Archive for the ‘Holistic Living’ Category
26/02/2009
Karan Puri & Shaun Lee, Adventurers from Singapore
Karan Puri, 18 of Katong Province and Shaun Lee, 19 of Bedok province, Singapore, are not only really nice guys, they’re also inspiring. I’ve run into them here at the the Wanaka Hostel. Right now there currently out biking around town somewhere. I found their motivation to travel New Zealand so inspiring I thought I’d share it with you. I interviewed them last night over a beer, out here on the porch from where I write this piece.
Both Karan and Shawn have just finished high school and have about three months off, before they report for the mandatory 2-year military stint that all young men are required to do in Singapore. When Karan first walked into the hostel I noticed he had a sense of inquiry and interest, not to mention compassion and friendliness. Later, upon meeting Shawn it I got the same sense of adventure and excitement. They are now on day 6 of their adventure. So here’s some insight as to what brought them to Wanaka, New Zealand.
MSI: So what motivated you two to come to New Zealand?
Karan: To do something before the military. This is the first time on vacation without my parents, and I had been here in Wanaka when I was a child. Something about the place stuck with me. So I wanted to come back.
You see, one never really gets a break to travel if you’ve been brought up in Singapore. (more…)
Tags:adventure travel, Bob Stremba, Brenda Dowst, Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Karan Puri, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Randy Richards, Shaun Lee, Singapore, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability, Wanaka, Youth Hostel
Posted in Health, Holistic Living, Inner Work, Inspirational People, Leadership, Mountain People, New Zealand, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
12/02/2009
Becky's 86th Birthday
I just received an email from my good friend Paul Myhre in Leavenworth, Washington. Goodie, I get to write about two mountain people who inspire. Paul, the soft spoken man of the mountains with a sharp wit and humble attitude is the quintessential mountain man. He worked as a climbing ranger for Mt. Rainer and is still fit as a fiddle at the ripe old age of (Edited). Paul is an inspiration, and he proves to still be so by sending me this email of climbing legend Fred Becky who just celebrated his 86th Birthday. For those that don’t know about Fred, he’s probably put up more first ascents than anyone. Climb any classic mid-range crag in the US and chances are you’ll run across his name. My favorite, at least for scenery is the Becky Route on Liberty Bell in the North Cascades. The reason there are so many people at Becky’s birthday party is he seems to be a nice guy.
Becky in Red, Paul: Far Right, 1st Row
I met him through Paul when I lived in Leavenworth. We all had a beer at the brewery. (I do miss Leavenworth at times)(But I’m not complaining about New Zealand at present). The thing about mountain people like Paul and Fred is they are still out there doing it. Well, I’m not sure how much Fred is climbing, but I can bet he’s outside and in the mountains in some way. Last I heard he had his little black book out in Alaska somewhere with some young whippersnappers and was at the base camp enjoying being on the glacier. My generation may be the last child in the woods, but these guys get me going. No computers, or rarely, for them. Ok, Paul did send me this email, but last I heard from Paul he was still doing Outer Space the Wall in Icicle Creek. The photos of Fred Becky’s birthday give me hope, lot’s of it! I’m going to pull myself away from this machine and head to Kerin Forks and Gillespie Pass tomorrow. Goodie, and I’m only fifty!
Tags:adventure travel, Bob Stremba, Brenda Dowst, Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Fred Becky, Gillespie Pass, Holistic Living, Kerin Forks, Makaroa, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, Mt. Rainer, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Paul Myhre, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Holistic Living, Leadership, Mountain People, New Zealand, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
11/02/2009
Chimu Inka in Bristol, NH Fall'08
The Andean Folklore music band from Cusco Peru, Chimu Inka, headed by Guillermo Seminario and joined by Wachi Taype and Mario Montalvo visited the USA in September and October of 2008. Their tour was a success beyond measure. They touched our New England communities with their grace, professionalism, humor and warmth.
The group’s schedule was packed from beginning to end, and venues were calling asking for them to play at the last moment. Unfortunately we were only limited by the number of days in a week, and our energy. MSI Director Randy Richards hosted the trio at his home in Sunapee, and although they based out of Sunapee, aside from the engagements there, they didn’t spend a lot of time in town.
Chimu Inka in Bennington, VT Fall'08
The group covered Bennington and Montpelier Vermont to Gorham NH and Sturbridge Mass. They played universities, schools, coffeehouses and even one bar. According to Director Randy Richards, it was “mission acccomplished” at the end of the tour. “We definitely connected people to each other through this music exchange, and to themselves through the power of the music and the performances,” said Richards.
For more information on their tour in 2010, their hosting MSI participants in Peru July 2010, see their webpage at www.mtnspirit.orgor their blog at www.chimuinka.wordpress.com
Tags:adventure travel, Agusto Taype, Bob Stremba, Brenda Dowst, Chimu Inka, Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Guillermo Seminario, Holistic Living, Mario Montalvo, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, Music Exchange, New Hampshire, Peru, Peruvian Folklore Music, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Holistic Living, Music, Peru, South America, Spiritual | Leave a Comment »
11/02/2009
Machu Picchu
MSI is excited to be working further with Guillermo Seminario and Chimu Inka this summer. For anyone interested in joining us, a small group, (limited to 6-7) will be going to Cusco, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca with Guillermo and Chimu Inka as our hosts. MSI has been running programs to Peru since 1998, (R Richards had been mountain guiding before that in Peru), and we are excited to be working with who we consider our dear family members Guillermo, Wachi and and Mario.
Amantani Island, Summit View
We will visit with locals, do a small service project, stay in the Sacred Valley, venture to Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. There will be a base for a few days in Ollantaytambo where we will head to Willoc to study weaving in action. This area is known for it’s traditional weaves with mainly vegetable dyes. Of course, Guillermo and his band members will provide a strong musical influence, not only by performing, but sharing with us their history and love of traditional Andean folklore music.
There is still space available, airline prices are at an all time low to Lima and Cusco, so we hope you’ll consider joining us. For more information see MSI’s website at www.mtnspirit.org or contact Randy Richards at 603-763-2668 or by email at randy@mtnspirit.org .
Tags:adventure travel, Andean Folklore Music, Bob Stremba, Brenda Dowst, Chimu Inka, Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Cusco, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Guillermo Seminario, Holistic Living, Lake Titicaca, Machu Picchu, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Holistic Living, Leadership, Mountain People, MSI News, Peru, Power of Place, South America, Spiritual, Traveling | 1 Comment »
11/02/2009
Family heading back from Aspiring Hut
Recently, during a New Zealand national holiday, the Aspiring Hut saw a full house last Saturday night. There were climbers, trekkers, and people of all ages. Some were making the Aspiring Hut their destination, others were headed further for Cascade Saddle, French Ridge or Mt. Aspiring’s summit.
One family was the most unique there that night. A young couple was there with there 11 month old baby. I was amazed to see the baby stroller in the hut. It seemed so out of place. Upon quering the couple, they said they had been ill advised about the stoller, and shouldn’t have brought it. (There is a good portion of the trail where it can be used however, not enough to warrant carrying it as much as they did).
The hike to Aspiring Hut, NZ
Congratulations to these two for coming into the mountains with their new baby. They, and others here in New Zealand, show us that the backcountry is a place for the young and the young at heart. The next day, an elderly hiking group from Dunedin, numbering 40 or more, with an average age of 60, hiked to the hut for the day. Well done.
Tags:adventure travel, Aspiring Hut, Bob Stremba, Brenda Dowst, Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, Mt. Aspiring National Park, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability
Posted in Health, Holistic Living, Mountain People, New Zealand, Power of Place | Leave a Comment »
31/01/2009
Greetings from New Zealand. You’ll start to see articles on this blog under the column named “Mountain People Who Inspire” whenever I or other authors should come across them.
Londoner Mark Rosen, Wanaka, NZ
I’m starting this column with an entry on a retired man from England named Mark Rosen. Mark hails from Norfolk, Sheringham which is a fishing and vacation village on the east coast. We crossed paths in the Matukituki Valley when Mark was on his way to fulfill his annual volunteer stint at the French Ridge Hut near the base of Mt. Aspiring. He has been volunteering at this hut as well as Mueller hut at Mt Cook for a number of years. He’s an inpsiration because of his great attitude about getting out in the mountains, and his ability to continue hitting the trail. He’s a mountain man in the true sense. Getting to the French Ridge Hut is not easy. Once you’ve hiked four hours along the Matukituki Valley, the trail climbs 3000′ in about a mile and a half, to arrive above treeline and at glacier’s edge at the small hut.
I only met him briefly on the trail, and later caught up with him in Wanaka, New Zealand where we asked him a few questions about his thoughts on hut wardening at Mt. Aspiring and Mt. Cook.
MSI:What do you love most about your volunteering?
MR: I love relating to the people, and hearing about their first impressions. Especially at Mt. Cook when many of the visitors are seeing a large glaciated mountain for the first time. They’re enjoying the beauty of the mountains and for most, this is their first experience of going to a place like that. Their eyes are wide with wonder. More though, I come back because of the place, the mountain environment, this special location. I like the time alone too and can retreat to the hut warden’s quarters when need be.
MSI: What do you do in your spare time at the huts?
MR: I like to get out and hike the surrounding routes, read or plug into my ipod and conduct the London Symphony Orchestra or do my aerobic exercises.
MSI: What are some of the challenges of being a hut warden?
MR: Well, in a humorous vein, people tend to ask the same questions over and over, such as, “How do you get your food and water up here?”, or “How do you get up here?” Depending on my mood sometimes, I like to make my answers more interesting. I’ll tell a fibb by replying that I bring my food up in big boxes and haul water from the valley floor in buckets. Oh, and that “The outhouse poop needs to be hauled out in containers strung over my shoulders.” Sometimes I might say “I arrive by private helicopter.”
One thing that can bother me is when parties don’t clean up after themselves and leave the hut or toilet a mess. I almost feel as if I need to inquire about their toilet habits upon their arrival, hopefully stemming their bad behaviour. Of course, this is the minority of the visitors, but it does have a negative impact.
When I met Mr. Rosen the second time in Wanaka, I observed at how well grounded and at peace the man seemed. I guess part of it stems from all that time in the mountains. Keep going Mark.
Tags:adventure travel, Department of Conservation, Dexter R. Richards, DOC, ecospiritual psychology, Experiential Education, French Ridge, Holistic Living, Mark Rosen, Matukituki Valley, Mountain Spirit, Mountaineering, Mt. Aspriring National Park, Mt. Cook, mtnspirit.org, New Hampshire, New Zealand, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability, Volunteer Hut Warden
Posted in Environment, Health, Holistic Living, Leadership, Mountain People, New Zealand, Power of Place, Spiritual, Sustainable Living/Communities | 3 Comments »
23/11/2008
By Randy Richards
A Native American phrase, “keep your face to the sunshine and you won’t see the shadows”, is apropos for todays’ daily doses of bad news. Edward Griffin who wrote the Creature From Jekyll Island was once asked in a radio interview how he was able to keep such a positive attitude with all the information he had learned and written about over the years regarding the shadows of power in American society and government. He replied that he had made up his mind a long time ago to keep the information separate from his outlook on life. He then mentioned he had learned the hard way, inferring he had a rough time early on. In the interview, he look remarkably at peace and well balanced, unlike some of my friends that can’t sleep at night because of what they know.
- Yes Magazine by Positive Futures Network
If you’ve not picked up a copy or subscribed to Yes Magazine, I suggest you do so yesterday. We have reprinted one of their articles in one of our newsletters, with the magazine’s gracious permission. The Winter ’09 issue cover story is titled “Sustainable Happiness”, with the subtitle “The Good Life Doesn’t have to Cost the Planet”. Articles include “10 things Science says will make you happy”; “No Gifts? One Family’s Amazing Green Holiday”; “Why is the Dalai Lama Always Smiling?”, and “Dee Williams Lives Large in 84 Square Feet.” One thing that caught my eye in this issue was the graph on page 20 entitled: “Who Has The Money” Who’s Happier?”. The graph states, “There is no correlation between a country’s per capita GDP and its score on the Happy Planet index”. “On a bang-for-buck basis, the US is the world’s biggest loser,” states the magazine. You can order a copy and learn more about the magazine at www.yesmagazine.org.
Tags:adventure travel, Creature from Jekyll Island, Dalai Lama, Dee Williams, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual phsychology, Edward Griffin, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.org, Peru, Randy Richards, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sustainability, Yes Magazine
Posted in Environment, Holistic Living, Leadership, Spiritual, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
22/11/2008
Yoga at the Tipi, North Cascades, Leavenworth, WA
By Randy Richards, Founder
Executive Director
Mountain Spirit Institute
Images: R Richards
Alternative structures are getting more attention these days, especially with the spector of dwindling non-renewable petroleum products for building and heating materials. Simple living is more than an idealist notion. Cody Michaels, a longtime friend and solo pianist extradonaire, just swung by my town for a performance at our local CoffeeHouse. His performance is a reminder that we actually need to live and breath outdoors more. He and I went for a walk to the top of a hill overlooking Lake Sunapee just before his gig. We wer just in time to catch the sunset too. It seemed bitterly cold, (read, There is no bad weather, just bad clothes), but it was worth it. Cody shared his appreciation of the wind whipping through the bare branches, and the artist’s light that cuts through the landscape at an obtuse angle this time of year.
Living outside has become a lost art for the majority of Americans. In my tipi days, I always enjoyed the circular living structure. Occasionally, when a visitor might bring a dog, often times, the a dog would go walk nerveously round and round along the inner walls of the tipi looking for a corner in which to sit. To no avail. Even our domestic pets are used to the square structures in which we all live.
Home base, warm yurt, Sunapee, NH
My tipi has been put up every year though, for the Sunapee SunFest, but I don’t live in it any more. My yurt, now that is a cool structure. It’s toasty warm, and clean living off the grid with solar panels, gravity feed shower, composting toilet and a hand dug well. I’ll write more on yurt living in another post. I had it up for 5 years in Sunapee, NH on Ryder Corner Road. The different reactions I received from different neighors was worth noting. The old time locals, who grew up on local farms thought it was the best thing, a great addition to the neighborhood. Ohers were less clear about their feelings of the thing.
Yurt interior w/loft
Reactions varied from polite disdain, a blank stare, or possibly a somewhat condescending chuckle. It’s only worth mentioning because as illustrated in the movie “Escape from Suburbia” we may be headed for voluntary simplicity whether we want to or not. I’m not a Chicken Little thinker, however, watching the aformentioned movie made me sit up and take more notice. It might be worth your time.
A confession is due here. I’m not living as close to the land as I’d like. I’m not growing my own food, (although I do eat from friend’s gardens once in a while.) And I’m not in my yurt. However I forsee my partner and I taking action on this. I’m glad I have the background I do, having lived in my tipi and yurt. As Richard Louv says in his lecture and book “Last Child in the Woods”, my past experiences give me a touchstone, a reference point that helps me know my place in the natural world. My life is still more green than most, but I’ve still got goals to reach. I suggest you do the same.
Living closely to the earth not only makes sense, it can be much more fun than being in the rut of spending all those non-renewables.
Tags:adventure travel, Cody Michaels, Dexter R. Richards, ecospiritual phsychology, Experiential Education, Holistic Living, Last Child in the Woods, Leavenworth, Mountain Spirit, mtnspirit.org, NH, Peru, Randy Richards, Richard Louv, Spiritual, Sunapee, Sunapee Community CoffeeHouse, Sustainability, Tipis, Voluntary Simplicity, WA, Washington State, Yurts
Posted in Climate Change, Environment, Focus on MSI People, Holistic Living, MSI News, Power of Place, Sustainable Living/Communities | 1 Comment »
22/11/2008
Just another day at the office, living history on election day. Talk about “Being The Change”.
For a look into some really great minds, I like to explore the TED talks, a rich source of inspiration into the areas that make our world go ’round of Technology, Entertainment and Design, recorded every year in sunny, brainy California. Check out this one by Austrian artist, Stefan Sagmeister. Just hearing the name of the country reminds me of a slower, more peaceful, more connected to each other way of life.
And a moving story from brain researcher Jill Bolte – her remarkable account of observing the process of watching her brain shut down while having a stroke, and how the brain works…not for the squeamish!
And one of my favorites, a charismatic delivery about the power of classical music, Benjamin Zander, with other messages thrown in to challenge our perceptions of music’s connection to our humanity.
Tags:art, Cindy Heath, how the brain works, inspiration, Mountain Spirit, Music
Posted in Holistic Living, Inner Work, Spiritual | Leave a Comment »
02/11/2008
Snatam Kaur’s Music crossed our paths of by way of Amanda Hamilton. A gift it is. Below is an article on Snatam by Alan di Perna, writer for Yoga Journal, Rolling Stone, and Guitar World. Her music goes right to your soul. The flowering of human consciousness is no doubt in full swing. Just listen to “By Thy Grace” on her website, http://www.snatamkaur.com/,(Track 4), and you decide. Enjoy and be at peace
Chant Enchantress: An Evening with Snatam Kaur.
Concert, chantfest, musical group meditation, a yoga class in melody . . . how best to describe a live performance by Snatam Kaur and her band? (more…)
Tags:Meditation, Mountain Spirit, Music, Snatam Kaur, Spiritual, Spiritual Music
Posted in Holistic Living, Inner Work, Music, Spiritual, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »
Mountain Spirit's Blog 
