I am in Ubatuba Brazil (about 200km from Sao Paulo) staying at a healing/yoga retreat place in the rain forest next to the beach. I got the message that I was supposed to relax and restore here - the message came in the form of days of rain (rain forests can be wet!) and my email being down for a week (thanks Sandra for getting it back up!). There are several other healers here and I have been exchanging healing and yoga classes with them. I received a ayurvedic massage from a German-Brazilian woman - my first time doing this kind of work - it used lots of oil and spices and I will say that it has improved my connection with my my lower three chakras and grounding!

I have been learning some Portuguese here - it is somewhat similar to Spanish or maybe Italian because it is very sing song language - sounds like the people are so happy! The people I have met have been happy - almost in a childlike innocence way that I like. And there is a national tendency to sadness and regret too. I wonder where these national tendencies come from? Does a country's history (in Brazil's case as a colony and slave center) affect the national psyche ? Or does the psyche attract a certain kind of history? Or perhaps it is both in a feedback loop. No so different from how an individual's patterns and history interact. Makes me think that solving some international situations may be helped by shifting these national patterns...

I have heard that many people who have come from Europe here to Brazil recently - to escape the chaos there in financial and social issues. The Brazilian economy is strong (and the Real is high compared to the dollar or euro). There are social conflicts here too but the country seems more able to deal with them. Beautiful beaches, mountains, forests, wonderful food, friendly people - quiet a place!