 |
| Reflections of the Pacific Northwest |
Sliding into the 104 degree hot tub, I marvel once again at
how wonderfully therapeutic this can feel.
As I ease back into the molded contours, my eyes contemplate the
breaking dawn sky, and a bald eagle flies overhead. Silently intent on the morning bite, they
glide down the valley from somewhere up river.
I’m almost jealous of this imagined dark green aerie deep in the Dosewallips
wilderness where they can escape to relative safety and solitude. Then I remember that I am here, in a pool of
hot water surrounded by the beauty of this arboretum, gazing into the eyes of
my beloved. Everything is great.
Later, hiking up Mt. Walker, I easily flow into my rambling
stream of consciousness mind state. I
realize I’m recalling one of the messages of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. To paraphrase: when you recognize that life
is flowing smoothly, this is an opportunity to develop further resilience and
flexibility, so the next time you’re challenged as a result of your lingering preconceived
impressions, you can make a less drastic course correction to return smoothly
to balance. I keep coming back to this
beginning yoga philosophy concept, because I think I’m really starting to
discover the benefits of recognizing, breath by breath, whether I’m living in
the present. The more often I realize
I’m feeling grateful and honor my gratitude practice, the easier it is for me
to stay in this all accepting frame of mind.
It’s a beautifully positive reaffirmation loop that feels serenely
exciting.
I’m still slipping a little into the past. It’s my joyful remembrances that I’ve been
meaning to record, and I’m getting them down now, so they may soon depart my still
amazingly elephantine brain. I realize I
also have the patchy selective memory of a voyaging sailor. Somehow, the sluggishly slow almost dark no
engine bucking the tide rocky channels fade into the background as the sunset
kissing picnic 9.6 knots in Lama Passage catching Coho while a humpback dives
below shine bright. I kept reams of
logistical notes, so my intention is to write a somewhat guide for northwest
coastal cruising, plus include entries from my personal journal revealing the wild
emotional state that is surprisingly calmed by wilderness. So far, I do feel lighter writing this story,
and I hope you will eventually enjoy reading about some adventures of Shilshole
liveaboards en route.
 |
| Bungee Jumping over the Simultaneous Climax cruiser sketch by Noj |
Sailing and yoga philosophy are actually quite similar. If attention wanders while you’re steering,
you may end up making a longer passage, or even worse, ending up on some rocks
or reef just because an earlier course correction wasn’t completed. If instead the driver knows position on the
chart, and follows the tell tails and steers to the wind and water, the boat and
crew may enjoy a comfortable and more efficient ride. Great sailors recognize that no matter how
many times they’ve been on the water, there is always more to learn, and the
conditions you’re presented with this moment will probably never be completely replicated,
but they will help you grow. That’s why
we practice. Both on the water and the
mat, the more you do it, the steadier you can keep your awareness on the task
at hand leading to a balanced boat and life.
So I practice, everyday. I
prepare, and I tune into my awareness.
Then I listen. So often, the
message is love, and that makes me feel so wonderful that I radiate this
powerful emotion back out into our universe.
I hope you feel it. Aloha.
