For much of his life, Gil Velasco has been a spiritual seeker.
As owner of the Ajijic health food store, Prasad, he and his (ex) wife, Mariza, lived in ashrams in Amsterdam and London, worked on an organic farm in Wales, and ran two yoga centers, both in Mexico City and Guadalajara. While in their 20s, they set out on a mission to see how they could live their lives aligned with their values – values such as yoga, meditation and a diet that wouldn’t harm other beings. At 43 years as a vegetarian, Velasco continues on his path of wellness in Ajijic, a place that aligns perfectly with these values.
One of the ways Velasco receives his spiritual nourishment is from Sikh Dharma International, a religious organization established by Yogi Bhajan in the United States in the early 1970s.
“Sikh Dharma is a life philosophy and I live according to its rules,” he says. “I believe that religion is something that you live, not something you do on Sunday mornings. I have a daily meditation practice, which I now find myself doing for a specific reason. Mariza, who is living in Brazil, has cancer. We lived together for almost 30 years and raised three children. How can I not give her some kind of support? This is why I meditate daily for her healing.
Another way Velasco gains spiritual nourishment is through singing and playing the music of his culture. While living in London, he hooked up with a Brazilian music group, later doing the same in Guadalajara. “Music has always been a part of my life. It’s how I express myself,” he says.
In Guadalajara, he joined some musicians and formed the group, Beleza Pura, performing Brazilian rhythms in venues throughout the city.
He also helped organize three performances of Brazilian music when the Brazilian soccer team was staying in Guadalajara for a major competition. “It felt great entertaining the spectators, while showing off our culture through music.”
After moving to Ajijic, he formed the music group, Bossa Brazil, which performs occasional gigs around Lakeside.
Fast approaching 70, Velasco likens his good health and youthfulness not only to his spirituality and music, but to his lifestyle.
“Growing up in Brazil,” he says, “I abhorred meat but was forced to eat it because of my parents. I became a vegetarian in my late 20s because of my spiritual practice and also because of how we absorb toxins when eating meat. The way animals are reared, injected with antibiotics and killed provokes a surge of adrenaline that we ultimately absorb when we consume them.”
During the months he and Mariza lived on an organic farm in Wales, the director asked them if they would go to Mexico City to help out a yoga center that needed assistance while dealing with cancer. They took the offer, stayed for three years, then were off to Guadalajara to open a new yoga center.
Says Velasco: “We started the Guru Ram Das Ashram, in the Sikh Dharma tradition, where we taught yoga and ran a health food business, making bread, granola and producing a line of supplements. All the while, I was working on my Spanish.”
During his 18 years living in Guadalajara, Velasco owned four health food stores, all called Prasad. The name is Sanskrit, meaning “blessing” or “gift,” and is usually applied to free meals given after dharma ceremonies.
Says Velasco: “I ended up closing two of the stores and keeping the other two when Mariza and I split up. When someone offered me a partnership in a store in Ajijic, I decided it was a good idea since I spoke some English and could relate to the expats.” He closed his stores in 2001 and set off for Ajijic.
Some time later, while visiting Mexico City, Velasco met Cecilia Rodriguez, now his wife of 15 years. “When Cecilia isn’t working as a wine specialist she gives me a hand in the store,” he says.
Moving to Ajijic and running a health food store, Velasco realized how he could continue to live a healthy lifestyle. “Living in Ajijic is the closest one can get to living in paradise,” he says. “It’s beautiful here. I love hiking in the hills and breathing the fresh air.”
For Velasco, his health food store isn’t just a business, it’s also a means of helping others. “I get to give advice and relate to expats who come from a variety of cultures, which enhances my growth as a human being.”
Aside from some common aging issues, like occasional joint pain, Velasco is feeling quite healthy at this stage of his life. “My mental facilities are good, although I admit I’m more forgetful these days. I take supplements to deal with physical issues and illnesses. I’d rather boost my immune system with supplements before having to deal with some kind of virus.”
Prasad: Carretera Oriente 117-B, Ajijic; (376) 766-0006.
CORRECTION
Due to a computer glitch, an error crept into the opening paragraph of Carol Kaufman’s story last week on the Ajijic Book Club. It should have read: John Stokdijk has been a fan of nonfiction ever since he was a teenager living in Calgary, Alberta. Being the kind of person who tends to be involved with and contribute to the community that he lives in, Stokdijk created the Ajijic Book Club a few years after he and his wife, Patricia, retired to Lakeside in 2012. “At last I could make a contribution to the community and do something that no one has done before in Ajijic.” he says.