Life In Flow - 8

The Call of Sipil Mountain

Years ago, my wife and I had a habit of visiting many villages around Izmir. The greenery of the Aegean, the mountains and the friendly people of the villages turned these journeys into enjoyable adventures. While we were breathing the fresh air of every place we went on weekends, we found a lot to discover in the village markets where natural products were sold. The coffee houses in the center of each village were especially the best places for us to taste local delicacies.

During one of these trips, we also visited the village of Sipil Beşpınar. In the meantime, the clear air and vibrant colorful nature of the region, which is also caused by the altitude of over a thousand meters, seemed completely different to me. In those landscapes, I always remembered a mystical valley illuminated by the sun before my eyes.

When I returned from my trip to America, I began to experience different states that I could not explain. Normally I had nothing to complain about. Things were going well, I had a peaceful environment with my family and employees.

But it took time and solitude to digest the Qigong initiation I had in San Francisco. I couldn't express my state of going inside. From time to time, I felt a pressure, discomfort in my chest. I would go to a village near my workplace and relax a bit under the centuries-old plane trees there.

A few months after my trip, one summer, while I was sitting in the air-conditioned room of my office, I suddenly had another chest problem. This time, the image of the village on Mount Sipil appeared in my mind. I instinctively jumped into my car and drove to the village 40 km away. Under the bewildered looks of the villagers, I bowed and settled down at a table with the computer in my hand. This time my problem was completely gone.

It was an immigrant village and it was customary to meet. The village elders started a conversation while resting in the shade of the trees in the garden of the coffee house. In a short time, they learned about my profession and other personal information they cared about. Some of their children grew up and left the village to settle in the cities. The village elders were owners of the land who protected the region, but also met strangers with a smile and inquisitive stance. In a city, you would not be questioned or interfered with as you might be when by the people of a small, rural village. I was just getting acquainted with this protective interest.

I grew up an obvious city person. I didn't know what land ownership was until I was 45. My intuition was telling me, I was open and respectful of the traditions of this new world. After a while, they would recognize me as the "programmer" in that village and I would be greeted by every villager I saw.

I had the same situation again days after my first visit. Again I experience the same annoying chest problem and same image while sitting in my office. I was climbing Sipil again, visiting the village, and once again under the bewildered eyes of the villagers as I coded with tea in my hand while inside the coffee shop. And again, I was relieved. Although they seem to have accepted me now, I'm sure they wonder why these frequent visits. The thing is, I was wondering too. What was I doing here?

My intuition told me that what I experienced was not a coincidence, and I felt intensely that I was invited here. When I got back to the office, I did a land for sale search for this area. Just like I found my Reiki instructor, I tried the first option on the search engine and was talking to the real estate agent who sold the land I found within minutes. I learned that the place is a zoned land in that area and its price can be considered reasonable. A doubt came over me, was I chasing a dream by myself? Everything seemed so easy. The experiences I gained from my business life told me to proceed a bit slowly and I made a decision. I would wait 15 days. If that place was my lot, it wouldn't have been sold and I would start the proceedings. I was looking forward to this time. When I found out that it was not sold, I decided that it was not a selfish desire, that I had to see the place and buy it.

I was a little disappointed when the realtor showed me the plot. It was a very sloping land at the bottom of the valley. It was green, but not spacious. On the other hand, the inner voice was constantly telling me that I should take that place. I finally said, "If I set up a tent here, I'd have a place like this." I wasn't always in the mood to go to the village cafe. The transactions were made, I took the place. Then we called the gps measurement team for numbering operations. The team vehicle went straight to another area, not the land we were looking at. The land I bought was not the one the realtor showed me. It was a piece of land with a spacious view about 50 meters higher than there!

The real estate agent and I were both staring in amazement. The realtor was definitely eager to sell this land, because whoever he showed it to, he couldn't sell it because it was flat and very sloping. He was so happy—up until then—that he had sold it to this "crazy" city boy. Now he was calculating how this place with a gaping gulf view was cheap, how this job could be... *He had the map upside down*

At that moment, I decided that I needed to build a house where I could safely spend time with my family while living in the city. In the following years, I learned about the local people, the construction industry, and basic gardening. After its construction was completed, I was spending time alone as well as with my family in my humble little cottage. I planted about 20 saplings in the garden, I took care of some vegetable work. I learned the language of the land. I am still learning.

This is what we might call "learning to survive". I had to use ecological facilities and basic technologies in a place where there was no electricity and water. I had learned how to do a lot of work after years of trying.

Sipil Mountain has the distinction of being the only magnetic mountain in the world. Manisa got its name from Magnesia, one of the natural magnetic mines of this place. I was thankful for being invited to this special place. I have always felt lucky and blessed to have had the courage to come to this place.

Even though I didn't plan, I always noticed that my visits to Sipil coincided with the full moon and eclipse times. In special transitions, I was supported by the high energy of the ratio, I was purified. Before important events and decisions, I go to Sipil, where I restart my brain and discover the meaning in silence. In my experience, 24 hours is enough for the mind to calm down. When you spend 2-3 days, there will be blood exchange and you will get stronger physiologically. It is useful to rest when you first go there, if you do something like soil hoeing due to the less frequent weather, you may quickly become out of breath and dizzy.

I've had so many instructive events in the last five years thanks to this place. I'm learning how to be in flow here. I keep dreaming of a yoga center in this region from time to time. What other miracles are the plans of the Creator pregnant? We'll see. :)

(to be continued)