Sunday, September 6, 2015

Blowin' in the Wind

I wake in the darkened room. The glowing clock on the nightstand tells me it's 5:14. I lie still, considering. Our bed is a soft nest, but with dawn arriving so early these last few months, it's been too long since I've seen the sky awash with color in those minutes before sunrise. Thirst for daybreak's blazing hues wins out over the possibility of more sleep. 

I rise, dress quickly, and step outside. It is darker than I expect. The mountains that form this bowl of a valley are massive black shapes against a sky that is only beginning to lighten. As I walk, I greet each of them in turn, these peaks that called me to this part of the world more than two decades ago. This practice, usually taking the form of an improvised song, has become a daily ritual, one that roots me deeply to this place.

The wind is strong this morning, urging me from behind to full aerobic velocity. In five minutes, I round the bend and hear the rush of snowmelt flowing through the sluice into the lake. I pass its mad tumble. Here, where no hills or trees obscure the eastern sky, I see cloud upon cloud, suggesting that those colors I've longed for will be muted at best. I am not disappointed. I know other gifts will come, as they always do if I'm open to receive.

I continue a brisk clip to the northern side of the lake. The wind has increased significantly amid such openness, and I know it will be fierce, indeed, when I reach the lake's far edge. Sure enough, when I arrive there, it has become a tempest, whipping hair and clothing with an intensity that could be deemed unpleasant. But I recognize the gift.

I stop, turn to face both water and the now~moist wind that surges over it. I plant my feet, raise my arms, and welcome the rush of clean, insistent air. I ask it to loosen and lift away all that no longer serves my life or the world. Fear, stinginess, meanness of spirit...I give it to the wind. That which keeps me small and blind to the pervasive beauty of the Divine...I give it to the wind. All that holds me back, causes me to be untrusting, unkind...I give it to the wind.

I begin to sense a lightening, an awakening. I am being blown and jostled into aliveness. After several minutes, my arms drop, and with a grateful heart, I retrace my steps. Again, I reach the sluice, but now climb down its rocky edge to sit among tall grasses.

Thoughts and rapidly beating heart gradually slow. My gaze moves from water to cattails to amethyst clouds, until my eyes, too, cease their movement. I am still and at peace, one being amid a vibrancy of living things. Sated and scoured clean by the freshening wind, I rise and turn toward home. My day has begun.

May we each find a way to welcome our own personal winds and may they blow us free of all we no longer need, all that keeps us separate from love. Amen

Leia Marie




7 comments:

Anonymous said...

How I wish I could experience such a cleansing. You are indeed lucky... Maybe sometime, I'll have the joy of releasing my "hold backs".
Bless you.

Unknown said...

Beautiful description of some precious moments. Makes me miss the wind....L

Leia Marie said...

Oh, goodie! Two comments to respond to…

First, to Anonymous…Your comment requires me to come clean about coming clean! It is a continual process of coming into relationship with this Life that flows through us, coming back again and again to what feels true, to what brings that feeling of aliveness. I think we each need to find our own way and, better yet, honor the ways we already have in place so we can engage more directly in those moments. So, we re~member and we forget, we let go and we gather up. It seems a never~ending process and it's lovely when we can support one another through it.

And to Linda's comment…When it blows, it blows and ya might as well go with it and turn it toward the good!

Thanks to both of you for reading and for writing!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the journey. It was delightful, invigorating, and inspiring. I miss hearing the way you look at life. Sometimes I get full of the day to day and forget to feel the journey. So thank you for sharing the peace and the reminder to "be".

Leia Marie said...

How sweet! And, my dear, we ALL get caught up in the day to day stuff and forget. This is why we need to help each other re~member. Thanks for reading and for writing. And you seem to know me personally, but I can't tell who you are. Send me a quick email if you read this!

Anonymous said...

We are blessed to be able to really be here in the moment with God's beautiful bounty of gardens and wildlife. The smells in this fresh air, the sounds of animals, the leaves rustling, water moving along it's path. Each day is a new journey, sometimes with a fork in the road which leads to another way to check your mind space. Focusing on the various positives and looking forward to the beauty of each passing moment can be a better experience for the relaxing at days end.

Leia Marie said...

Well said…and beautifully, too! Thank you for reading, for writing, and for being someone who sees it all.