At The Top Of Your Mountain...
'This is on the house' our host in the taverna by the sea said, as he arrived flourishing three baclava....!
'My favourite' I exclaimed, delightedly!
'What is it?' Pru asked... 'A traditional Greek sweet thing that goes well with coffee', I explained to her...
It was the perfect end, to the perfect 'post Pantokrator' meal...
Pru loves to ski down mountains, fast, fast, fast and faster still.... Going up the side of them however, is way out of her comfort zone...!
One of our 'missions' this week, is to explore comfort zones... To expand them and stretch them, rather than go way beyond them, and then spring back to their safety, having had a horrible time out of them...
As we clambered up the steep rocky path, I suggested Pru look just in front of her. It can be easier to stay in the step this way, and the next, and the next, and then find that the mountain allows us up its side...
Over lunch we were talking about how there is no such thing as conquering a mountain... If the mountain deems you fit it allows you up..!
Pru and I were exploring the mountain as a metaphor for big challenges... How important it is to look to the peak, to see the destination, survey the road ahead, and notice the steep climbs, the rocky road, the work needed to reach the top... To then trust in the step, and to trust yourself...
To stretch the comfort zone and to do something that previously seemed impossible, or not something to even consider, is to set off and stay at a pace that is manageable... To take breaks when necessary, to stay just 'this side' of comfort on the road, and discover two and a half hours later that a seemingly impossible and improbable outcome has occurred...
You are at the top of your mountain...!.
The comfort zone has been expanded, by staying within it on the way...
No push needed, simply trust of the step, and trust of self, and an intention to reach the top....
As we journeyed I told Pru the story of when I cycling round the marmotte route for a 'day out'. The route is a famous cycle race in France, and takes in some of the famous peaks cycled in the Tour de France... completely opposite to Pru, I am very happy going up hill, cycling up a mountain side for three hours did not phase me, but going down the other side was utterly terrifying...!
'Just imagine how amazing a hybrid of me and you would be' Pru laughed....!
We reached the top of the world and wandered around the monastery, our pilgrimage complete. Pru had done something no one might have expected she would choose to do, herself included...!
We can always do more than we think we can, and we can rewrite our stories at any moment. We can turn the page and write something different than has been written before, and most importantly we can make the story up as we desire and do it our way...
Later...
After we had returned 'home' to Stefanos Place from our delicious lunch in our taverna by the sea where we are now already 'regulars', we agreed to shower, re-group and meet in the terrace and then do some chanting together...
We decided on Pru's room for our chant session as the plan was for me to do some hands on healing with her immediately afterwards...
We made a small circle with three chairs, and then Anadi, our chant leader, suggested we put out bare feet in the floor to ground us, our hands on our lap however we wanted, and to keep our backs straight....
He said he would herald the chakra, it's colour and its sound...
We closed our eyes, did a few relaxing breaths and then we begun...
We chanted three times for each chakra all the way up, base, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown where we rested quietly for a few minutes and then worked our way back, all the way down....
The sounds we made met, and and swirled together as one, particularly when we reached the heart chakra... From then on the energy and vibration resonated all around and within us, and we were the sound.
When the last chant had reverberated, and we were sitting in stillness and silence, we slowly opened our eyes and smiled at one another. We then exclaimed at the resonance and connection....
Anadi asked us if there was anything we wanted to share, we sat quietly for a little while more...
'I saw white pulsing light...' Pru said.
