I am watching the Orcas Island Solstice Celebration dancers wrapping up their sweaty post parade performance, clinging to the last precious moments of the amazing beat the drummers are laying down…and have been laying down for the past hour or so. What has me in tears? Not just moved tears…SOBBING tears? Is it my deep love for the earth and being present to her honoring, knowing full well in my deepest core what she is up against at the moment? Yes, AND…THIS dancing is a celebration of being HUMAN on our earth. A celebration of our spirit…our elemental physicality. It’s not all tidy and wrapped up. No one here is wearing their Valentino pumps or has cell phone coverage (although I’m a great lover of these items). This moment encapsulates our pure human sensuality. It’s beautifully awe inspiring how we humans can embody celebration on this the longest day of the year. We get to dance with wild abandon. We get to swim naked on warm moonlit nights. We get to warm ourselves by fires, walk by pristine rivers and climb mountains by rushing waterfalls. This in turn, strengthens and opens us to do the work that is before us. As I look at the giant hand crafted “planet earth” that sits next to the stage, just beyond the stands brimming with farm fresh alive foods, amidst the wandering children dressed as fairies, I remember that indeed there is much before us. There is much that has been shattered that must be recreated somehow. Perhaps we celebrate, as we always have, to gain strength for the journey ahead?
Category: Island Retreats
Farewell to Home by the Sea: Spring 2008 Whidbey Island Retreats
Thank you to all who attended and contributed your mighty talents to the spring retreats. Together, we launched sparkling new projects. We smiled in recognition as we recounted our leadership stories of victory, defeat and yes, surrender. We created new visions while we sipped fine wine and savored dark chocolate. We cried, sighed, grieved, laughed and celebrated, A LOT. We drank muscular coffee and walked, piecing together what was trying to unfold. We embraced the chaos of change and courageously planned the next steps. We watched Tucker, the wonder dog, romp down the beach on moonlit nights breathing deeply the salty sea air. We did yoga together in the living room on sun drenched mornings after deep silent meditation. We watched the golden sun set as the eagles soared. As the tides ebbed and flowed, we found our Truth over and over again. When all was said and done, we did indeed shout YES… and then we crawled back into our soft feather beds and slept very, very well.