4.2018

Zion Nat'l Park, Columbine

rejuvenate

Rejuvenation at the Merced River

Four days in Yosemite–a marvelous treat. A time for savoring simple beauty; reveling in the warm sun and cool air; my heart filled with joy, in reverence of the new blooms and buds, the mating and nesting birds; and a wonderful gift of allowing my mind to quiet, to unplug, to breathe, to feel, to be.

Water brings to me a feeling of letting go, of liberation and rejuvenation. The Merced is a mighty river, wild and full this time of year, much of it moving swiftly and powerfully, a seething white water ribbon of unruliness. While I am indeed mesmerized by stunning force of this part of the river, I am drawn to the placid, glassy and calm flat water.  I sit quietly on a flat rock to evoke my favorite visualization: the metaphor of letting go. In the sitting and quieting, my heart opens to joy and gratitude as I contemplate the many aspects of richness that fill my day–love, learnings, givings, my work, connecting with others, nourishing food, comfortable home, taking care of myself… and, as it will, tougher feelings come up as well–hurt, anxiety, fear, anger… When these strong tougher feelings are clear to me, I “place” them on a leaf, ceremoniously giving them up and letting them go, then gently set the leaf on the water, watching it float away. I honor the feeling of lightness and expansiveness that floods into me then.

"With you guiding me through the HeartMatters program, I was able to achieve a level of physical fitness that made regular and focused exercise feel more like a natural part of my day. I had slipped into a malaise that meant exercise could be ‘put aside’ for work or other important activities. Getting past this is a subtle but powerful accomplishment.

I really enjoyed playing and exercising with you outdoors (my preferred MO for our time together). The joy you bring to your work is wonderful. This flexibility put a kind of structure into my day that helped me ‘choose’ again – showed me how to take back some control of my schedule for important things like meditation and exercise.  It was also part of my journey of re-learning how to say NO to things. This represents additional forward movement for me.

Thanks Robin – I have really benefited from your work in more ways than just the obvious fitter, leaner, stronger me."

---J.E., Northern California,  Communication Consultant

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