Day 1

“Καλό μήνα” (Kalo Mina) means “good month” and, in Greece, is a typical way of greeting people on the first day of the month.

I like to walk.  But I don’t do it enough.  So, to make this a kalo mina, I plan on walking everyday to Krios, my favorite beach on Paros.

Walking is not only good for the body, it’s good for the mind and for the spirit as well.

My walk actually begins on my terrace where I cut off then split open an aloe vera leaf and cover myself with its gel.  I always wear  a bandana that serves as a sweat band and also protects my forehead from the sun. And, for my iPod, a special neck purse.

Of course, there’s my knapsack for water and towel.  I always wear a dress as it’s cooler and also easier to put on after a swim.

Our house is located near the church Zoodohou Pigis which translates as “Life Giving Source” so my spiritual walk basically begins by walking in front of a church.

The church sits facing the sea.  To the left is a monolithic hotel and an old windmill that’s now a bar. The beach here has umbrellas scattered about set up by the municipality mainly for the people living in the neighborhood.

But I turn right and walk down the Παραλία (paralia), the littoral road that leads to Livadia. In the morning, the cafes here are populated mainly by older men who visit with friends, drink coffee and sometimes flip their komboloi.

On the way to Krios, I listen to my iPod but on the way back it’s either silence or, if no one is around, a bit of OM chanting.  Because music and chanting are both about vibrations and vibrations affect our spirit.  But this month I am trying something new.  From one of the songs heard while walking to Krios, I will find a mantra and recite this mantra on the way back.

Today’s song was “Woodstock” written by Joni Mitchell but covered by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The song is about a spiritual journey someone takes walking down a road hoping to find the garden of Eden (like me). The mantra from this song is “We are stardust, we are golden.”

We all come from the same source.  Too bad some  people refuse to accept this and spit upon the blood of others.