A Word From the Founder of Nirarta | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Moment of ChoicePeople often ask how Nirarta was started. I took the first step to create Nirarta in January 1995, when I stood on the present site – then a grove of clove trees – and realized that this place, with its upland stream, surrounded by green hills, between sea and mountain, was exactly what I had been seeking. This was my moment of choice. I could stick with familiar work and territory in Europe. Or I could risk buying land in a far-off place, and create a centre for people to connect with the core of their life. I knew at once that, to be true to myself, I had no choice. I plunged in and began a project that is still unfolding. The informal opening of Nirarta in January 1999 was thus the realization of a personal dream. I feel it is something I have been intimately involved in creating as a personal expression of who I am and something I have received, like a gift or ‘task’ from the spirit of life itself. BackgroundI am of mixed Italian, Polish, and English descent. I grew up in East Anglia, England, where I was educated by the Christian Brothers, who stimulated my asking questions about life. I read Modern Languages (French and Italian) at Liverpool University, where I began a life-long interest in meditation and higher states of consciousness. My MA dissertation at the University of East Anglia in Comparative Literature focused on the use of mirror imagery to reflect states of awareness in poetry. After three years in an ‘ashram’ in the Magic Mountains of Switzerland, I earned a PhD for research into the role of experiences of heightened consciousness in literary creativity. Professional DevelopmentOriginally trained by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, I have been a meditation teacher since the early 70s. A former member of Tony Buzan's Learning Methods Group, I have always been deeply interested in the learning process. I have also trained in Person Centred Expressive Therapy in California with Natalie Rogers, and spontaneous movement with Gabrielle Roth and others. NLPI am a certified Trainer in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), having worked in this field since the early 80s. I have been active teaching it at an advanced level internationally. The Influence of BaliMany influences (including Balinese philosophy and practice) have come together in my more recent work with Jan Ardui to develop the philosophy and approach underpinning Nirarta, ‘The Way of Unfolding’. FruitionI spend most of my year at Nirarta among the flowers and butterflies with my wife, Dayu, and two girls Maya and Mira, hanging out, as it is easy to do in Bali, with family, friends, staff, and guests, writing, researching, and teaching. For about three months a year, I travel and give seminars internationally. |
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