In gratitude to Burning Man

It's not snow...

I awakened today from a dream of white dust slowly obscuring the views of the mountains and  the trailer next door. Dusty half-naked people straggle by on bikes, wearing goggles and masks…  Each hour I feel more and more that my boyfriend and I are in a private, shrinking world by ourselves. The air grows thicker and thicker with white fog seeping through the door and windows. Soon the view outside is of pure white nothingness. The sound of our trailer’s awning flapping in the wind raps a strange beat, as our sense of sight dims. I wonder, is this is a nightmare? No, I’m actually enjoying this strange dream!

Wait! This is no dream. This is the day the Man burned at last year’s Burning Man gathering! That day the dust blew in and did not clear up till about 8pm at night. At that time we donned our fur and anti-dust gear and biked out into the desert where we saw strange vehicles spewing fire, aliens from unknown worlds dancing and cheering, and the burning of the Man (an effigy burnt as an act of radical self-expression), as fireworks shot off overhead and music blared from all around.

What an awesome and weird trip down a very dusty rabbit hole that was!

Burning Man on the Playa

8 days and counting… and I’m homeward bound to the 2009 Burning Man! I am filled with gratitude for the freedom and abundance that allows me to be a part of this unbelievable gathering of free spirits. This is wondrous place of art, self-expression, and not for the faint at heart. (Think Escher art meets naked Twilight Zoner!)

For those unfamiliar with Burning Man… Every year 40,000+ join together in a dry lake bed near Reno to celebrate life and radical self-expression through art, sharing, and experiences.  The city features awe-inspiring art projects that are scattered around the playa (the surface of the dry lake bed).

The Man Burns

Saturday night, barring white-outs and high winds, the Man burns with much fanfare and ceremony.

Sunday night, the Temple (a very spiritual memorial that instilled me with awe and gratitude – think the Vatican, but with people wearing less attending) burns.

Nightly, fire dancers and stilt walkers perform on the playa.

There is something for everyone there, as long as you stay open-minded. Whether you’re into greeting the day with yoga at sunrise, drinking free drinks for a whole week, learning how to tie up your partner with Shibara (the art of Japanese rope bondage), getting free massages or healings, or even getting married… it’s all there and much more! Workshops, classes, and even 12-step programs are available every day… It is truly impossible to describe!

From the Wikipedia: Features of the event are subject to the participants and include community, artwork, absurdity, decommodification, and revelry. Participation is encouraged. The Burning Man event is governed by 10 principles, which are radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy. (See the Burning Man site for more info.)

Last year was my first burn. I decided three weeks beforehand to go. (I’m told some people start planning a whole year in advance.)  From a Yahoo list, I luckily found a ticket at an affordable rate (and coincidentally from an acquaintance in a spiritual group I attended – must have been meant to be).

Cool Art on the Playa

I had no idea what was in store for me! Like falling through a very dusty rabbit hole into a place filled with bizarre and thought-provoking art, friendly people, eye-opening workshops (picture a large tent full of naked couples exploring tantric massage), harsh conditions (patience is a virtue when it took 5 hours in a white out/dust storm to drive the 11 miles into Black Rock City, the temporary site for Burning Man), and generosity (99.9% of everything there is free – food, drinks, workshops, music , art, …)!

For so many strangers to come together for a week and build a community is an awesome statement that fills me with gratitude, hope, and inspiration. And to create a whole city in a dry lake bed is also a darned ambitious understaking!

I know many people that have wanted to go to Burning Man for years and have only been able to attend virtually through YouTube videos and photos. I am so grateful that I was able to go to Burning Man last year and am able to go again this year!

Maybe see you on the playa this year…

In gratitude,

Chandra 

PS: This year at Burning Man look for us around 7:30 and Lineage. We’ll have a pteranodon (ancient bird – unless it flies away) flying above two RVs with awnings tied together.