“FREEDOM IN APPALACHIAN TRIAL – Zen Snow Meditations”

"Freedom in the Appalachian Mountains, zen snow meditations" is a book that exposes my personal experiences, within the field of spirituality and wonder at the big questions, and its connection with sports, mainly ski mountaineering, as well as skiing. mountaineering and cycling; However, my main dedication as a profession and sport is alpine skiing.

An experience that starts from crossing the Appalachians in the company of six Zen Buddhist monks from Plum Village. A small mobile monastery that followed the "path of happiness".

Sport as art . Art, a pure form of spirituality. Express with the body love, balance, peace and joy in harmony with the mind. Communicate the beauty that Nature impregnates us through body movement turned into art. Like a dance. Like a prayer. A prayer of the body towards the universe.

I think it is a self-help proposal of value both in sports fields, as well as within the circles of Buddhism, yoga, mindfulness, self-help and spirituality in a broad sense.

It includes my perceptions through a taste for literature, inquiry, science, music and photography. At the same time, I relate the teachings that my spiritual teachers have transmitted to me. Teachings that I have been able to learn and that I have tried to understand throughout more than fifty years of practice.

I have tried to be very faithful to the vision of the Zen Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh, a great exponent of Vietnamese Buddhism and with centers in several countries, but whose main monastery is in France: Plum Village.

In fact, it is a ** book promoted by several of his monks, ** with whom I shared the 8-week journey. And once again promoted by these monks after having organized several ski retreats and mindfulness with them.

I think it can be a tool for many other restless people, not only for students and followers of Zen Buddhism. That is why I have tried to ensure that the teachings that I share here as my experiences adhere as much as possible to the teachings of Zen Buddhism from Plum Village. To this end, this book has been supervised by competent persons in this matter.

The purpose of this first edition of 500 copies is to be able to reach the many people who, throughout the Spanish-speaking geography, are committed to improving, ensuring that the people who are dear to us can be happier and promote a environment more suitable for human society in general. Also bring it closer to all those people who love our Mother Earth and want to take care of her. And, of course, to all those who make sport their means of transcendence and fusion with the natural environment.

How to celebrate?

Each one of these books will be accompanied by a bookmark and will contain some links to download a magical collection of photographs that I have selected from among thousands of them taken during my trips to the natural environment.

Some options will contain the possibility of downloading the e-book.

I invited Manu Ripoll, cartoonist and illustrator, co-creator of shows that blend classical music with live illustration, to read the book and express what he felt through his art. The result is several color plates that are printed here in black and white. These sheets will also be part of the rewards.

What the people who help the publication of “zen snow meditations” will appreciate the most will be, without a doubt, being able to experience it. To do this, I have designed several options for one-day activities where you can start, deepen or just accompany me, in the practice of Zen meditation, while we will experience its possible fusion with alpine skiing, mountain skiing, cycling or the simple walk

What is a crowdfunding or crowdfunding campaign?

Modality of economic collection aimed at carrying out independent creative, social or cultural projects. It works through the contribution of small amounts by patrons, capable of coming together to promote initiatives or activities. With the sum of individual efforts of each and every collaborator, in exchange for various rewards, part of the necessary financing will be gathered.

Important: it is not charged immediately, but once the 40 days of the campaign have passed and the charge is only made if the objective is reached.

How can I collaborate?

Making your reservation as soon as possible. You only have 40 days.

About rewards

On the occasion of the publication of FREEDOM IN APPALACHIANS, zen snow meditations, I propose different rewards for my patrons. The content of each pack will vary according to the contribution you make. All of them include shipping costs. Here I detail the characteristics of the different rewards that you will find in the packs:

BOOK IN PHYSICAL FORMAT.

Included in all rewards.

It is an edition of 500 copies, 16*23.5 cm in size, with color flap covers, about 450 pages inside, printed in black and white on 80-gram eco-friendly boned paper with various illustrations.

BOOKMARK

Included in all rewards.

LINK TO THE PHOTO ARCHIVE

So that, without disturbing the reading, you can enjoy yourself as if you were in the middle of nature.

PRINTED PLATE OF AN ILLUSTRATION

Sheet on ecological paper A5 size (14.8*21 cm)

Work inspired by reading this book by the cartoonist and painter Manu Ripoll.

For specific patronage there will be some A4 size sheets on quality ecological drawing paper and signed by the author.

** COPY OF THE BOOK IN DIGITAL FORMAT **

You'll get a digital copy of the book in EPUB format so you can read and meditate on the book wherever and whenever you want.

APPEARANCE IN THE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We have reserved a space in the last pages of the book to mention, with names and surnames, the patrons who collaborate in a special way.

ZEN CERAMIC MUG

Ideal companion to accompany, with a good tea, the contemplation of Freedom in the Appalachians.

Ceramic cup made 100% manual with the pinch technique and decorated with Catalan clay. Each piece is unique, an unrepeatable fragment of land.

Measurements: (approx) 10x8cm.

Details: high-temperature chamottated black/beige clay fired at 1220°c.

Each cup will be similar to the one in the photo with a special surprise touch from the creator.

We will raffle 10 cups among the first 50 patrons. Hurry up

MINDFULLY CONSCIOUS ACTIVITIES IN NATURE

I have scheduled group outings on dates listed in the activities calendar. The level will be affordable and adaptable to the participants, with the exception of ski mountaineering which, logically and for safety reasons, requires previous experience.

During these outings the most important thing will be to savor the taste of zen, the spaciousness, the freedom, the equanimity...

The activities of full consciousness in nature will be to choose between: walking meditation (trekking), road cycling, mountain biking, alpine skiing or ski mountaineering.

ACTIVITIES CALENDAR:

June 17, 2023 MEDITATIVE EXCURSION THROUGH COLLSEROLA or MARESMA

July 15, 2023 MEDITATIVE EXCURSION THROUGH THE FORESTS of Cerdanya

September 9, 2023 Departure by MOUNTAIN BIKE through Cerdanya

September 23, 2023 departure on ROAD BIKE through Cerdanya

October 7, 2023 departure on ROAD BIKE through Cerdanya

October 21, 2023 MEDITATIVE EXCURSION THROUGH THE FORESTS of Cerdanya

February 10, 2024 SKI MOUNTAIN departure through Cerdanya

February 24, 2024 departure of ALPINE SKIING in La Cerdanya

All mountain and cycling activities will take place between the Catalan and French Cerdanya or Andorra depending on the weather and snow conditions.

The necessary transport and ski passes, as well as the meals will be the responsibility of each participant.

Each session will include a prior orientation talk, the practice itself and a space to share experiences.

We will observe the sustainable ideology of “Leave no trace”

About us

People who have actively participated in the creation of the book:

RAMON CARRERAS JUANICO

In love with Nature, the mountains and the snow, all my life I have practiced sports, being in charge of sports organizations. Since I was young I was concerned about science, literature and philosophy. At a very young age I began to meditate at the hands of teachers and, later, to share what I had received. My work in the hospitality field and as a sports manager have meant a lot of relationships with incredible people. One of the passions with which I have learned the most is travel and hiking through nature, on skis, by bike or on foot. Music has also brought rhythm and inspiration to my life despite not being a musician. I think that finally I am the combination of all these aspects.

For ten years I have collaborated with AUCER (Cerdanya University Association) in the organization of courses in "retreat" format on mindfulness, meditation and zen, within the Ramón Llull Summer University.

I was part of the organizing core of the 2014 Spanish Tour of three weeks of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.

I have collaborated with Salvador García, a doctor and social psychologist from the University of Barcelona, in projects promoting values among youth: “Imaging Lab”, “Factoría Eutópica” and currently “Buterfly Movement”.

Along with six monks from Plum Village, we created the Appalachian Traverse project, generating a traveling monastery that offered a “day of mindfulness” every Sunday in a different town. The project was baptized as "Path of Happiness" and was fully financed through crowdfunding.

As president of the FCEH (Federació Catalana d'Esports d'Hivern) for sixteen years I generated and sought financing and sponsorship for numerous sports projects.

I use the networks to a minimum, but...
Facebook
Linkedin
Inatagram
Yutuve

Sport:

Website from 2011, when he was president of the FCEH.
Ramon fceh

Ramon Llum summer university courses with AUCER
aucer.org

Appalachian Backcountry
Appalachian Trail

Explore the Ramoncarreras routes in Wikiloc: wikiloc

Check out Ramón Carreras Juanico on Strava
Strava

MANU RIPOLL

Manu Ripoll: Painter and cartoonist. He has edited several books, including:
• Ramon Llull llibre de viatges, ed. cosetania
• A gift for Kushbu, Ed. Astiberri
• BCN noir. Ed. Norma
• SISA "els anys galactics". Ed. Norma
• Snowflake report in National Geographic 2017.

He is the author of the illustrations.
Instagram Manu
Whakoom Manu

"*"It happened that, little by little, reading the book, I was letting go and allowed the simplest thing I could do to flow. It was a very tactile or sensory experience... ...Reading the book, every day I was writing something and painting a small drawing. They are like cartoons... ...it has a lot to do with the physical appearance, with the fact of going for a walk, the mountains... ...We have the luck of this as an aesthetic communication, with the landscape, with the environment ... ... There is a link: the color, the weather, the mist, the environment... ...you stop, perhaps not yet at the top, and suddenly there is something that reaches you... .. .You explain it very well in this book, the sensations came to me, the communion with the landscape... ...each square is like a landscape, a comic landscape, of a moment... ...and the horizon, which you never reach it, but that it is there for you to melt into it".

SALVADOR GARCIA

Physician and social psychologist, professor at the University of Barcelona, promoter of Imaging Lab, Factoría Eutópica and the Butterfly Movement.

Author of several books, highlighting: The Intelligence of Values.
Intelligence of values

He has taken care of the style correction and has provided advice and critical opinions.

Foreword.

BROTHER PHAP LUU

Zen Buddhist monk of American origin, ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh, twenty years ago. Currently abbot of the California monastery "Deer Parck". He is one of the most reputable Dharma Masters in Plum Village. He alama mater of "The Path of Happiness".

It prompted me to organize ski and mindfulness retreats and to write this book. It has reviewed its content and its coherence. He has given me a beautiful prologue.
Dear Park, Plum Village tradition

EVA CARRERAS SALINAS

A potter and artisan, she gives birth to wild objects with local clays that accompany us towards a healthier material environment. Ovarian breather and dancer, she facilitates spaces of body and sexual awareness where to accompany from and for love and pleasure. Body and clay come together is her project to make us more present.

Instagram entropy

What will I use your contributions for?

All the money raised will be used to amortize the production costs of the book. They include the costs for copyright and legalization, corrections, layout and printing of copies. In addition to the expense for rewards and shipping.

This is how we will distribute the funding:

EXECUTION BUDGET:

Edition of 500 copies: €3,120

Campaign costs: €200

Distribution: 150 books €450

Printing sheets: 200 u. €600

Distribution sheets: €200

Cost of meditative outings: €350

TOTAL: €4,920

I HAVE: €2,570 OBJECTIVE: €2,350

If I manage to exceed the objective and there is surplus, I plan to do the translation into Catalan, French and English.

Planned schedule

Currently Appalachian Freedom is in the final stages of editing. During February and March it will be in layout and printing. As soon as the books and details arrive, I will send all the rewards to my patrons.

February and March 2023: edition

April 2023: Printing and presentation.

June 2023: delivery of the rewards

July 2023 to February 2024: Field activities

HOW CAN YOU COLLABORATE IN THE PROJECT?

- Become a patron of the book

- Spread the word Help me communicate and spread the project in your circles and friends

- Follow him on the networks
Facebook Ramon
Instagram Ramon

For any question or doubt contact me:
[email protected]