Every Teardrop is a Waterfall @Nature
Yosemite National Park. Four Mile Trail; 10 miles.
Nature has a way of seducing into emotional, spiritual and physical territory that goes beyond the normal. There is something about the experiences in the wilderness that enable us to tap into deeper areas of consciousness that typically lie behind what is known. It is not just about walking new landscapes, but also about exploring those landscapes within ourselves.
“Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”. I start to picture myself as a waterfall. Tears come down and start flowing in the creek. The creek flows downhill, and likewise my tears move through my face. I notice that they do not go in a straight line; they are trying to find a detour. Just like the water in the creek, the rocks lead the water to different directions.
“Life doesn’t flow backwards”
I embrace the connectedness of my emotional, spiritual, and physical sensations. I am crying because I am getting in touch with my feelings. I am crying because I try to recreate the imposing waterfall that is in front of me. I am crying because nature has a way of letting me be present. I am crying because I am trying to restore my equilibrium. I am crying because I am physically exhausted. I am crying because I am facing a waterfall of emotions. I am crying because I am here.
Iceland. First Solo Trip, September 2019.
I was crying in public.
Are you okay? He asked.
Freedom from a number of emotional restraints, I responded.
“Run wild and free like a waterfall”
Nature makes me cry. Nature helps me cope. Nature encourages me to disconnect to connect. Nature displays a different reality. I cry because I see the waterfall cry. I cry because I feel alive. I cry because I am cleaning my eyes. I cry because I am crying.
Physical vulnerability leads to emotional vulnerability. That time when the waterfall was full of water… The breath in the environment, the sound of the rushing creek and the rainbow standing along the way captivated me. I appraised the waterfall as vulnerable, showing me, and us, its surprises.
“As long as I live, I’ll hear waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can”
- John Muir.
@North Cascades National Park.
