Mountain Prayers

Namaste
I honor the place within you where the entire Universe resides; I honor the place within you of love, of light, of truth, of peace; I honor the place within you, where, when you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.
Namaste



There is only one path in and the same path out. For five days we followed each others footsteps up and into the Himalayas. To the highest elevation any of us had ever been, let alone walked into. My body was pushed to greater limits than I can conjure in recent memory. My sleep was heavy, relying on solar rhythms. I had time to think... a lot....about everything.... It seems like we don't give ourselves the chance often enough, to just be. To walk simply and leave the clutter of our minds behind on the trail.

For three days we walked up, into thinner air and more desolate plains. Every few hours we would come across a small teahouse where we would be welcomed in to have tea or a small bite and rest our weary feet. Catering to Trekkers is the main source of income for the people of the mountains. Often times if you eat both dinner and breakfast with them, you will be able to stay for free. Such is mountain hospitality - warm and beautiful. About mid-day on day three, we reached the pinnacle of our trek, a 4800 meter peak (14440 feet). I fell short by about 500 feet due to slight elevation sickness and a persistent head cold, but I feel nonetheless accomplished. It has only served as a model for what my body is capable of and of how much farther it can go. Waking up to the most stunning landscape out of our window we started our descent on day 4.

The following day we were back in the small town which began our journey, no worse for wear but not the same people we were at the start. Having space to breath, to consciously give thanks and praise to our bodies and our incredible earth and to let time slip into step with our feet, you cannot help but allow it to shift who you are inside.