Where Did This All Begin?

When I was a child around 4 years old, I had a mystical experience. Today we'd call it a moment of enlightenment but children are pretty "light" already. It must have been summer, as the two big maple trees in the front yard were full of large green leaves and it was warm when I made my way outside early that morning, my family still sleeping inside.

As I looked up into the patterns of light and green made by overlapping leaves, a ray of sunlight broke through filling my body with light and ecstasy...

In that moment, I was One with everyone and everything in the world and beyond. Precious little I knew about the universe but I saw it. I felt my connection to my favorite little apple tree leaning heavily in the corner of our neighbor's field... and I deeply sensed no matter what happened in my life I would always be taken care of. As I look back on it now, it was a sense of the continuum of life. Such a beautiful sensation, I wanted to feel like that forever and as I wrapped my arms around myself trying to hold on to it... the feeling slipped away... just like that.

No matter how hard I danced on the dark side early in life, or how lost I became later in life, I always believed in my basic goodness and connection, not only to everyone and everything, but to something much greater and more enduring than life itself. For years, other than spending time in nature, I didn't try or know how to cultivate that love and connection.... But now I do.

I have so much respect and gratitude for the healing powers of Mother Earth, the power of intention and the transformational co-creative practices of qigong, yoga, meditation and a personal style of mindfulness all of which continually support me on a path of constant discovery... And, there's no turning back from here!