into the wild

starting off a new year entails a certain cleansing ritual physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. after a hiatus from blogging, involving renewing family activities over the holidays, i am ready to begin a new chapter in this life accounting. in ayurvedic medicine they acknowledge the need to rid the body of old impurities and resolve long accumulations, that clog the flow of knowledge in the body. with every change of seasons we move to another type of body, and the doshas or imbalances that occur due to current conditions. with winter Vata cold the dryness creates amas or stiffness that requires balancing. with an increase in air and ether, the earth elements, movement is accentuated and a departure from grounding occurs. i´m ready for stability as a prelude to flight. this year will entail travel to distant lands, both in geography and attitude. i returned to swimming this morning and will try to make good use of my renewed membership in the local recreation center....... but i'd rather swim with the dolphins in warmer climes than the early morning crowd.


the year was ushered in with wonderful exercise and friends and family. my daughter and granddaughter from virgina shared the Christmas holiday, and my youngest daughter and nathan, from seattle, stayed until after new year´s day. it was so great to have their energy and smiling faces in our midst, and to have the time just to talk and share. i look forward to the next opportunity to renew ties. new year´s day i paddled with friends at saylorville, on the des moines river below the dam, and even got interviewed for a dsm register article about crazy kayakers in cold weather. afterwards we had lunch together and then traveled to red rock lake to paddle below the dam. on our journey we took time to visit the abandoned bus that took us "into the wild".......... the land of laughter and imagination. how healing is the time spent just absorbing nature and melding into the energy of our surroundings.......




they say that "you never step into the same river twice" and each new year reveals another part of that flow that you've never seen; so i look forward to new journeys, adventures, experiences, lessons, and above all friends (even if they are changing too).

in this new year please know that i have appreciated all the knowledge, caring and love that has accompanied me as the flow takes me on The Way........

looking over the shoulder

at the end of this tumultuous year, with so much to think about, i have to stop and give praise for all the blessings i've experienced. now that our lake is frozen and we're confined to the river i have had to shift my focus to the movement of life. last weekend we paddled to the Dollar Bridge from the dam and the wind was stronger than the current. so much to consider when life takes the same course. i remember the headwinds Katie Lindquist, my rider in RAAM 2001, encountered on the high plains of Colorado. When every other factor weighed in, a twenty mph headwind was enough to call it quits. on most other days it probably wouldn't have fazed her. on our Des Moines River a headwind doesn't seem too difficult most days, but on Lake Superior it was enough to keep us bivouac'd on the rocks all day. how often does one small detail become the deciding factor in everything we do?

our history defines us in so many ways, and often limits us by our hesitations and indecisions; yet, it allows us the freedom to soar with the eagles on that one occasion when we stop fighting the current.

"The man who is swimming against the stream knows the strength of it" - Woodrow Wilson

in a year when the economy has redefined all of us, there is time to rededicate ourselves to understanding that we have the power to survive any test of will, and the determination to turn and go with the flow. To make our Way easier we simply have to turn and absorb the energy that is needed to reach our goal. no obstacle will sweep us away or turn us under if we have the flexibility to bend with the pressure, and not break. for all the mistakes, for all the wrong turns, for all the indecisions......... i give thanks for the ability to learn, and keep on paddling.......

thanks to all those that have helped me on my journey in this past year. i look forward to exploring new destinations, new sunrises, and new sunsets.

finding The Way

at the end of a busy year i harken back to exciting moments and warm consistencies. when the weather becomes dark and cold it is comforting to think about all the blessings of the past twelve months and all those that have made it special: family and friends. it is too easy to just live out the daily existence and see tomorrows turning into todays, and todays turning into yesterdays: í framtiðin, í dag, í gær.... or some semblance of this difficult language (icelandic/islensku) that occupies my desire to learn.

there are so many wise individuals to draw from when discussing the concept of "the Way" and i'll include a few of my favorite quotes. this has been a central theme of my writings so i'll just continue to explore what some would focus on, "i am the Light and the Way".

“God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the Way.”

-author unknown

“Determine that the thing can and shall be done, and then we shall find the Way.”
-Abraham Lincoln

“The Way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise, they are free from perplexities; and bold, they are free from fear.”
-Confuscius

“Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life, not so much by what happens to you as by the Way your mind looks at what happens.”-Kahlil Gibran

to be proactive is to use an old football idiom that says, "a strong offense is your best defense". as i mentioned last, to overcome adversity with positive nature is the best medicine. i revel in the joy that comes with each morning and the possibilities for everyone to live life to the fullest with expectations of great things. what a wonderful time in our existence when we can at least believe that we make a difference in this world.

may you all, at this joyous holiday time, be free of anxieties, perplexities, and fear! God bless us everyone!

compassionate thanks giving

“The Way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful.”

I decided that my being should be dedicated to something useful for others. One of my favourite prayers says "So long as space remains.. So long as sentient beings suffer and remain.. I will remain in order to serve". This gives me a lot of comfort. This is the meaning of my life. Tenzin Gyatso, The 14th Dalai Lama quotes (Dalai Lama, b.1935)

“As long as space abides and as long as the world abides, so long may I abide, destroying the sufferings of the world.”

-Buddhist scripture, Santideva

at a time of thanksgiving we are able to refocus on purpose and understand that each of us has been given a chance, in this world, to make a difference for someone. in Buddhist teachings we are told that eliminating suffering is the highest element. i am so thankful to work in the healing arts and have exposure to so many fantastic individuals, that amaze and inspire me every day.

just yesterday i asked a woman when she last felt wonderful, full of life, and free from pain. she went back in time to her childhood when the love of parents and friends was unconditional and fulfilling. with that love as a Light she was able to safely identify the emotion that walled off the area of pain, the darkness, and understand where it started - and what she needed to do to be free from the pain it caused. forgiveness is just one of many solutions we draw from in the healing process, but a powerful solution to powerful negative emotions. she visualized the frustration and anger burning up in a fire and then filled the painful area with Light. she left painfree and for the first time felt in control of her body, and her life.

Motivation by pure altruism striving to eliminate the suffering of everyone; this is the fullest expansion consciousness is capable of, expressed as the complete perfection of wisdom and (this is crucial) compassion.

let us all, in the approaching holiday season, remember to include compassion for those less fortunate, and understanding for those that struggle. let us include unconditional love and caring in all our relationships and as was once said, "keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer".

birth days

Barack Obama, our next president, had to contend with his past in getting to his future. unless you lived in the sixties and seventies you wouldn't understand the time of turmoil and unrest that marked the changes that took place. in 59 years i've been privileged to see many things, and although i've not witnessed a fraction of what my father has experienced, i've lived a full life too. we often look at birthdays with skepticism and dread, forgetting that it is the opportunity we are given to "get things right", to find our Path. birthdays should be the biggest holiday of the year! in ayurvedic philosophy the birthday is a very auspicious occasion, to be honored for all the potentiality that it holds. remember, in Taoist teachings, that life is about self-discovery.

i draw from the wisdom of the ages and remember the quote from the Greeks that said, in death, they did not eulogize a person but rather were found to ask, "did he have passion?" with each passing year i realize that the abilities we gain through experience free us from bonds placed upon us by past emotions and problems. in life we have just four things it is said: problems, causes, lessons to be learned, and resolution of our problems. so far i've come up with a list of problems in my life and a few causes, but am still waiting for knowledge of the lessons.....

without botching the spelling in Sanscrit for phrases i'll just say that they spoke of the knower, the knowing and the known........ that process of acquiring knowledge is integral to progressing through life and moving on to a higher level. i am learning more about passion, not so much the physical, but the spiritual. i am not sure that enlightenment is in my cards but achieving a view from a higher level must be like the feeling i felt on top of the highest mountain peak in the range, when nothing within eyesight was higher than me...... i included a picture in a previous blog of that mountain and keep it in my mind's eye for inspiration.

so for any of you experiencing a birthday, remember that each day is a celebration of your birth and suitable for celebrating. i hope you too will find your passion.

obamarama - a celebration

"When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations..... The artist becomes the last champion of the individual mind and sensibility against an intrusive society....."

--John F. Kennedy

it was poetic to watch the resurgence of grass roots political involvement and the inclusion of so many young people in the recent presidential campaign. it is wonderful to know that there is a stimulus for change and a HOPE for peace in this crazy world. it will be a very difficult struggle to turn around our economy and image in the world, but by eliminating the onerous words other would use, like "fight", and substituting words like "peace" then "Yes We Can"........ i won't be so naive as to think that it will be easy, but everything worth having is worth the effort.

at a time when Al Franken is still waiting on the last votes he needs to win his race we understand that every vote indeed makes a difference and apathy can turn the course of history as quickly as action........ an undercount of 10,000 votes in Mountain Iron may be the deciding turning point in his campaign.

here in Iowa we have decided that the "Kayakers for Obama" were the turning point in the election. a group so rooted in the environment and so concerned with water quality, we went the extra mile and put our energy into creating a healing place for everyone to reach out to others for the greater good. in his book, "The Hundredth Monkey" Ken Keyes Jr. (http://www.sfheart.com/hundredth_monkey.html) proved that the collective consciousness really does matter, and can change the course of history. when we come together in a common cause, with pure intent, our energy is transmitted across continents and can shape thinking in ways we never imagined.

never think that you are insignificant...... your opinions do matter and your actions do count!

noche de las brujas

all hallows eve or hallowe'en has always been a national holiday at our house, but is pre-empted this year by election activities. the "night of the witches" always had special meaning with our kids at home because it involved being someone different for one night. one special memory for me was the year i dressed up as a werewolf to hand out candy. with my dark beard (then) and a particularly scary wolf mask, a trench coat, and a black wide-brimmed hat i watched out the front door as two young boys approached our especially spooky house (we have three stories with a tower on top with a strobe warning those that chose to get too close). just as they got to the front porch i threw open the door and jumped out, and with a deep voice said, "what do you want?" knees shaking one boy looked up at me with wide eyes, pointing at his friend, and in an obviously scared tone said, "eat him!" i was at once caught in the middle of a difficult situation. my first action was to throw off my mask and assure them that i was not going to hurt them, then to offer as much candy as they would take. My second reaction, after making sure they were not scarred for life, was to quickly shut the door and roll on the floor laughing - not because i had scared them to the point of giving each other up to be eaten, but because the boy was so honest in his actions.
how many times have we passed on the opportunity to be honest and forthright because we were simply afraid.......... locked into behaviour patterns learned through years of conditioning and role-playing. not realizing what path is our "true path" takes us to many doors where the werewolves live and fear becomes our reality. in the celestine prophesy the insights learned follow a progression from recognizing coincidences to recognizing how others gain control by taking our energy - and therefore making us powerless to act.


Does this path we are meant to follow lead us to the Way? we learn our lessons and move to a higher level, free from fear and indecision - free from the paralysis of mind that engulfs us just when we come to the point of knowledge.


when you get to the door of knowledge, don't be scared - the old man with the wolf mask won't hurt you!