From Punk Rock to Ayurvedic cooking and Meditation Dieter Runge Shares the Passions that Make Him a Modern Renaissance Man

Dieter Runge Renaissance Man for a New Era

Dieter Runge is a man of many reincarnations. From being an activist in West-Germany’s counterculture, and an early punk rocker, Dieter landed in New York City in 1978. He lost no time joining a band, recording music and playing the legendary New York clubs, CBGB and Max’s living the life of an East Village rock’n’roller. It was in New York that Dieter began his Daoist studies with Mantak Chia and T.K. Shih. He has been living in Hawaii since 1990, where he currently makes art and music, teaches Tai Chi and yoga, in addition to cooking and sharing his knowledge about Ayurvedic food and lifestyle. Recently, Dieter took some time from his busy schedule to speak to HonoluluVibes:

Dieter Runge rides the wind and waves on his kite surfing rig in Kaialua Bay on Oahu. (Ronen Zilberman photo HonoluluVibes.com)

DP: Would you define yourself as a Renaissance man? You are multi-talented as a visual artist, musician, Tai chi master and teacher, Ayurvedic chef, and kitesurfer. Can you please tell our readers what led you to have a thirst for all these disciplines?

DR: Renaissance man, yes, you could say that. My thirst comes from the desire for multiple and deeper experiences. My mind has no limits and I certainly don’t follow any thoughts that it’s all downhill after a certain age. Basically, I have always followed my bliss, sometimes to the detriment of a stable career or financial wellbeing. I have much passion in my soul, so when I jump into any new project, I am all in and penetrate deep. Sailing, activism, music, tai chi, qigong, meditation, windsurfing, kitesurfing, art, yoga, Ayurveda, in that order, are the activities that I have spent my ’10 000’ hours. Nevertheless, despite this variety of skills, I am still finding out how to survive in this late-capitalist, competitive market place.

DP: Which of these do you love the most and feel you identify with and why?

That is funny. I most love what I am doing right now. There is no hierarchy. Every day I look forward to my pranayama, meditation, asanas, my daily morning practice. The practice itself is a joy and I reap the benefits on top of it. Afterward, I enjoy my breakfast, cooking, making art, teaching, and writing. If I go kitesurfing in the afternoon, I am equally fully engaged and fired up. I am what I do, but I am also much more. Let’s say I am the sum of all of those activities and also everything that I still hope to learn and experience. For instance, I am looking forward to learning how to kite on a foil. Another avenue I am hoping to explore is to open my channels furthermore, by exploring how to communicate telepathically or move in and out of different dimensions.

Dieter Runge sets up ingredients for teaching his online Ayurvedic cooking class. Students cook along with Dieter by video in his Kaneohe home. Photo Honolulu Vibes Ronen Zilberman

DP: What drew you to ayurvedic cooking and how do you feel that eating this type of food can keep one healthy?

DR: I had the desire to deepen my meditation practice after I finished graduate school. Through a friend, I met the vibrant Myra Lewin, a world-famous Ayurveda practitioner of 30 years and the founder of Hale Pule, the Yoga and Ayurveda training center in Kauai. My first silent retreat served only ayurvedic food and I could instantly see the potential of the practice, especially when combined with yoga. Ayurveda is the most ancient holistic system of health and well being. Originating in India over 5,000 years ago, in Sanskrit, Ayurveda means the science of life. It raises your consciousness about yourself, the connections between thoughts, emotions, and food. An ayurvedic diet aligns one in a balanced lifestyle where cravings fall by the wayside.

DP: What have been the benefits of a tai chi practice and how have you seen it benefit yourself and your students over the years?

DR: Originally, I desired to do research in tai chi and qigong as a graduate student, but the twists and turns of life led me to a Masters in Fine Arts in painting instead. Since January 1991 world-renowned Dong Zeng Chen has been my tai chi master. For years I took four classes a week from him, his son Alex Dong and his senior students, participated in many workshops on Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii Island, and traveled to China and Hong Kong with him. Since 1992 I have been teaching Tai Chi in Kailua and Kaneohe on Oahu’s windward side. As a practitioner of tai chi for 40 years, I feel that I am more flexible, relaxed, able to move with the least amount of effort needed. Tai chi engages the body as a whole, to go inside, to be calmer. It has always been good to me as I am not a particularly calm person and it has contributed to a knowing of oneself that comes from the deepest part of yourself. No reflection or explanation is necessary. When I first learned tai chi, I thought: “Wow, I have been looking for this my whole life.” Regarding my students, some have been practicing for more than 20 years and they too can move around freely, which becomes most important as we age.

Dieter Runge collects cooking ingredients from his home garden. (Photo Ronen Zilberman Honolulu Vibes)

DP: In this time of COVID-19 how have you been coping with the isolation and what advice can you give our readers about using any of your multi-talents to also guide them to a better place mentally during these times? It is proven that activity helps the mental state of mind.

DR: My cousin who is a Reiki Master introduced me to Spiritual Astrology. With the shutting down of the world as we knew it, I have thrown myself into this new expansion of consciousness, recalling the musical Hair with the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius. For the last few hundred years, energy has been ruled by Earth, focusing on materialism, exploiting earth’s resources, capitalism, competition, ruling world patriarchies. We are now moving into an era ruled by Air – more earth-friendly, artistic, spiritual, and creative energies, with a whole new set of belief systems and an expansion of consciousness that we can’t even imagine. We will not solve our problems with the tools we have now, but need to develop new approaches.

My understanding is that everyone has a soul plan and that everyone who is here on this planet is here on their own accord and leaves on their own accord. We are all on a spiritual path and have to be content with our progress or no progress. If we don’t want to be here, we leave. Of course, politics, corporations, much of the media wants us all to be in fear. That’s how we get manipulated. Don’t go for it. We are all micro co-creators of the universe.

You can train your thoughts, you can actually reach stages of no thought. How? Meditation is the central practice of all traditions. Asana, what most people know as yoga means seat and the area around where you’re sitting. It is designed to prepare your body for meditation. Pranayama exercises the breath and also prepares you for meditation. The breath is at the center of everything. It relates to your thoughts, emotions, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, sleep apnea, and more. Most of us breathe incorrectly. Slow down your breath whenever you can, develop your out-breath, notice the space between in and out-breath and let it linger. Anyone can do that. It’s a start. That is why I focus on teaching breath and stillness. Selflove is a practice. Do a body oil self-massage, every day. Take care of yourself. Nothing is more important. Follow emergency airplane procedure – put on your oxygen mask first, before helping others. I feel more connected to myself and people than before, and I can feel the broader consciousness expanding.

Dieter teaches classes in meditation and breathing from his home in Kaneohe. (Ronen Zilberman Honolulu Vibes)

In my cooking class, everyone cooks alone in their home kitchen. This is very empowering and the highest use of the online meeting platforms. Do I miss human touch? Yes, absolutely, but get in touch with yourself, touch your body, be sensual with yourself, allow yourself to be erotic.

In a nutshell, these are the greatest spiritual lessons that I have learned thus far. 1)You are the creator of your reality. 2)There is no blame. Don’t blame others and don’t blame yourself. If the world is always responsible for your misery then you can’t change. 3)Lastly, the cosmos is always in balance. For every Weinstein and Trump, there is a #metoo movement. Everything is as it is supposed to be. Are you going to put your energy into, “Oh, my freedom is threatened because I’m supposed to wear a mask? This is the reaction of a child who refuses to be toilet-trained. Instead, let’s think, “How can I serve the highest and greatest good for all?”

Under the post covid19 restrictions could we fall into a barbarian state of fascism and total surveillance? Absolutely. But let’s not say, this is what is going to happen. It is only one possibility of an infinite number of possibilities. Every event in a quantum universe is only one possible outcome and the way you perceive these events is of utmost importance. If the door to the outside closes, the door to the inside opens. Go inside, breathe softly and slowly and ask: Who am I? What do I really want?

Dieter Runge guides others in ayurvedic cooking via online classes where students cook along from their own kitchens. (Ronen Zilberman photo HonoluluVibes.com)

Covid19 has not curtailed Dieter and he is occupied with new projects. Every other Saturday, Dieter conducts an online Ayurvedic cooking class mentioned on his Instagram and FB accounts. Full of fun and laughter, participants from all over the country prepare the meals in their own kitchen while learning about the benefits of an Ayurvedic diet. On Sundays, he teaches a live class, Breath & Stillness, about traditional pranayama and meditation. It is followed by broad discussions such as quantum physics, dealing with stress and anxiety, tying in perfectly to the current state of affairs.

Links to learn more about Dieter Runge and how to participate in his classes:

dieterrunge.com
festivalofpatience.blogspot.com
soundcloud.com/dieterosten
youtube.com/results?search_query=dieterosten
facebook
instagram.com/dieter.runge

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by Dina Pinos

Dina Pinos is a Canadian-born Greek, former UH graduate student and EastWest Center grantee. Thriving world traveler, seeking to uncover passionate stories to share with and serve the community.