Summer Rituals

Summer is here! The "farewell to spring" clarkia wildflowers are in full bloom, temperatures are rising, and the Merced river is running beautifully with snowmelt from the High Sierra. For Balanced Rock this is a special time of excitement as we prepare to shift our focus from yoga in the foothills to backpacking and practicing in the subalpine landscapes of Yosemite. One of my favorite summer rituals discovered through Balanced Rock is writing a letter to myself. Every Balanced Rock course shares this powerful activity in a facilitated fashion. After spending a few days out in the wilderness reconnecting with our true nature we are ripe for clarity and, as my British husband says; "having a word with ourselves". We all take a few hours to be silent and reflect, writing or drawing whatever comes to us and sealing it in a self-addressed envelope. Six to twelve months later Balanced Rock sends out the precious letter and it arrives at your home. Each and every one of the letters I've received from myself has been a gift. An encouragement and a reminder of the freedom and power I feel when out in the wilderness.I'm honored to share a poem that recently arrived in my mailbox, which I wrote to myself last year near Ten Lakes. It is a reflection of who I am in connection to the earth. I hope you enjoy it, and that it inspires you to join us in transformative inner work this year in Yosemite's wilderness! *Kanistha mudra is a hand gesture that deepens our sense of embodiment and connection to the Earth.  It activates the qualities of stability, firmness and support. You can try it along with the words; the Living Earth pulses within my being, infusing me with all of its essential qualities. (Reference: Mudras for Healing and Transformation by Joseph and Lilian LePage). 

The Living Earth pulses within my being, infusing me with all of its essential qualities.

Written by Paula Wild