Dubrovnik is a city in Croatia. Dobrovnik is a village in Slovenia. Both have their attractions but Dobrovnik is really special. Magical even.
I don’t think I’ll ever grow up. Not really. I might get a little more responsible, a little more sensible, a little more pragmatic, but at heart, I’ll still be that gullible kid who believes in magic, in fairies, in ghosts. I needed very little persuading when the lovely GZs suggested a trip across the border into Slovenia to Bukovniško lake and its magic forest that sit outside the village of Dobrovnik. Not too clear about what to expect herself, she sold me on the idea of healing energy and curing waters.
Back in 2001, Dr Ilija Čosić (who, as far as I can tell, is a writer/professor from Novi Sad in Serbia) visited the lake and mapped the bioenergy and radiesthesy. [I had to check that one out: Radiesthesia is the science of using the vibrational fields of the human body to access information about other objects of animate or inanimate nature by establishing resonance with their energy fields, using specially calibrated instruments and a scale of qualitative measurement to decode this information.] He and his team of experts found more than 50 energy points clustered around two power lines that cross right where the church of St Vida (St Vitus) sits in the middle of the forest in Slovenia.
They focused on 26 energy points that are clearly marked for specific ailments. Stand or sit at any of these points, arms relaxed, palms facing the ground, and you will feel the energy manifested as a warm, tingling sensation or a cool breeze. And if you don’t feel anything, then that particular spot is not for you.
I looked at the list of 26 energy points and made my selection. I didn’t want a conveyor belt experience. I wanted to treat the specifics. I stopped first at No. 2 – just because stress is nasty. It was pleasant, but more because I was out in the forest rather than feeling any surge of energy. So, nothing I can’t manage myself, I thought. I stopped at No. 9 because I have cholesterol issues but I didn’t feel much by way of anything. I can stop worrying about that then. Next I went to No. 15, the rheumatism and arthritis spot and after a few minutes in situ, my palms started to tingle and heat up. Damn, I thought, that pain I’ve been feeling is real. I then stopped at No. 24 – limb pain and muscle inflammation) – same thing. The full list is quite something and I’m sure something has gotten lost in translation.
1: Gallstones and kidney stones
2: Mental, emotional, stressful, depressive problems
3: General back pain
4: Leg ulcer diseases (arteries)
5: Small and large intestinal diseases, including haemorrhoids
6: Headaches, dizziness, vertigo
7: Respiratory diseases (trachea, lung inflammation)
8: Migraine problems and tension in the head
9: Diabetes, cholesterol, liver, pancreas, spleen
10: Skin diseases (inflammation, acne and psoriasis (psoriasis) [the recommended retention time on it is 30 minutes]
11: Strengthening the immune system
12: Vascular diseases (venous vessels) and varicose veins and knots
13: Chest problems, pleurisy
14: Cardiac vessels
15: Rheumatic diseases (rheumatism, arthritis)
16: Gastric, duodenal and colorectal inflammation (acid, ulcer)
17: Alcohol, tobacco, and drug addiction
18: Urinary system, prostate and fertility (inflammatory diseases)
19: Blood pressure
20: Eyes, ears and nose (inflammation), partly also of allergies
21: Gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhoea and constipation, abdominal cramps and tension)
22: Respiratory allergies – bronchitis
23: Malignant or benign tumors
24: Limb pain (muscle inflammation and osteoporosis)
25: Strengthen and improve the blood count
26: Enhance life energy and increase frequency cell vibrations
The church of St Vida, at the centre of the energy lines, is like something out of a fairy tale. Back in WWII, there was a wooden structure on the site. During a battle not far from the chapel, one partisan managed to escape (they were hiding out in a local hunting lodge). Badly wounded, he crawled to his sanctuary. It was open then (unlike today). He didn’t expect to make it through the night but when he woke the next morning, all was well. Legend has it that he came back after the war and built the structure we see today.
Not far from the church is the spring of St Vida. Bathing your eyes in the healing waters is said to improve your eyesight, and indeed local lore has it that many have been cured. Washing your hands and face can improve your skin. And drinking it is recommended to calm anxious nerves. GZs had done her homework so we’d brought empty bottles. But had we not, the information office has water cans for sale (when they’re open).
The lake itself is man made, and is about 2 metres deep. There’s a trail around it and a couple of picnic spots, too. It’s stocked with fish and fishing licences are available for purchase.
As with anything good these days, there’s a caveat. A sort of disclaimer that says that one visit won’t do it. You need to come back a number of times within a short period. Not that I need much of an excuse to visit Slovenia. This weekend marks the beginning of a long-promised break, a chilling out period, time spent reflecting, reading, and writing. And if I can fit in a couple of more trips across the border to Slovenia – I’ll be even more grateful for the joys of village life and the access to other worlds that living so remotely affords.
PS There’s also quite a spectacular adrenaline park just at the entrance, one of the best I’ve seen. It would take about 2 hour to get around it and is suitable for ages 4 upwards.
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