Soul Recognition – Breathe Deep 1

Imagine you spent your day out skiing in the alpine with your best friend and her lover. The previous day, you hauled delicious food, like minestrone and vegan, gluten-free chocolate cake, back along a creek in a valley and up a forested slope, about nine kilometers in and one thousand meters up. Step by step, breath by breath. You admired the rising moon over the mountains, almost full. You are in a national park in British Columbia, Canada, and your best friend has snatched the last three remaining spots in a small wooden cabin, high up in the alpine. You love this place. You came here together with friends three years ago. It was where you first kissed your previous partner, skinning up a glacier on a glorious day. Now you are back, in this magical alpine wonderland. Your friend’s lover is exhausted. You share the cabin with three sweet Scandinavians. Upon arrival, it turns out that the propane system of the cabin, which provides for heat, cooking and light, is not properly working. And so the team building begins, valves are being turned, propane tanks shoveled out (in this case, luckily there was not much snow), “Santa” Claude from the Alpine Club Canada in Canmore talks you through different steps, until you all together figure it out. There is warmth and food and light, almost three hours later. Together you enjoy delicious gourmet dinner, share stories, stretches and massages and then curl up into your sleeping bags. You get the sweet spot, the lower bunk of the bed, which is a little secluded in a corner. You like having your own space, if that can be considered as such, in a small alpine loft cabin, where there actually is only one room. The night is lit by the glowing moon. Snowy surfaces are drenched in reflecting silver. You are content. The last few weeks were rough. You got back to this small mountain town where your heart and soul feel so home. You were so happy, so sure, radiant. You were starting your own business, reconnecting with the land and community, teaching Yoga, dipping in the river daily, falling in love, and loving life. And then life shook the earth you were just rooting into. A significant inheritance you expected was delayed until spring. Something did not feel quite right for that man. Starting a flourishing business takes more than a few weeks. Ancient shadows were dancing with you, pulling you down and stretching you apart. You cried pretty much every day. It was dark, it was intense. Your powerful mind went down many rabbit holes, old stories, maybe not even yours. Stories of being too much and not good enough, of failing and disappointing. Walking across the bridge to and from your dipping spots, and hearing the sound of the train, brought in thoughts of how it would be to leave this body. And this time in the alpine, together with your best friend, offers a breath of fresh air, a deeply needed change of perspective.