The blossom is in the shedding -Naomi

After morning yoga on the upper deck our group, ages 13-63, enjoyed communal breakfast on the patio with mountain side views like this:

We climbed again today, our longest and toughest day thus far. Reaching 8819 feet above sea level by 10am, we climbed thousands of granite steps and eight miles of trails meandering through mysterious jungle with tufts of grass and wild bee colonies clinging to precarious cliffs and an expansive, gorgeous, magical rhododendron forest that rained pink, purple, and crimson flowers across the trails in a cheerful welcome. Even their peeling bark looked like shedding blossoms. Little did I know how auspicious this would be today.

Rhodies lean over the cliffs pointing to the vastness of the earth. There is so much out there for you. Let your worries catch the breeze like the prayer flags and float away, never to reach my heart again. Prayer flags tattered from letting go and letting the energy pass through to beyond, just keep letting go over and over.

After two days of trekking, today’s morning climb was so tough it broke my sturdy emotional fortress by noon. I had no strength left to hold my armor and filters in place. The blessing was being alone for the first time in days and reaching a magical spot in the rhododendron forest that begged me to let go and held me while a whole lot of emotional sewerage came pouring forth.

By the time I reached our lunch spot, I shared my breakthrough and my friends held me in a group ohm hug that was beautifully nurturing and supportive (I highly recommend this!) I felt lighter, freer and happier. These mountains have what is considered masculine energy and contain the safety to spill emotions. I’m finding them healing and freeing. It was also a full moon. How perfect.

We were all grateful for the intense heat of a woodstove in the dining room at tonight’s guesthouse, the Sunny Hotel in Ghorepani, to warm our boots and bones, socks and towels. As is typical here, there is no heat in the rooms but we got a rare hot shower! It was a great way to wash away the day’s work. Timing is everything.

We totaled eight and a half miles of stairs and trails, and a final stop at nearly 10,000 feet of elevation.

Here’s what I learned:

It’s ok to rest and survey the landscape but then just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Baby steps.

Sometimes feelings are best reached through the body not the head. I’m sure there’s an easier way to do that than trekking the Himalayas but it’s a start. Move the body not just for health but for mental clarity. I knew this adventure would offer a gift of some kind; little did I know how epic it would be. Travel can be wonderfully spiritual and healing if you’re open to it.

May you find a gift in your adventures and every day life and be open to receiving it.

Love, Wen