Thursday, the 16th of October

land of lakes and volcanos, Nicaragua here we come!
“Fasten your seatbelt” (of mindfulness!) We land in Managua to meet with Laura, Milton and other friends who drive us to the Quaker house (Casa de los Amigos) where we’ll be staying. On the way, we are told that Nicaragua is the second poorest country of Latin America. We can witness to many people in the streets, including children, trying to make a living by selling flowers, fruits, washing car glass or doing other small jobs.

Not long after we arrive to the cosy Quaker house, it’s already time for three of us to pay a most friendly visit to some 60 teenagers in Casa Allianza. They are young people coming from very vulnerable backgrounds and situations of risk, living in the streets, victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse, exposed to drugs... In this residence, they are safe and lovelingly cared for by a team of real Bodhisattvas.
what are they doing??!
In the short time we spent with them, we feel their great strength and beauty so vibrant. We propose to listen to the bell, breathe and walk with awareness and we leave time for the questions they thought of. They are interested in knowing how we found our path, what’s the “secret” for happiness, how to balance body and mind. We’re really touched. As our car pulls out of Casa Allianza, C., fifteen years old, walks near and tells her teacher: “They are the kindest people I’ve met. I fell in love with the bald ones!” We give her a small book of mindfulness practices and silently bless all the teenagers of this country.

In the evening, we are at the Allianza Francesa for three hours of teachings and practices on the themes of happiness and freedom.

recognizing and writing today's moments of happiness
There are a lot of young people in the audience. Very soon the atmosphere becomes peaceful and grounded. “Breathing in, I feel my whole body. Breathing out, I smile with tenderness to my body.”
In every moment, it’s possible to generate a feeling of happiness by recognizing the good conditions, the wonders of life that are still available to us. Just looking at your day today, can you name five moments of well-being, of contentment, of joy?


To be truly free, we should train ourselves to release regrets that bind us to the pain of the past and anxious thoughts regarding the future.