Desert Therapy Leaves Again!

It is official: June 11th Desert Therapy leale to start its new itenerary: The Agriates Desert, in the north of Corsica, considered the most spectacular and wild part of the island.

It is a path that we will face for the first time, we decided to share this adventure with a few fellow travellers, who like us desire to have a new experience. We will live for a week between the desert and the sea, because at night we sleep with our tents in little bays of sand that have nothing to envy from Caribbean beaches. We will be alone and the support of a transportation boat will take all of our material, food and water, allowing us to walk just with a little backpack, in the style of Desert Therapy to enjoy the wonderful beauty of this fantastic place and to experience the same emotions that Desert Therapy has always given us.

Max and Daniele will be there on staff to ensure maxium comfort to Denedicta, Bruna, Doriana, Claudia and Roberto. They have already been with us to the White Desert and will be with us on our next trip to the Salar de Uyuni in August. And as always I reserve the privilege of walking with our friends to share with them conversation, thoughts and the silence of the desert.

Two places are still available: to participate in an unforgettable experience and enter into the big family of Desert Therapy.

Speaking to twenty thousand youth

Friday evening in Piazza del Duomo, there was the largest gathering of the youth of Arcidiocesi in Milan who, during the summer, animate and serve as leaders in their oratorio (church youth groups) and on retreats to children and kids of the parishes, also present was Cardinal Tettamanzi. I was invited there to give my testimony of my life dedicated to the desert, in front of a crowd of twenty thousand people, silent and attentively listening to my story, who often burst into spontaneous applause, while on the big screen they showed images of Desert Therapy. I was able to offer a small but significant contribution to helping young people find their own way and this was an emotion that reached the depths of my soul. I was in the heart of my city, in front of thousands of kids talking about the desert, while a spectacular sunset made the backdrop, and the cathedral behind me was light by a choreography of colored lights that were constantly changing: I really experienced a moment of infinite joy.

At the end the Cardinal wanted to shake my hand, thanking me for the message of love that I was able to convey to young people: I hope that each of them find a way to face the deserts of their lives with the same determination and serenity that accompanied my steps, day after day.

Freedom

Freedom is not walking in the sand along the beach barefoot, lying on a lawn or wearing little clothing. This is feeling free. True freedom is born within us, it is in our DNA and accompanies us all our life. Often free people are considered eccentric, and are distinguished from others for their life choices, which are sometimes considered extreme or crazy.

It is very hard to be free in a society made up of conventions and stereotypes, where there are codes of behaviour that influence our choices. But those who are born free can recognize their true path and go forward in spite of everything, at the cost of fighting, suffering and disrupting their lives, not fearing the consequences and not accepting a safe life, appropriate and sterile. Like animals kept in cages, those who are free suffer when imprisoned and a part of them dies. The orca, one of the most intelligent marine mammals, suffers when it is forced into captivity. Even if it seems to accept this imprisonment, you can see its depression by the folded dorsal fin, the pain of having lost its freedom. In humans, the eyes are a sign that reveals suffering, but people who are born free and never give up hope, sooner or later are able to break these chains.

Gatherings

It has been a week full of gatherings and Desert Therapy has been the main topic. I spoke to a different audience each time, and they were all interested in my experiences and the new project. It was a great satisfaction to know that while talking about the desert, I was entering into their hearts.

A few evenings ago the happy hour at Claudia’s was, as always, special for the quality and for the friendliness of the hosts. It was also an opportunity to talk about our next trip to Bolivia, which will include many of the protagonists of the first and second editions of Desert Therapy as well as new friends. They are all excited and eager to live this experience together in the Salar de Uyuni.

Some of them already decided to participate in our new proposal, between the sea and the sand, that will be in Corsica in June, where for one week we will cross the Desert de Agriates, one of the most beautiful areas of the island. We will sleep in our tents on stunning beaches, reached on foot, pampered by an exceptional staff, as always in the style of Desert Therapy.

Desert Therapy: New Entry

The meeting on Friday evening at the sports store Ttrek (former refugio Roma), in San Giovanni organized together with Ferrino, marked a new step forward in the journey of Desert Therapy. In fact, after the Cordrignani Store in Milan, this became the second official store where participants can buy materials for the trips at a special price and get assistance and advice from qualified personnel. David, the owner, together with his partner, organized an evening dedicated to my challenges in which I presented Desert Therapy. Public interest filled the room, and the presence of Anna, from Desert Therapy 1, who wanted to participate in the event and give her testimony was important. At the end she was surrounded by many people who wanted to know all about her experience in the White Desert. Desireè was also there, who will come with us to Bolivia. She is very excited for the experience that awaits her, to soon meet her fellow travel companions, many of whom have already travelled with us, and be welcomed into the family of Desert Therapy!

Sports and good spirits

Last weekend Max’s hockey team, the Red and Black Devils, took part in a tournament with teams from Austria, Germany and Switzerland at the Sesto San Giovanni Ice Rink.

It was an opportunity to enjoy two days of real, clean sport, where enthusiasm and passion were the main focus of the event. It was not important to win or lose, but to spend time together, play and have fun.

In the evening there was a fun and delicious dinner on the ice (which was obviously covered for the event) with all the teams that participated, and then anyone who wanted could go skating on the rink.

Obviously I couldn’t miss it. I have always followed the athletics of Max and to find myself again amongst some of the guys Max has played with for many years was touching.

But the thing that surprised me the most was the sensation of peace and freedom I felt skating with them. It has been several years since I have put my skates on, but to hear the sound of the blades on the ice again, to feel the fresh air on my face and realize that my legs could find the right rhythm again, even after the big dinner, freed my mind of worries and gave me a great sense of serenity. Who knows: maybe it exists……….Ice Therapy!

The desert teaches: Loyalty

Loyalty: a term increasingly less used, that in a society defined as “civil” is almost unknown. A handshake used to be sufficient to close a deal or to keep a promise. But today everyone talks a lot about promises and they are regularly unmet. And that means false hopes, it creates illusions and unnecessarily wastes time for people who actually have intensions to honor their promises.

My mind returns to the desert, where the rules are strict but observed by all, where you speak little, where a glance or touching hands establishes a lasting agreement, when there is still respect for each other, no matter race or religion: where loyalty is still an important value for the men who live in and love this place in which time seems to stand still but can teach us a lot.