I was tired, finally, lying on the ground, my head cradled by a piece of firewood, my hands rested on my abdomen. I stared at the nearly full moon through a heavy screen of deciduous trees. All the tree’s leaves had fallen, their black branches wove an intricate pattern. The pale, gray moon glowed with a steady light. A few clouds kept it company. I heard a few soft voices behind me, but my focus was fixed on the cool night air and the moon.
Those long minutes upon the ground let me completely unwind. They had the same effect that staring at the ocean waves has on me. I touch nature with my eyes and nature touches my heart, fills me with stillness and a calm joy as I realize that I too am part of nature.
This happened last night. I was steaming most likely too, cooling off before I returned to complete the sweat lodge ceremony. It is very poetic, this ceremony, for it distills events to their essence. Images of generations of native peoples float through my mind, through my understanding. I become a witness. A participant.
What did you witness today? Did you participate in something that touched you to your very core, even if only for the briefest of moments?
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