The Journey
It wasn’t until I moved back to Toronto from living in the lush landscape of New Zealand that I realized how much I missed being able to step outside and be immersed in the awe-someness of the mountains, trees and ocean in every direction. There is something profound that happens whether in the quietness of a forest, in the depth of the ocean or with the stillness of a mountain. There is an unspoken conversation that happens cell to cell when rooted in an unwavering presence, held only by Nature. As a way of reconnecting, I began to study with Hirini Reedy, a Māori spiritual warrior philosopher of ancient Māori Pacific knowledge. Together we explored what he would refer to as the "Teachings of The Elemental Elders", the ancient wisdom of the mountains, rivers, forests, wind, stars and other nature ancestors.
“When working with the Elemental Elders, one is remembering the origins of our true being before we slowly descended down into our current state of humanity. So go beyond the barriers across our hearts and the borders around our beliefs and allow the Elemental Elders to remind you of your soul existence and your elemental origins so you can cease your human anxieties and take your first breath again as a Star Being.”
During my studies with Hirini I began meditating with each Elemental getting to know them in my own way and found myself taking life to the committee of Elementals. I started deepening my conversation with the wind, flowers, stars and trees by taking whatever challenge was arising and asking for guidance. It was my own little ‘ Surrender Experiment.’ What does this stone have to tell me about patience? What does the ocean want me to know about how to forgive this person I am really struggling with? Can I release my ‘trying to figure - it - out- ness’ and just very simply receive what the ancient wisdom of nature has to tell and show me. This relationship created a spiralling of creativity moving through me as well as a steady support system that I could tap into anyplace and anytime.