In one of my most vivid dreams from childhood, I remember walking at nightfall in a great, dark forest – the kind with lots of water – dense pine needles and moss underfoot, huge, ancient pines and spacious canopies of deciduous trees draping their veils of leaves across the network of branches and roots below.
No fear. Just the sound of a distant stream, and the night breeze whispering its wisdom to the gently swaying branches.
Ahead of me, I could see tiny, white pebbles marking a path. And I went walking along this path, in the twilight and then in the darkness, following the invitation of the tiny, luminous stones.
At a recent Eponaquest workshop, one of the clients who had come to work with the horses likened the adventure of being wholeheartedly alive, to following a trail of tiny breadcrumbs – searching for the nourishment of body, mind, and soul.
When we follow our path, however inexplicable and perplexing it may seem to others, and even ourselves at times, we will find nourishment in unexpected places.
A friend appears, where we least expected to meet one.
A small, clay-colored dove thunders up out of the ashes, after the forest fire.
The kind gesture of one perfect stranger to another, seen from a cross the room, touches our soul.
We suddenly see the child, inside the man, and realize that we’re all sharing this life together, every single one of us.
Beyond our superficial differences, we are all walking the path of life’s mystery.
In Yoga, it is said we are all one – not in the sense that we’re all the same, but rather in the sharing of this underlying unity.
Each moment is precious.
I so appreciate the way that Yoga can enliven our senses, and expand the youthful vitality of the body. And I love the way that being around horses wakes us up to the immediacy, even the poetry, of the present moment. Both the experience of Yoga, and of working with horses, can connect us with the deeper, dreamlike world of our spirit, while asking us to stay conscious to the vivid delight of the moment.
Follow the path of the things you love, and you will find your way.
So may it be for you, and so may it be for me, and so may it be for all of us, wherever our paths may lead.
So grateful and glad that we’re on this journey together,
Namaste,
Erin