9000 ft & Where flowers grow in the wild...

Nor seeking approval, neither a disapproval hinders their growth and beauty.  

Silence of the mountains with soft pauses of the grass hoppers, hummingbirds and nature.  

Crunching gravel under each footstep.  

The echoing of the train horn, distant, urgent and surrounded by the strength of the mountain. 

A morning meditation, the eyes opening to the sparkling sun, rising from behind the mountain. 

The cool crisp air and the warmth of a yoga practice with a wonderful teacher, Margaret.  She creates space and shares her practice as she encourages each one to find the strength and their stillness.  Seek her at Mountain Moon Yoga in Winter Park, Colorado.  Her slogan is "Find your breath at 9000 feet".

And here in Fraser, Colorado are my hosts.  Gratitude to Jo Ann and Bob, as always they welcome me in their home.  

The afternoon spent with their neighbor, Diana who took us on a drive to the Arapahoe basin in the Rocky Mountains. Her red jeep and her driving. Both a reflection of her free spirit.  Diana and Jack are old timers here.  Skiers and bikers  and hikers.  Jack said he would teach me skiing should i return in the winter.

What a delightful afternoon!

What is a human

“This being human is a guest house. Every morning is a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness, some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor...Welcome and entertain them all. Treat each guest honorably. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.” 

― Rumi

Enroute

An early morning allowed me to view a spectacular sunrise.  I get those few moments to meditate.  

The back pack is my physical luggage.  I scan the long line of early morning travelers.  Each carrying or pulling their precious belongings. 

I wonder at myself and see the reflection of our preparedness.  We are evolved in to people who are always prepared.  Yet how much does that prepare us for the unexpected? Remind myself to continue to read "The Black Swan", by Nassim Taleb.

I arrive at Denver.  The airport terminals carry a certain energy.  They have the freshness of a unique architecture and the familiarity of known brands.   

Impermanence surfaces through each meeting and parting.  

Crowds blend into a river of people unless one pauses and wonder how alike we all are. Yet no two story really the same.  We can never truly feel what the other is feeling.   We do want to get closer to the feelings of the other.
Our filters are a mesh of our own experiences.

Compassion comes to mind.  We feed the concept of compassion.   

Wondering, and absorbing the energy of this city, state, I look up at a wall...this is the airport, and this is what I see...

This full moon in July twenty thirteen

.The sun sets on this day.  A full moon in Aquarius, reflecting the full energy of a Leo sun...

And I wonder, what a play of energy!

Through each pause in contemplation, I wondered! Full moon energy or is the energy of the sun as it enters Leo?  

Whatever the reasoning the mind and thoughts put to the feelings is a personal perspective.  Another thought to justify or understand the illusion of reality.  

No matter what I did, the energy felt like a lion wanting to roar.  Sometimes I challenged myself in balancing asanas keeping the focus on the chakras to sense which chakra was over and which under.  What were the blockages and where to balance.  The challenge kept bringing into awareness which Celestial bodies were aligning or playing with me, with the thoughts.     

I began to see why the Svadisthana was needing attention.   The balancing allowed me to get through most of the day.  Food helped in nurturing.  Peanut butter an old time favorite came to the rescue.  

The power of Manipura as the sun moved into Leo allowed me to keep working away at the list of tasks.  Will power was strong although focus was wavering.  Mercury, my birth planet, was going direct after three weeks of being retrograde.    

My heart listened to the favourite songs.   Music also expressed my Vishuddha, I sang and I danced, and I was open to connecting and communicating.  

The day ends by the water in Toronto, by a quiet spot of Sugar Beach.  I walk away from the crowds and the pink umbrellas; next to me the water is calm, a few runners in rhythm with my own breath.  I sit on the concrete.  The quietness of the soothing waves is exactly what my energy needs.  

The next few hours, days, as the moon starts to wane I am sure all the feelings too will ebb with the tides.   

Reassured that all felt was another expression of energetic processes called "me".   

It is the known "me", it knows no other.

All happens in a moment...

Lukas and Matthias -

Another warm day in Toronto.  I want to walk out to the grocery store to buy fresh kale.  For reason as simple as "it's cooler by the water", or "more shade along the way" or I did not want to walk the incline, I walk by the waterfront towards the store. 

A traveller intuitively recognizes another.  I notice two large walking backpacks; think to self: "and in this heat, oh wow".  

And so they turned out to be from Innsbruck in Austria.  Students in a Med School, first time backpacking in Canada.  

As I walked them towards the Queens Quay Terminal, through my scenic route,  going in an out of a building to take in the cool air conditioning.   

For me Austria and its wonderful memories came back.  

Mehru and Lisi, Almas, Elizabeth and Zohra, the wonderful times we shared in yoga and in laughter.   Sandra and Andre, who opened their home for yoga sessions, and their kitchen to nourish the body.   Irene and the slow cooking weekend spent with her in Schmiedleithen.  Listening to Jessie Ann, perform and share her life story. 

Yes and my yoga teachers - Scarlett and Raquel and of course Mark.  

The group that spent the four weeks together - Rosa, Linda, Nat, Mike and Dodo.   Of cool mornings meditating in the yoga barn, our delight when the rain stopped and we warmed ourselves in the sun rays.  Our outdoor sessions amongst sculptors and the many meals prepared and shared.  

The little pub in Bad Mittendorf where we went to connect our Internet and drank apple juice and tea.  The thoughtful owner who left the Internet on even on the day the pub was closed so we could sit outside on his chairs and use the connection.  

So Lukas and Matthias, don't thank me for spending the few minutes guiding you to your destination and giving you a quick overview of Toronto.   It is I who is grateful to you.    I am glad I took the detour, it only left me smiling at your enthusiasm and my memories.

Now I sit by the harbor to write, and relive some amazing life moments.   Make each of yours memorable and relive it with a smile.  

Safe travels.