, library, clothing shop yet there is NO money) all based on the principle of gifting) People are truely themselves letting go of preconceived notions of who they believe themselves to be and simply allowing themselves to be who they are. There is no judgement there and this allows for the ultimate freedom of expression as the artist within emerges through this expression. The sense of community is awe-inspiring in that when we are truly hugged and welcomed with open arms (which is the case as when you meet another soul on the playa it is customary there to embrace) it literally allows one to feel safe, loved, and valued as part of a human family. And as for the party certainly it is a celebration of life with music and art yet it is so much more. It is a place to celebrate your divinity and find your human family. The burning of the man represents the ego and the letting go of the lower nature. This is done through the ceremonial burn after the whole week of people setting intentions of what to let go of. This type of intentional ceremony of letting Go brings awareness to the parts of ourselves that don’t serve us and keep us separate and alone by acknowledging the shadow we bring the light 💡 to the darkness and this allows for transformation through alchemy. Yet I feel that the journey alone into this desert and one must bring what you need in order to survive brings this concept of radical self-reliance to the forefront and the extreme conditions (heat, cold, dust) test the confines of the mind pushing one to test their resolve, challenging one’s bounds of how one reacts when the comforts are gone and so the man burns as in Yoga we call this Tapas the fire that burns as the discomfort arises and brings with it the awareness of attachments that we have become accustomed to and so with this awareness we can chose however uncomfortable is to allow it to go. So the man burned and I let go to become more aligned with my soul. (more lessons from the journey coming soon) #burningman