Journey

Yesterday, I took a spontaneous trip to Columbia—my first non-medical visit since I moved. This year has been sh*t, physically and emotionally. When a moment of respite opened, allowing a trip home on the Full Moon, I was ecstatic. Last night, as I waited for the moon to rise, surrounded by the sounds of birds, frogs, and insects, something magical happened. I truly felt myself reconnect with the earth and return to my body in a way I haven’t experienced since before I moved. Watching for the moon and anticipating its arrival was a profound experience—she finally rose, red and bright. Howling at the moon with my friend Mary Ann (we’re both Sagittarians) brought me pure joy.

Today, I hiked my favorite trail, Shooting Star. My feet sank into the mud, and my soul embraced the forest that shaped me into a hiker. As I hiked, I saw my dogs, Tucker and Bebe, standing on the ridge, running alongside me. We hiked this trail almost daily. I could picture my children and feel the fear as they ventured close to the cliffs—I wasn’t yet a warrior in those days. Memories sprinkled throughout the forest surrounded me. I was fully present in the moment, yet the past felt alive. My body recalled all the times I hurried along the trail with my sturdy 30-something self, rushing to the trailhead to pick my children up from school.

And then I was 30, 34, 38, 42, 45, 50, 54, 57—hiking the trail, breathing in the forest, gazing at the cliffs, sitting on the rocks, crossing the stream, enveloped in the canopy. Everything that grew me into Awakeness was with me. Now, then, all the versions of me in between—I could feel them in my body—every me was present. I felt my body/mind as it shifted through decades of story, shed layers of samskaras, and awakened to my imperfect, ripe wholeness. I was so happy to see myself again: infinite, eternal, and whole.

Hello Susan. You are welcome here.

About The Author

Susan Mathis, M.Ed., E-RYT 500, RCYT, YACEP

Susan is deeply committed to the practice of yoga, pranayama, and conscious living. A Professional Level, Kripalu Yoga Teacher, she offers steady guidance, practical knowledge and infuses the deep wisdom of yoga philosophy into her teaching. A lover of the natural world, adventure, and travel, Susan engages with nature through hiking, biking, and scuba diving. She is the owner and director of alleyCat Yoga and Yoga to Grow.