Today was my first trek to do Language of Light. I went up with my brother to Haleakala, the dormant volcano here on Maui. He hiked with me for awhile and then headed back so I could connect in solitude.
He snapped this picture without me knowing it and then sent it to me later. As I looked at this photo and the energetic light orbs that reflected around me from the glare of the sun on his iPhone camera, I could feel the anticipation, the wonder and maybe even a little fear and trepidation about my journey ahead. While I will be meeting friends along my path, I know a majority of it I will be alone. Alone physically, but never alone spiritually. I encountered Nenes, Hawai'i's indigenous endangered geese, and a lone white down feather on my path that reminded me my guides are near. I don't know exactly what this journey will entail, but I know it's powerfully important, both for myself and for the earth around me. As I walked alone, I could feel the weight of my technology. I was tempted to grab my phone to take pictures at every turn... another beautiful site, another beautiful scene. I indulged in a few picturesque shots and took some nice video as background for my Language of Light session I would be doing shortly. But, with every photo I snapped and every step I took with my phone in my pocket, I could feel the disconnect. Necklaces around my neck started pulling, even the hair tie and my hat started to feel like heavy constraints that were holding me back. “Free yourself Brian”. I heard the whisper. I ripped off my hair tie, pulled my hat off my head, lifted the necklaces from my body. If it weren't so chilly atop the volcano I would have pulled off my shirt as well. I could feel the heaviness of everything that was un-natural upon me. “Now sloooooow down...” the next whisper came. I was always used to hiking 'up to speed'. Whether it was for exercise, or 'cause we had a long hike and needed to keep a steady pace. I was so used to moving quickly there was just a natural fast pace to all my hiking. “Slooooow down....” the whisper came again. “Feel us... feel the wind, feel the earth, the trees, the plants. Move with us, not against us. Flow through us easily and we will support you, hold you, guide you on your way.” I slowed down. Almost to a stop. I allowed myself to feel the plants, and the rocks and the roots of the tree. “OooooH, this one is sooo beautiful. I need to take a pic. Just one, please just one.” I snapped a quick shot, but immediately felt the disconnect again.
I reached out my hand to the bulbous exposed root of the tree and just held it there. I could feel the heartbeat of the tree. I could feel the inner workings, the inner knowing, the EASE and SATISFACTION of it's immoveable life. For a moment I became one. I honored. I was honored. It was hard to step away from the satisfaction of that moment. The utter sense of calm, peace and knowing that tree had. A steady connection to the earth below, the sun and sky above, pulsing. A heartbeat. My heartbeat. Why hadn't I ever heard it before?