Bosco La Stregaia

“Better to illuminate than merely to shine to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate.”
― Thomas Aquinas

I was going to start writing about the place I am staying, “Bosco La Stregaia”, which has been worthy of articles and reviews in Italian magazines, but an article captivated me from the New York Times about “Kinkeeping” by Danielle Friedman. I immediately thought this majestic place wouldn’t be or exist, if there wasn’t someone who made it his home and thought carefully about how to keep it as a harmonious, welcoming and contemplative space. I’ll go deeper on the kinkeeper later.

When I came to Tuscany I had no idea how lucky I was to arrive here, exactly the kind of place I love and needed. Hidden in Orbicciano, La Stegaia is a beautiful shelter for those who desperately need stability, solitude and silence. It has everything you could wish for a writing retreat; lots of space, photographable gardens, antique collections and tradition. This has been greatly possible to the owner and developer of this property. Every corner has a unique decor that transports you back in time and allows you to wander freely. I discovered, that the limits were not in the physical space but in my limited appreciation and lack of connection with nature. I know I sound harsh with myself, but I find great comfort in knowing I am not an enlightened being who can immediately feel and understand what is happening with me or around me. It has taken a deal of work for me to get out of my painful narrative accept this as a transformative experience and simply surrender.

In a few weeks, I became part of a family; I only knew it when the kids started to call me Zia. Buona Notte zia.- It was comforting to sit at a table and learn the dining etiquette, to share every evening amazing food and stories about the region and the neighbours. I felt this too when I was living in China, my friends made me part of their families. There is nothing more compassionate than to give a place on a table to a traveller, a foreigner, or a city stroller. Part of the significance of sharing a meal is to recognize another like a human being, to give the benefit of the doubt. Dining alone is not a bad thing; some even describe it as “the act of the ultimate solitude” and enlist the benefits of learning to eat alone, however, sitting at a new table is at the same time fascinating and challenging. 

My overthinking tends to kill all the particles of joy in me and that’s where the challenge comes in. How to enjoy such a beautiful experience, if I have so many unexisting worries and I am always biting my nails about things that will happen but haven’t happened yet? As pathetic as it sounds, one of the PTSD symptoms, is an invisible condition that disrupts your life, your relationships, your concentration and your enjoyment. 

However, something that has been mostly useful here has been the OM mantra Chants. While my meditating experience has been interrupted many times throughout my life, I still remember their calming effect on me. I sit in front of the forest, feeling the breeze, listening to the waterfalls a few steps from me, the leaves, the trembling flowers, the smell of roses, one step closer to my spirit, one step farther from evilness.