Burning Man 2011 - Rites of Passage

O.K. Korral camp minus our British crew, Steve S. and Dave M.

Photo credit: Kelly Shroads

My Rite of Passage

For me, Burning Man 2011, was significant on many levels.  First, it was the precursor to my journey to Southeast Asia, where I will travel for 3 months as well as study to obtain my yoga teacher certification in Koh Samui, Thailand.  It was very fitting then, that this year's theme was "Rites of Passage".  I turned 30 this year, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I am truly living -- comfortable in my own skin and not afraid to strive to live life of my dreams.  

"A rite of passage is a ritual event that marks a person's progress from one status to another.  Rites of passage are often ceremonies surrounding events such as other milestones within puberty, coming of age, marriage and death. Initiation ceremonies such as baptism, confirmation and Bar or Bat Mitzvah are considered important rites of passage for people of their respective religions." - Wikipedia

For the most part, this is what Burning Man was for me.  It re-affirmed, in a huge way, many things that were already set in motion early this year and my decision to leave the corporate world (for now).  

Life is a precious gift, and I am grateful for all the opportunities that have been given to me and are in front of me everyday.  My mother and grandmother both made personal sacrifices so that I could live this life.  It would be a waste if I didn't live my life in a way that honored the sacrifice and struggle of those who came before me.

So, how was it?  As others have stated to me, it is tough to capture the experience in words or pictures as it is unlike anything else on this planet.  The magnitude of Burning Man is hard to grasp until you are there.  The planning, preparation, and everything leading up to getting through the gates was in itself a huge mountain to climb, and certainly a big part of the overall "experience".  With a camp of 28, 18 of which were virgins, we had major planning to do.  Truly amazing that I will spend only a fraction of the time (excluding my yoga practice and study) planning and preparing for my 3 month trip to SE Asia vs. my 1-week trek to the desert.

So before I left, my good friend Tara told me "be prepared to get your mind blown, over and over again..."

This was pretty much the case for me.  My first awe moment was Monday.  We had finished setting up the dome, which was the most labor intensive part of our camp setup and I decided to go on a solo mission to explore.  I love riding my bike, and Burning Man is probably the best place in the world to go exploring on your bike.  Again, it's tough to grasp the size of Burning Man until you are there, riding around in it, to understand how massive this place is.  Biking around, I couldn't help but to keep thinking "where the f*!k am I?"  Burning Man really feels like a place from the distant past or future, it's as if you warp to another planet or time once you drive through those gates.  From the attire, to the amazing, mind blowing art (particularly the art cars, WOW!), to how people act and treat each other, it is a complete departure from the norm.  The level of human compassion, sharing, and creativity that I witnessed at Burning Man continues to inspire me today.

On Monday evening, my friend Sami and I had the great pleasure of closing out The Music Savage's party.  They had an awesome theme camp this year right down the street from us with amazing line ups every night.  In my opinion, it's an honor to play at Burning Man parties, and to get asked to play my first year was really special (thank you Cameron and Matt - I love you guys).  Needless to say, it was a blast and I can't wait to do it again.

It was great being there for the entire week and I don't think I would ever do it differently.  Burning Man is a major shock to the senses, so having a few days in the beginning of the week to settle in really helps.  In the first 3 days, I did a lot of exploring, attended a few yoga classes, checked out the art, and just took it all in.  It was awesome having 18 other virgins to relate this experience with.  So many times, we would just look at each other in amazement about what was before our eyes - "are you kidding me?  is this for real?" were common phrases throughout the week followed by huge smiles, and warm, heart felt hugs.  What I saw and felt is really indescribable - everyone there is pushing the limits of their own creativity and boundaries of what is acceptable - it takes a city of everyone doing that to create this unbelievable phenomenon.  It is at times utterly ridiculous, and you just have to laugh and smile.

Playa art: "LOVE"

Photo credit: Tara Eisler

So, Burning Man isn't just one thing -- a huge party, art, music, lots of dust... there are thousands of sides to it, and my friend Lopa summed it up nicely: "it's such a beautiful blank canvas environment".  So true.  There really are no rules, except be respectful of your fellow humans -- treat them with compassion, love, and respect.  You can go and meditate all week or can party non-stop.  Take in all the art possible, or just hang out at camp.  Whatever floats your boat.

The Temple of Transition

Photo credit: Mario Covic (www.mariocovic.com)

I did notice a fair number of seekers at Burning Man. It was awesome to be at the Temple or center camp and just watch people practicing yoga or meditating.  There is a beautiful spiritual side to Burning Man and the playa itself has this mystical, radiant energy to it .  The sunrise and sunsets were spectacular and my favorite parts of the day.  One of my favorite moments in the week was practicing yoga in front of the Temple for sunrise on Sunday morning (after the burn).

So why did I fall in love with Burning Man?  There are many, many reasons, but if I can sum it up, it's the only place on Earth where I can wake up, practice yoga, go take a meditation workshop, get spanked on my way to getting a cup of coffee, get lost and feel completely comfortable walking up and hanging out with strangers, attend a no-pants party, and listen to my favorite DJ on the world's most ridiculous sound/art car (Robot Heart).  Oh, and I can wear a tutu and paint my fingers purple and that's completely acceptable, even encouraged.  Burning Man challenges your notion of what is acceptable vs. not.  As a result, I've come back much more open, and less quick to judge.

The crew at Robot Heart, Lee Burridge sunrise set.

Photo credit: Andrew Xydeas

So the highlight of my week, and many others, was Lee Burridge @ Robot Heart.  Lee has been my favorite for years now, and I've seen him in various cities and settings.  He plays my kind of music - the kind that evokes a wide range of emotion, mixed and programmed flawlessly.  He is also an amazing person to boot and genuinely connects with the crowd.  I'm not sure what happens out there, but Lee @ Robot Heart on the playa is something straight out of a comic book.  This experience will certainly be etched in my memory for a lifetime and I'm so grateful to have shared it with some amazing friends, old and new.

So much more I would love to convey and write, yet so little time.  Gears now switch to finishing up my duties at work, attending my brother's wedding (I'm the best man!), planning and preparing for my upcoming journey through SE Asia and practicing and studying as much yoga as possible in the next 3 weeks.

I'm full of gratitude...I left Burning Man much more determined and hungry, excited to pursue my life's dream and passion.  I also left with some amazing new friendships, many of them across the pond (beware, I am coming to visit you all), and many from the place I now call home, Denver.

The lesson and message that I carry with me:

Life is a precious gift, take time to laugh, play, create, and share.  Never stop dreaming and chasing exactly what you want in this life.  


Alone we can accomplish many great things, together we can accomplish anything - we live in a limitless universe with no boundary, full of unconditional love.


-Hoang

The Temple Burn. 

Photo credit: Tara Eisler