Snowshoeing

It has snowed in Vancouver. Not just at the alpine level, but in the city, and it is sticking to the ground like it means to stay. I love it. I spent many years in winter, cold extreme weather with white surrounding 6 months on. I am happy to see a bit of the spirit on the ground, it is restful to me, and nourishing.

And with that, we were off to the mountain. The gondola ride was breathtaking, the small trees underneath in cabled patterns, the city stretching away. Of course we were hungry at the top, and I was confused with the wind blowing snow up my nose and in my eyes. Finally strapped in, we headed off for adventure. We caught up with a tour group, and were introduced to the long house, the totem pole, the eagle, the bear.






The bear is the physical guide for the First Nation people; it is he who guides them through the forest, showing edibles, shelter, water. The eagle is the spiritual guide, the one who is looked to in the sky for guidance. The totem is usually filled from top to bottom with figures tellinga story, but this pole was carved with a long space in between the two figures. It is meant to signify that today we are too busy to unite the chores of everyday with the enlightment of the spirit. It was an unexpected joy to have this shared at the top of a mountain.




And along we went. Snowshoeing is great fun, running down the hills with snow flying up behind, hiking up huge mounds of untracked snow, the slim frame supporting you. Accessible to anyone able to walk, and more so if you add poles and maybe a wee bit of brandy ... ;)

The horoscope says 'become a master' ...

so we study ...
InDesign CS

THE SPEAKING TREE: Material Success and Principles of Yoga

The purpose of practising the principles of yoga is to raise one's consciousness to the highest state of self-realisation. Yoga gives the "how to" of the spiritual path, through withdrawing one's consciousness from the body and centring it in the spine.

Many obstacles confront you as you make this inward journey. The first is the fact that human understanding is limited to the information it receives from the senses — of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Next, our understanding is limited by the way we use reason to process that information.

We have, in fact, entered a house of mirrors. Everything we see and experience in the world is only a reflection of our own awareness. Happiness, which everyone craves, is reflected to us from the surrounding world, what we project outwardly from our centre. If we lack inner joy, we will find not a hint of it outside. Happy melodies pluck at our heart strings, but sound faint and elusive; we can enjoy them fully only when we realise that the source of happy melodies is inside of us.