melding

it has been a whirlwind past two weeks with a trip to Ben Lomond, CA for an Integrative Intentions comprehensive (say that three times), and then on to my daughter's in Kirkland, WA. i paddled the first day in Santa Cruz from the wharf. the outfitter met me there and after learning that i wasn't completely new to kayaking gave me a composite 16' boat and gear and sent me off to the kelp beds to play with the sea otters and lions. the 10' swells were gentle and watching the surfers jumping off the cliffs into the 15' breakers was enjoyable. working at Sequoia Retreat Center in Ben Lomond was exciting. we spent the days with clients, in the lodge overlooking the valley through the 100' tall trees, and reveled in the overwhelming quiet and peacefulness. i managed to get up each morning and hike the trails and just absorb the energy that was there. at times i felt like i was part of the forest and not just an observer.

in therapy we say that blending energies with clients can be called "melding" and at times it is difficult to determine where you leave off and they begin, and vice versa. in life we often come to that boundary where we lose touch with "me" and find the "we" that is so important for understanding problems.

just this week i had the opportunity to take someone back to a time in her life, when everything was right, when everything was warm and wonderful. it had been so long, and the emotional disconnect so strong, that she was unable to see herself as happy and healthy today. finding the point of trauma, emotionally, she found a solution to the problem and came back to the present without the negative impact. just as in a book where the hero dies in the first chapter, the hero of her life had left early. she had come forward without the positive experience she needed to be in control. once she determined what needed to occur to resolve the emotion she felt a rush of energy and peacefulness previously not held. she walked away with the knowledge that life could be the way she scripted it and not the way she had been headed. i am amazed constantly how talented people are at solving conflicts in their lives. in melding with them during treatment it is possible to experience a bit of that emotion and come to understand what they have gone through.

after Ben Lomond i traveled on to the "city by the bay", San Francisco, and then on to Seattle. Calliope lives a mile from beautiful Lake Washington, that separates Kirkland from the city. getting up each morning to walk around town let me have time to commune with the ducks and enjoy the calm water and meditative time. the lake would be another prime area to paddle and i look forward to another time when there is more opportunity to explore. the time with my daughter was short but being able to celebrate her birthday early was good. we even took a day to travel to the wine country for a tasting and new experiences; melding in our own ways.....

if we only take time to understand the synchronicity of our energetic waves we can be like the lake on a calm day and meld with the pathway found inside each and everyone of us.