"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." -Alan Alda
Eleven wildly wonderful days in Morocco! I woke in my own bed this morning but dreamed of the magic & wonder of this dazzling country. I said yes to this adventure more than a year ago. As the weeks until departure shrunk to just a few, I began to have such trepidation about going. Fear of leaving my kids, judgement from others for taking a trip of this sort, doubts that I could stretch myself in the ways a spiritual journey like this would demand, traveling alone back & forth, the physical demands on my body while still recovering from pneumonia..... Oh how the ego can spin wicked stories & a stir up a storm inside of your head real fast. I told my family & friends I had decided I wasn't going, it just wasn't good timing. I emailed the organizer of the retreat & said I couldn't go. Thank goodness for a steadfast sisterhood who showed me the way back to my heart, to my true nature, to my wildly wonderful intuition!
Morocco was all things! Chaos, bright lights, rumbling motors, languages & cultures colliding, bold colors, strange smells, sights that disturbed me...this was Marrakech at first glance. Through the softening into my true essence though, what I saw was the soulful eyes of these people, their hearts & generosity with each cup of tea I was offered. I delighted in the dazzling lights, dove right into the language & culture, tasted all things strange & new, saw beauty in that which disturbed me knowing it was life supporting to these loving people. I was able to feel the rich history of this city, to learn the stories that brought it to its vibrancy. I was able to feel my own heart beating again, to reclaim the vibrant parts of myself.
Then the extremes....the lush mountain valley communities & the harsh Sahara Desert. Physically, I was pushed by the many uneven footsteps climbing through ancient mountain cities, the effort it takes to walk just take a few steps on scorching hot sand, you feet sinking deep, the physical effort to pull them out & take the next step. The intense mid-day sun, and the untamed winds that come with sunset. But in the space of taking a deep breath & placing my hands upon these lands, the energetic connection to this place was undeniable. The energy was visible, the vibration felt right to my core, these lands are holy & sacred. I came to this place in devotion to living in full service of my wild heart & soul. I had fallen into a place of comfort that was honestly making me uncomfortable.
The spirited energy of Marrakech, the solemn soul of the Atlas mountains, & the revered ancestry of the desert were soul stretching. Circling with my sisters in these wildly wonderful places cracked my heart open wide. I arrived with no plan, was committed to being open & willing, gave myself permission to trust my divine intuition & was gifted with more than I could have dreamed. Sacred Sisterhood in Morocco brought me back home to myself.
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