Journal December-January 2025
Dear friends,
As written before, in the last journal, December marked a new phase for us. The renovation of the buildings is reaching its conclusion. With the new dining room and the new lounge we are equipped and ready to receive more guests. So we start concentrating on extending the events that the Garden of Nâm offers. We have had good experiences with hosting and co-organising events together with regular guests who long to share the beauty and tranquility of our Andalusian oasis. Also, there will always be space available to accommodate those who intend to meet Yoginâm and who want to be close to the monastic living of the Hermitage for a while. The Garden of Nâm is recognised as a place for attunement, inspiration, healing and blessing and there are many ways to share in its beneficial resonance.
Highlight of December was, of course, on the 21st the celebration of the Feast of Lesser Light. Neighbours were treated with a paper bag full of kindness, home-made cookies and delicious home-grown oranges; a tradition that was started by Andree & Maria. Of course we tasted the cookies first to make sure that they were nice ;-). We enjoyed the warm company of friends during the last days of the calendar year and some of them stayed for a more silent and peaceful transition into 2025. January is a perfect month to do some work behind the scenes. We have initiated a new user friendly system that ensures a clear and comfortable booking for our guests and that will save us a whole lot of time and work behind the computer. A filmmaker who extended his image creating talents also turned into a painter and stayed here for 3 weeks. He used his time here very well and filmed a lot. We suspect that he will be presenting something very special somewhere in the near future. His painting style shows a love for van Gogh and the olive Garden has been immortalised in this spirit, painted in oils. A writer took the time to be here somewhat longer and found the inspiration to not only write an article on the Sociological impact of Artificial Intelligence but also treated us with a contribution to this months Journal. Together with him Maria and Edwin look back to the beginning, and to what happened after this place had invited us to make something beautiful and meaningful out of this arid and neglected piece of land. The two pioneers share their impressions and Peter, our writer, painted them down for us in words. You’ll find the text below with, for Dutch readers, a link to the original.
Garden of Nam: Then and Now – by Peter van Diepen
More than four years ago, a piece of land was purchased in front of the house of Yoginam Abbahjí. What started as a desert-like area with collapsed walls, houses as ruins and almost no vegetation grew into a lush garden with beautiful (sleeping) accommodations, a kitchen, a meditation room and event spaces; the Garden of Nâm. A beautiful place to relax, to walk, to work in or to meditate.
Sunrise – It is just before eight in the morning. Just before the alarm clock would go off, I have woken up from a deep and relaxed sleep. I sit on my bed in peace, stretch my arms and legs and take a deep breath to let my body get used to a new day. I open the door to my room and slowly walk to the glass table and the chair on the terrace in front of my room, where I nestle in anticipation of the sunrise that can break at any moment. I look out over the Garden of Nâm and the mountains in the distance where the first rays of sun still break somewhat shyly through the clouds. It promises to be a spectacle because the sky is covered with clouds in all shapes and sizes. It is still quiet at this time. The silence is only broken by the twittering of the birds in the palm tree opposite of me and a barking dog in the distance. The rising sun sets the clouds on fire in the colours red, orange and purple.
The rising sun sets the clouds ablaze in colors red, orange and purple
The beginning – Before morning meditation, I speak to Maria at the pavilion; the heart of the garden. Maria has been involved in the development of the garden from the beginning. “The garden was purchased in 2020,” Maria begins to tell. Maria was with Andree in a nature reserve in Spain at the time to watch birds. In the afternoon, they received an email from Abbahji to come to Nijar to look at Abbahji’s house. Maria saw that the estate opposite Abbahji’s house was for sale. There were still some remaining trees and there was water, but initially it only looked like a desert area with lots of stones and just some fig and olive trees. First, ecological landscape architect Chris de Waard was asked to investigate the soil of the garden and to see what the possibilities were. Then, the soil on terrace one was turned over and potatoes were planted. Then also blue lupine was planted to make the soil more fertile. An irrigation system was made and many new trees were planted. Trees that also grow in the area. “Trucks full of manure arrived to make the soil fertile,” Maria says enthusiastically. We sit at a table and drink a cup of tea. The sun is now shining in a clear blue sky.
Build – There were two houses, more like ruins, on the property. Maria lived there initially alone and Andree came after about ten days. During the corona period, she made a trip to Morocco where she considered moving to Nijar. That happened in 2022. The kitchen was still rickety. A contractor was hired who renovated the houses in a few years according to Yoginâm’s design and added rooms in Andalusian style. A meditation room and two activity rooms were built. “I designed the cactus garden together with Yoginam Abbahji,” she continues. In the past year the cactus garden was provided with a beautiful stone wall and a paved path. There were also problems during the renovations. A fig tree had blown over during a storm and damaged an irrigation canal on field one. The costs of repairing the canal were paid and the fig tree remained intact. The fallen fig tree continued growing and is still alive today.
Yoginâm Abbahji has set out a meditation walk, the paths of which have now been renovated
Maria actually finds working more like playing than actually working because it gives her so much energy and satisfaction. The garden is for people who want to be here and recover from their daily lives. If they want, visitors can participate in the community’s rhythm of life. “Yoginam Abbahji has set out a meditation walk, the paths of which have now been renovated,” Maria continues. The work in the garden is often divided into (small) projects, such as removing weeds or branches. Maria looks at what she is going to do every day and sometimes works on an assignment of others. Picking olives in October is always something very special and joyful. There are people who come to Nijar especially to pick the olives.
Inner garden – “The garden is also about your inner garden,” Maria explains. People come to the garden from all over the world. By working together on the garden you come across yourself and the garden gives you the opportunity to transform your inner garden. The water for the garden comes from the mountains. Especially in the summer, when it can be very hot, the garden is watered from our own well with a pump. “There are still many things that can be improved but an incredible amount has already been done, the foundation is there,” Maria explains. The wooden stairs were also replaced by stone stairs.
Food is also grown in the garden. In the vegetable garden and on the production fields, for example, potatoes, broad beans, cauliflower, broccoli, fennel and other vegetables grow. That food is used by Andjanie Bahorie who cooks a fantastic meal almost every day. We have to live with the different weather conditions: sun, wind, rain, cold. Yoginam Abbahjí’s wish is that there will be different fields with different plants, trees and vegetables. Human has also made a compost bin where it is carefully considered what is laid down to compost. For example, a sunflower field has been made fertile with that compost. In the summer it can get really hot and it is difficult to retain water in the soil. That is why bales of hay were placed around the trees so that the water is retained better. Maria learns a lot about gardening from her neighbour Mustafa. For example, pruning the olive trees, working the soil and creating production fields. Maria is a practical person and she learns by doing. The days fly by for her.
The garden is also about your inner garden
After the conversation with Maria I go to the morning meditation and then walk through the garden again. The trees, cacti, plants and vegetables look beautiful. Edwin is busy pruning a tree and is prepared to supplement Maria’s story with his own experiences. It has become quite warm in the meantime when we sit down on the terrace in front of my room.
“The first time I was here was before the corona,” Edwin begins to say. There was a lot of dilapidation at the time. A number of terraces and walls had collapsed. The owners were an old couple and could no longer come to take care of the garden. The trees were almost dead. “The first thing to do was to clean the water channels and clear the rubble. I was here for two weeks in September 2020 and helped out a lot,” he continues. A few months later he came back but for a month. He then felt that he had to live here. He has been living here since mid-2021. Edwin started working on a wall at the back of the garden. The stones for the wall came from the demolition of the ruins, which have now been transformed into a kitchen and guest rooms. “I had to make cement by hand in a wheelbarrow with a shovel,” he continues. In the morning he did his bookkeeping work and in the afternoon he worked in the garden.
I had to make cement by hand in a wheelbarrow with a shovel
“We are working on putting Abbahji’s vision of the garden into practice,” he explains. About 200 new trees have been planted in the garden. There are also some original trees, such as the palm tree just after the entrance. Chris has been involved from the beginning and has given advice and made a plan for the garden. He now comes twice a year. “I have learned to observe plants,” Edwin continues. The soil in the garden is very thick and that is why large deep holes are made for trees and manure and fresh soil are used. Then radish-like plants are placed near the trees that have large long roots to loosen the soil. “I have seen that the trees grow best this way,” says Edwin.
I learned to observe the plants
On terrace number eight he has given the trees extra attention in the past year and they have grown well as a result. The most important thing in this garden is to make and keep the soil fertile and healthy. It can be very hot in the summer and that is why they cover the soil with straw, to retain the water better. “The foundation has now been laid. There are paths, the trees and plants are there. We are now going into more refinement”, according to him. He was inspired by a visit to the Alcazaba castle in Almeria. He saw ground roses there and he thought it would be a good idea to place them in the garden too.
“The number of visitors to the Garden of Nâm is growing”, Edwin concludes. A website has been created and people are responding to it. People can book their stay in the Garden of Nâm there. Andjanie also gives yoga weekends and Spanish people regularly come to them and Qigong activities are also organised.
Meanwhile, the bell rings. In ten minutes, the afternoon meditation will begin. Edwin and I end the conversation and slowly walk towards the meditation room.
Garden of Nâm Events in 2025
Finally, we are happy to present you with the events that we have in stall for in 2025. Some are new, some are gladly planned anew and some are refined to cherish their quality.
Four Nâm Silence Retreats
Every month a Patanjali Yoga event
The Feast of Greater Light and the Feast of Lesser Light (for friends)
Two levels of Shamanic Retreat: Basic & Advanced
QiGong Retreat with Qi Friends
Men’s Meditation, Music & Movement Retreat
NEW: Being- / Zijns- Week. Theme:
What is Spirituality & How to live it?
On Request:
The Nâm Serenity Retreat (with Private HarpMood on request)
The Nâm Meditation Retreat (with monastic meditations, on request, minimal 6 persons)
The Nâm Private Retreat (a individual customised retreat on request)
The Peaceful Holiday Retreat (a peaceful holiday alternative, on request)
Cooming soon:
Patanjali Yoga, Indian Dance & Veg. Cooking (Combi Retreat)
Our monthly newsletter will provide you with the latest update on due events. If you want to stay informed, please subscribe or check every now and then our event calendar. We hope to see you again and welcome you soon in the Garden of Nâm, where you can visit Yoginâm, retreat, join one of the events and/or simply enjoy the wonder of this place.
