More than six years ago I was blessed to have my right leg work differently, slowing down my gait and throwing off my balance. A neurologist told me that I have MS. I believe it was the Universe telling me to stop rushing. Today, I am back to walking intentionally, staggering like a toddler and noticing things around me more than I did before my diagnosis. In short, I am happier.
My Wednesday mornings are reserved for meditation with a beloved friend out in nature. Our usual routine takes us to a picnic table in a grove at a park where we burn sage and bring out our crystals. The ritual is organic and intuitive. Last time, my friend was guided past the table, into the forest to a place where there was no trail. “I feel like we are meant to be near a fallen tree,” he said. He passed one and found another, and we both felt the connection that confirmed the right sacred space. I navigated the uneven ground, leaning on trees for balance, and just before I reached the fallen tree that he was sitting on, I slipped, landing on my back on the soft blanket of the forest floor, giggling. Uninjured, I stayed comfortably in that prone position, staring up into the canopy, watching the leaves fall from hundreds of feet above. We tried to catch them in mid air. Black birds by the hundreds flitted through the leaves. My friend asked me the most profound question then. “When was the last time you remember laying in the forest on your back like this?” I thought never, because there had previously been the worry of crawling bugs and snakes. Now there was only the awe of nature. But if I ever did this as a child, that memory had been wiped out of my brain. I let the bliss of integrating with my surroundings, the energy of life and my companion take over to accept the most healing I have ever experienced. We remained there for minutes, hours, I don’t know. Time became completely irrelevant.
We returned at dusk two days later. This time I sat on the log, marveling at the scene before me. My senses were heightened, the greens, yellows and browns brighter. The sounds were louder, squirrels shuffling, twigs snapping, the breathing of my companion beside me. We spoke little so we could hear the silent whispering of the woods. Words were not necessary. Until it was time to go. Before I stood up I softly spoke, “This is where I want to be when I transition.” It is such a sharp contrast from hospital beds, beeping monitors and wires. I want my spirit to blend into the trees and sky. He smiled. I am not ready now, too much to accomplish yet here in earth school, but it is nice to have the space reserved and friends who understand what it is like to immerse oneself in the forest.
FROM THE SANCTUARY
I fall more in love with Ohio every day. My new sanctuary space (aka my apartment) is coming along. I am accumulating more books for my library, and new friends continue to appear in my life. A strong message from my Angels is pointing me toward earning a PhD in Wisdom Studies at a nontraditional University. Introductory meetings with faculty, staff and teachers confirm that I am on the right academic path. Capture Life Writing is transmuting to Twelve Angels in website form. It is manifesting in physical form as a large brick and mortar structure on twelve acres of land as an offline resource center where connecting others to nature, their intuitive mode of self expression and each other is the top priority.
As always, stay tuned to your Angels and love each other. And feel the magic that lying down in the forest on your back brings,
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