Conscious Crete Newsletter

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On the Trail With Helen - Pachnes, The Moon On Earth

Pachnes Crete’s second highest mountain at 2,452m (short by only 2m!) Pachnes can be found in the white mountains, also known as Lefka Ori. Situated on the west of the island and is one of many peaks that can be found in this vast mountain range. What makes Pachnes so interesting is the fact that it is completely devoid of vegetation and has a very other world feel to it unlike any other landscape you may have visited. The easiest way to access this peak is from the south in Sfakia. If you have access to a 4x4 and feel comfortable driving on dirt roads with sheer drop offs then you can drive up as close as 3km from the peak. Alternatively you can drive to Anopoli and pay the super friendly guys at Anopoli rooms to take you up in the back of one of their trucks. While it is only 3km it is still 450m of vertical climbing but with fairly good trail and a gradual climb with some steep sections. If you are looking for a more challenging route you can hike up the trail from Anopoli or fur

Find Out What Are The Most Common Barriers To Effective Communication

What is effective communication? Effective communication means that your ideas and concepts are being heard and people are acting upon them. When it comes to defining effective communication, it also means you are able to listen, understand, and take action on what other people say. Effective communication is about more than just exchanging information. It's about understanding the emotion and intentions behind the information. As well as being able to clearly convey a message, you need to also listen in a way that gains the full meaning of what's being said and makes the other person feel heard and understood. Effective communication sounds like it should be instinctive. But all too often, when we try to communicate with others something goes astray. We say one thing, the other person hears something else, and misunderstandings, frustration, and conflicts ensue. For many of us, communicating more clearly and effectively requires learning some important skills. Lear

The Talk Of The Month - There Is No Light Without Darkness

This month I have a talk by Alan Watts. I can not say much about Alan Watts because I have never met him in person. For me it is also getting less and less important to find out things about the person, it is much more about what the person says. And I can say this talk is mind blowing for me. His words touched something very deep in me. He says there is no high without low so we should stop fighting the low. There is no light without darkness so we should stop fighting the darkness. If we could accept that this things come always together we can relax. We start by accepting that these opposites are separate but in the same moment also the same. For me this talk has a very deep truth inside which I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful month! Big Hug and love Jan Who Is speaking? My name is Jan Diringer and I live on this beautiful island of Crete since 2021. I work as a life coach and as a cook for groups in workshops. My biggest interest is self-development and my biggest goal is to p

Savoury Cake

Did anybody say cake? We all love cake, a slice of our favourite cake with a cup of coffee or tea makes life tastes a lot better. However, cake doesn’t always have to be sweet, it can also be savoury and still can be enjoyed with coffee or tea for breakfast or a snack. Ingredients: 4 large eggs 250 mils milk 200 mils sunflower or corn oil 1 red pepper diced finely 1 green pepper diced finely 2 spring onion diced finely 2 tomatoes pealed and diced same size as the peppers 2 potatoes grated Salt to taste (I usually add one teaspoon) Pepper to taste Oregano about half a spoon 400 gms sifted flour 20 gms baking powder 300 gms feta cheese crumbled Method After grating the potatoes squeeze them very well to get rid of the water In a bowl add the grated potatoes and all the diced vegetables and mix them really well Beat the eggs and add them to the mixture stirring well Add the remaining ingredients and make sure everything is well mixed together Oil a 30 cm oven dish Pour the mixture and bak

The Little Girl On the Green Carpet And The Healing Kitten

A true story about healing the inner child Once upon a time, because that's how all fairy tales begin, there was a little girl sitting on a green carpet. A little girl not much different from any other little girls in the world. Her black hair curled over her big hazel eyes. However, the little girl sitting on the green carpet was sad. And maybe this made her a bit different from at least some of the little girls out there because even in a world that did not turn out to be perfect like ours, maybe, there are still happy little girls to be found. But the source of her sadness was unclear even to her. Maybe it was because of the brown that blended into the green of the carpet in bizarre patterns. Maybe because of the strange stare of the little teddy bear wearing a fancy red hat. Or maybe because of the monsters…the monsters hiding piled on top of each other in the wardrobes from her mother's room, or those infesting the neatly arranged drawers or hidden under the

Who I Want To Be

I want to show up in life in such a way that you feel greeted in my presence. Welcomed. Worthy. Accepted. That means when I see you I start with love. It means I refuse to wait until my ego can determine your value to me. Forgive me for my impulse to judge, I want to unlearn that behaviour . The truth is that you are human—my sister, my brother—and that is enough. Your value is exponential and I greet the lessons you will teach me. Thank you. I want to show up in life in such a way that you feel abundant in my pres ence. Abundant in the awareness that you are enough. More than enough, in fact. Where, for a moment, you can find refuge from your inadequacies, insecu rities, fears, and judgments. For I want to see you—the part of you that is inno cent, beautiful, perfect, and true. I give you my word that I will seek that in you, knowing that those who seek, find. I desire to be someone who sees your best, even when you can't. I want to show up in life in such

Στο μονοπάρτι με την Ελένη / On the trail with Helen

Hi everyone! My name is Helen and I love exploring Crete, the mountains and the trails. I am excited to share with you some of my favourite routes 🙂 Psiloritis - Crete’s highest mountain at 2,452m There are a number of routes up to and around Psiloritis, however, there are 3 which are more widely known and I have done all of them. From the North at Mygero refuge, from the East at Nida Plateau by Cave Ideon and from the South in Fourfouras . Mygero Refuge Trail The shortest but possibly steepest trail is from Mygero refuge. From here the clearly marked trail is well travelled with steps of stones created that take you up the mountain. It’s 5.8 miles in total with 2,843ft of climbing. Approx 5 hours depending on your level of fitness and how many breaks you want to take. Nida Plateau From here you get to to see the famous Ideon Cave, supposed birth place of the God of Gods - Zeus! A more gradual incline 3,800ft over 11 miles out and back and likely to take you 7-8 hours in total.