Welcome back to my Healing Motion Blog. If you read my last Blog post then please scroll down to the Chapter 9, Shoshone Point excerpt.
If you’re new to my Blog, please enjoy the full page:
I am continuing to enjoy the process of editing each chapter and flashback for my upcoming memoir, Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace.
Erin R Lund of Sunshine Editorial Services is currently hard at work brightening each paragraph. I am grateful to Erin for her professionalism, enthusiasm, and quick wit.
My initial editor was Angie Bihn. She had helped me to unbury my painful past while writing and editing. I have referred to Angie in previous blogs as my personal therapeutic archeologist. I am thankful to have Angie’s brilliance within the pages of Apple In My Truck.
Allow me to briefly explain my history with writing. One afternoon during elementary school recess, in 1978, my teacher kept me confined to the classroom while the other children got to play. Her reasoning was that I needed to learn how to NOT talk during the moment that she was attempting to perform the roll call duties.
My punishment was to stand in front of the chalkboard and write out, ‘I Will Not Talk In Class,’ one-hundred times. So you can imagine that I never really liked writing much when I was younger.
During 1993 through 2011 I worked in the emergency medical and fire service profession while living in Arizona. Patient documentation was a daily requirement. Therefore, while I worked for the fire service, the act of writing was never enjoyable.
However, in 2011, I discovered a Yoga Teacher Training program. It was my yoga teacher trainers who helped me to realize that yoga wasn’t only a physical practice. They’d taught me that yoga is about joining together or ‘yoking’ your mind, body and spirit. I’d learned how to connect to my higher Self mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
Today, I continue to practice the ancient teachings of yoga. Specially the teachings of an ancient sage known as Patanjali. He is famous for his teachings of the Yoga Sutras. The Eight-Limb Path of Yoga is embedded within the Yoga Sutras.
Svadhyaya (self-study, study of the Self, journaling) is the fourth tenant that resides underneath the second-limb or Niyamas, which inspired me to begin journaling or writing.
My yogic path of a daily Sadhana (practice) of the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga continues. I will be a forever student of yoga continually visiting the teachings of Patanjali to learn, explore and reach my own pathway to inner peace.
Below is a short excerpt from Chapter Nine, Shoshone Point, from Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace.
My hands had become hardened over the years of working in the fire service, but as I looked down at them, I was shocked to notice that my fingernails had grown over the last few weeks while having been assigned to light duty. I am glad my hands and nails will look clean for the wedding. I voiced my concerns to Peter about how slippery the hiking trail out to Shoshone Point could be for some of our guests. We decided to send a cautionary email to our thirty or so wedding guests: Shoshone Point can be slippery. Please consider wearing non-slippery shoes for our ceremony.
Even though the temperature in Phoenix during the day was still in the eighties, Fall had arrived. Peter and I packed up our truck and began the drive up north for our pre-wedding preparations. During the drive, we recounted the many experiences we had each had over the years of hiking and camping within the Grand Canyon. I daydreamed about how happy I was to be sitting next Peter, the man I would share the rest of my life with.
Once we arrived at our lodge I wanted to relax for a moment, but we both knew we had a lot of work to do. We lucked out by reserving the best room at the south rim, the Buckey O'Neill Cabin. We were informed by the front desk clerk that our room was the oldest-known structure still standing on the rim, and had been built in 1890 by the man himself. Buckey O’Neill had been a Captain in the army and one of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders.
That night, Peter and I hosted a cocktail party in our large cabin suite. I scanned the area around our cabin and hadn’t spotted my maid-of-honor, Joni. She had informed me of her hiking itinerary which included a hike rim-to-rim with a large group of friends on the day before our arrival. She had done rim-to-rim before, so I hadn’t been too worried about not hearing from her yet. Though as Peter opened up the first wine bottle and the sun dropped towards the West I mentioned, “I hope Joni isn’t having so much fun with her new hiking friends that she’s forgotten about us.” Suddenly, I recognized the laughter which came from behind me and as I turned around Joni’s smile lit up the doorway. She stood sporting colorful hiking sandals that matched her dress. That’s when Deanne, Jim’s wife stepped up and interrogated Joni on her yesterday's hiking adventure.
After our family and friends retired for the night, the wind whistled loudly through the pine trees. We were informed that the wind gusts could be up to fifty miles per hour on our wedding day. As I laid in the king size bed I told myself, No matter how strong the wind gusts are, I am going through with our wedding tomorrow. I slept soundly, letting the howling wind rock me to sleep.
When morning arrived, I was thrilled knowing that I would be married to my Prince Charming before most hikers could even hike to the bottom of the canyon. As Peter and I sat at a table for breakfast inside the Bright Angel Cafe, the waitress slowly poured coffee into our cups while the morning light poured over the horizon.
We planned to have our mountain bikes interwoven into our wedding ceremony since we had met on bicycles. At home, usually just before the end of our ride, we held hands. Happiness seemed to permeate our cells when we rode together, so we brought our mountain bikes with us, complete with vanity license plates that read Just and Married, not so much to ride, but as to get that perfect post-wedding photo.
Deanne stopped at our table. “You two look so completely happy. Do you have everything?” I moaned, “Gosh, I just hope that my mom and our other elderly guests will be able to safely get out onto the rock ledge for the ceremony.” Deanne smiled. “No worries. I’ll make sure Jim looks out and assists them.” I was comforted by her statement, while also knowing that Tony Joe would walk Mom out to a safe spot on the ledge. Before Deanne walked away, I thanked her again for the special bridal shower she had thrown me back in the city. I told her how much I had loved riding bikes with a few ladies while wearing a tiara and a cute blue t-shirt that read, Bride-to-Be. Su and Allie texted to remind me that they’d be stopping by our cabin soon to do my makeup and hair for our noon wedding.
An hour before our ceremony, Peter and I led a caravan of attendees along the East Rim Drive. We stopped between mileposts 244 and 245 at the trail entrance for Shoshone Point. The small parking lot near the road held a maximum of fifteen cars. When we had reserved this magical site last year, the park service had sent us a confirmation along with a code for opening its gate.
The actual site, Shoshone Point, was still about a mile down a dirt road. Peter’s family shuttled some guests in their van, while others picked the more energizing route of walking under the canopy of Ponderosa pines. Since we didn’t actually hire a professional photographer, we asked if each guest could send us their favorite photos from the shots they took. The wind continued to be fierce, yet I wasn’t afraid.
When the minster arrived, we all moved out toward the edge of the wide ledge. Tony Joe helped guide Mom out to the ledge while she clung tightly to his arm. Kim followed close behind with the other guests. Tony Joe repositioned himself and stood next to me out on the ledge. I sensed our guests liked the journey and adventure of choosing the best rock seat position for our ceremony.
Our minister, Mr. Suiton, was a veteran when it came to standing out on the ledge at Shoshone Point. One could tell just by his confident stance that this wasn’t his first wedding rodeo. As the guests sat on their unique sections of rock, the wedding party stood closer to the edge. Joni stood next to me while JI’m stood next to Peter, and Tony Joe held the ring. A hush sounded in the air until all we heard was the wildlife moving in the forest and grazing on its plants and bushes. I hoped to see a condor sail by in the ever-changing landscape.
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I hope you enjoyed this short sample of Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace. Stay tuned, as next week I’ll bring you another brief excerpt from my upcoming memoir.
To learn more about the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga please read my self-published fictional book, dYnO’s DaNcE, On The Eight-Limb Path.
dYnO’s DaNcE, On The Eight-Limb Path, is an imaginative tale liberally sprinkled with Patañjali’s spiritual teachings. This story offers a great pathway for you to connect with your inner child.
Find your copy online at:
Be A Flower,
Share your Beauty
Namaste
Alicia
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