Exercises in Seeing Differently – A Course in the Caucasus

”I just haven’t been able to get angry since then. Everything feels so different now. It’s been two weeks since then; I’ve even been to Switzerland in the meantime, and it hasn’t subsided at all—I feel the freedom this has brought me, and ever since then, these stories have been finding me, no matter where I go. On top of that, everyone suddenly wants to see me—I don’t even understand it—little lonely Angi can’t find any time for herself because her friends are pulling her in every direction :) So, Mária, I have nothing but good memories of the trip; I tell everyone about my experiences with total enthusiasm. I don’t regret a thing, and I’m very grateful—to you, to myself, and to the whole team. P.S. The night before last, I went for a walk alone, just outside the gates of our lodging. Even then, I realized that while after Bali I said I’d never go back there again, I’d be happy to return here anytime. ” Angi Veres

I’ve always lived by the belief that anything is possible. That’s how I found my way to You—there was a calling that energy could be transformed „with a snap of the fingers,” that it was changeable. The term „Russian” was part of my search. I wanted to learn the „how.”It was through this different way of seeing that I came into contact with Mária. The virtual space where “everything is possible” opened up for me through this different way of seeing, becoming a real possibility, a real potential. Seeing differently in another world happens quickly and powerfully. With a different perspective, being in a group, staying together throughout, while remaining true to ourselves the whole time. A boundless experience, a boundless feeling. Through the practices of centering, that independence—which is truly and inherently healing—was brought to fulfillment. To recognize, within the space you hold, that in the tension between the poles lies that “point” where everything is just right…

I admit that even before the trip, I’d been thinking about the idea of seeing things differently; somehow I wanted to write something clever „off the top of my head” even back then, and I’ve been mulling over that idea ever since; I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no such thing as “seeing things differently”—or at least not in the context I originally had in mind. Everyone sees things differently—that much is clear—but everyone sees things the way they do, and not differently. It’s true that I see many things differently than I did, say, 20, 10, or even 5 years ago, and I’m sure there will still be changes in this regard in the future, but if we look at the present moment, this is the only way I can see things. And everyone feels this way. However, for this to change in the next moment, a high degree of openness is needed, which also requires honesty toward ourselves and the outside world. By this I mean that I dare to openly acknowledge what I see, feel, and experience, and how I perceive it. I think this is where the problem lies: that people, (in order to be loved, accepted, or to belong somewhere) don’t dare to be themselves—which, in a sense, leads to stagnation, since they don’t challenge their own perspectives, thereby reducing the chances for growth. I admit that this confrontation is by no means easy and requires an understanding and supportive environment where people can more readily be themselves. Well, for me, the Azerbaijani environment was just that… the people, the leadership, the environment—and for that I am very grateful. Not for a single moment did I feel like I had to play games here; I was able to remain completely myself, which made this trip one of the most unforgettable experiences of recent years. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of this miracle, and I give you permission to use my post if you think it’s worth it.

Főni Főni

What did the trip to the Caucasus give me? From the moment I decided to step outside my comfort zone and break away from the familiar, this change in perspective brought me the joy of my first flight.It gave me the courage to go, and I got to know the others.These were unforgettable experiences for me: walking on the Shah Dili Peninsula jutting into the Caspian Sea, listening to the roar of the sea, meditating together—I felt a sense of inner peace.Our adventurous journey to the Caucasus—its beauty and power are breathtaking. Xinalig, the last village there, and the kindness of the people living there—I felt as if I’d gone back in time, as if I were a 10-year-old back in my own little village.Our lodging in the mountains and meditating by the waterfall were yet another oasis of tranquility. I could endure this every day. Dancing together and our conversations—even if they were brief—will remain memorable.Baku’s Old City, the mosques, and so many beautiful sights enchanted me. Thank you once again for the opportunity to be with you—it meant a lot to me. I recommend it to everyone. The Caucasus has a special charm; I think I’ll be back.

Évi Horváth

I’d like to express my gratitude for what I brought home with me… „not having to choose”—not that I’d always made conscious choices; it was more a form of oppression from which a sense of relief and liberation emerged, and this is what led to the „change in perspective”: It feels good to realize that I don’t have to conform to everything—not even to the value system I had previously „mapped out” for myself—because it doesn’t damage me; it just makes me freer. To be honest, everyone says how free I am, that no one is pulling me in any direction, but I had to realize that I was the one who had built serious barriers for myself, ones I was already suffocating under. I was proud of being brave, but it wasn’t real—the “I” was missing from it. I’m trying to hold onto this perspective, but the environment is very different. It’s up to me not to sink back into it. Maybe I’m getting better at catching it… and bringing that feeling to the surface.

Participant in May 2025

I was really scared in that military SUV, and then I LET GO. OF EVERYTHING. It was a shock. Amazing. To experience that—wow, ever since then… The Temple of Fire. The Gayatri Mantra. A SHOCK. Remembering something. I don’t know what, but it feels familiar. The barely flickering fire inside me has been blazing ever since. Then your two sessions… I’m changing. My life has changed. I’m often spinning, whirling—I love it. Then I’m quiet, lost in thought. I give thanks to the wind, the sun, the rain, the earth, those who come to me, those who leave… The shells are falling away. I want to be with my true self, my inner self, when the time is right.

A.M.

I hadn't been feeling well for quite some time, and my job was just a good source of income. However, I started having all sorts of physical complaints, so through an acquaintance I ended up seeing Mária, who treated me. Then I went to one or two of her classes—I was curious to see who was „fiddling” with me. During the course, it came up that Mária was planning a trip to Azerbaijan, so I came home and told my partner that we didn’t feel like going to Azerbaijan—and of course, he immediately said yes. So this past spring we traveled to Azerbaijan; the trip and the organization were top-notch. I’d never been on an organized tour before, so I was a little apprehensive, but I can’t think of any other word for it—it really was professional, with great accommodations and activities, and they paid the utmost attention to all our needs. Even if it had just been a good trip, that would have been more than enough—we came away with a truly beautiful, lasting experience. Secretly, though, I was hoping it might also bring about some change, because that’s what he’d promised. A few weeks ago, I quit my job, and the path I’ve been walking—with minor and major interruptions—is now lit up for me like an airport runway. Every entity in the universe is working to help me finally take this step, embrace it, and feel good about it. Obviously, they’ve been working on this all along; I just didn’t have the perspective to notice it. The way I see it, the trip to Azerbaijan served as a catalyst for me to finally embark on my „life’s mission.” I’m very grateful to Mária—with her gentle, humble, helpful, and supportive nature—for allowing me to go through this and live this way. I truly „see the world differently” now. Sometimes this still feels new and unusual, but the experience is already there—I just need to call upon it when old patterns creep back in. What exactly has been revealed is very difficult to put into words, but perhaps it’s a profound realization that existence itself is a miracle. This isn’t the same as a fluffy, sugar-coated world where everything is happy. There are difficulties, worries, joys, challenges, successes… but the greatest miracle is realizing that we are never alone— we are spiritual beings currently manifesting in earthly form so that we may experience existence from the perspective each of us has chosen, and if we can experience this even for a single moment, it’s absolutely worth it. As I was able to shift my „perspective”—my focus—and became imbued with this „energy,” I immediately found myself in a world where my helpers appeared even in physical form; they had always been there, I just hadn’t seen them…. Existence has many manifestations; at times, we’re like a frog at the bottom of a well who sees a patch of sky and thinks that’s the whole world. Yet there is no such thing as „the world”—there are millions of worlds. I chose a “profession” that allows me to glimpse into worlds, all of which are reality, thereby confirming that there is no single reality—or, as Agent Skuly said, the truth lies beyond. So, Azerbaijan knocked me out of a fixed perception of reality that was making me sick and helped me find my way back to freedom.

Éva Bakti