That is the word that I wanted to embody during my solo time in the desert. I wanted to be completely present to everything. In the moment. Alive. One with the land and my feelings and my body's messages and, well, everything.
That's a big order! But I knew no reason to limit the possibilities.
Before leaving for our solo time, we stood around the circle of rocks you see below, and we each said our word, giving voice to our intention. Then, one by one, we walked into the middle of the circle and received blessings from the guides.
May this woman be safe. May she recognize that she is one with all life. I wish I could have had a recording of all the sweet words that the guides said to me, words that gave me the strength and courage to carry me through the next three days.
But I guess the words don't matter. They did their job.
As I walked out of the circle, heading out to the place I had selected for my solo, I felt very alone, but I also had a sense of exhilaration. The sandstone and junipers seemed very alive, radiant, and welcoming. I was going home.
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Carol,
ReplyDeleteI just caught up with your wilderness series on google reader! maybe the scorpion was your sentry .. :)
This is a pretty brave thing to do in my opinion. I've slept in the open before but always with at least another person. I'm glad you got to go home, but I'm also glad you came home again too ..
I'm glad I didn't try to guess your word. It makes your word so much better. What an ninteresting process you've been through!
ReplyDeleteFoam, If that's the case, I'm happy that I didn't even consider killing him (who knows who might have come to his rescue?) and I'm glad that he allowed me safe entry.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that I came home again, too! But if I wouldn't have, I would have had some very wonderful last moments!
G.G.,
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's not a word that anyone would guess. I know, because I was trying to guess it while writing this post. I couldn't remember it and I had a hard time finding it my journal. Once I found it, a lot of things about my solo came back to me.