You're currently on:
| Often times, each of us feels exhausted by all the demands and freedoms, choices and responsibilities that we are faced with on a day to day basis. Sometimes we become blocked by all these, unable to move forward or create, inspire or lead in any meaningful way.
In these times, we often have to draw inspiration from exceptional external means. For Gisele this means meditation, being with family and travel to exotic locations. Below are a couple of excepts from her writings after returning home of some of her most inspirational journeys. Mother India In July 2011, Gisele accompanied Leigh Blake, founder of Keep a Child Alive, a charity dedicated to helping children living with HIV/AIDS in Africa and India, and her assistant on a tour of India; a tour of the orphanages that they support, as well as a search for new ones. Gisele accompanied to bring joy into the orphan's lives and for the inspiration to design a piece that would get auctioned off in support of them. Later, after the tour of the orphanages had run its course, Gisele stayed on, and traveled far up to the mountain town of Daramsala, to meditate and crystalize all the inspiration around her. Ultimately, what came from the journey was the stunning Mucalinda Bracelet, which can be found here. Below are two excerpts from her journal of the journey. For more information, or to read more about either one, check out our blog, or click the images below. Oh India.. 
"Traveling with Leigh Blake and team from Keep A Child Alive is humbling me more every day. With Leigh’s immense love for the children in their care, she doesn't rest until they exude happiness. The team so far exists of Leigh, her young but very involved son India, delightful assistant Noelle from NY, amazing KCA representative for India Narendra and myself-here to collect gems, inspirations and a deeper understanding of the work of KCA as seeds to create the pieces that will be auctioned at their big annual fundraiser in NY in Oct. We arrived in Delhi July 19th and spent 2 days in the old city with a few meetings and settle into the new time and culture. July 21 we flew to Jodhpur and between the 21st -24th we traveled between Jodhpur and Jalore to a KCA Care Home for 30 children affected by AIDS. The joy of sharing days with these kids was an added giftfor me. To date the trip has been of shocking beauty, tastes of heaven, acts of kindness, raw venerability, trust, tears and laughter, and bouquets of color and contrast in every imaginable dimension. Tomorrow we’re taking the train to Jaipur.. land of gems for me to get to work and another KCA Home Care Centre for everyone else. To learn more of KCA, go to http://keepachildalive.org/our-work/aanchal-care-home/" Dharamsala.. 
"The team from Keep A Child Alive returned to New York on July 31 and I continued my journey solo to Dharamsala, the home of the Dalai Lama. What an extraordinary experience to go from the desert to being high up in the clouds of the Himalayas. Life was lush beyond my imagination. Altitude and mountain roads were candy to the eyes and a rattle to the nervous system." Being among this large Tibetan community warmed my being with a peace that exists within their endurance. I visited the Tibetan temple each morning to hear the deep and haunting chanting of the monks. On my last day, I prepped extra early to have that be my last memory before descending down the mountain. This day I arrived to a packed house, 1000 burning candles flickering, Tibetan women circling the temple with buckets of burning incense and the Dalai Lama arrives and offers special service to his people and the tempo of the chanting reaches the highest mountain peaks and the core of the earth simultaneously. Many times on this journey all I could find in words were “pinch me!” In gratitude, always and all ways. Love~ G" B O N C A M I N O In early May, 2010, Gisele did the last 225 km of the El Camino de Santiago. During this time she met scores of interesting people, and designed the Camino line of necklaces. Below is a short excerpt from her journal. For more information on El Camino de Santiago, and the journey through Spain and herself that Gisele walked, please visit the Camino page here. "At least one time in most people’s life we experience a burning desire to go searching for answers before we can even articulate questions. A time when we need a challenge outside of the lives we know. Some people invite this challenge often, me included. Pushing the boundaries of not just what I think but how I think and not just what I feel but how I feel. Walking the hills of Northern Spain on the ancient pilgrimage known, as the Camino was such a challenge. Having an opportunity to take my inner journey on a physical sojourn surpassed my high hopes. 
The Camino de Santiago has both historical and spiritual significance and is also known as the Way of Saint James. There are many routes but all end in Santiago de Compostela. The path I took was Camino Frances. It’s about 800km, although with time restrictions I walked the last 225 kms over 10 days. There are many reasons why people walk the Camino: Some as a spiritual discipline, some as a walking meditation of self-discovery, a test of endurance and survival or just a walk in nature. All complete with constant reminders to be present." |
