Hello beautiful soul!
This month I’ve had some profound encounters with Lake Superior. I’ve always been drawn to her shores. This time, I was there as a brief part of the Lake Superior Water Walk, an Indigenous-led ceremonial walk traveling around the entire circumference of the lake.
How did I get there?
All my life I’ve longed to find a way to live right relationship with Mother Earth. I hungrily learned about any action I could take – changing how I ate, shopped, got around etc. But I felt two things:
- I didn’t seem to be having much of an impact and
- I didn’t feel much different on the inside.
Then I encountered women’s traditional dances through Laura Shannon. Through great attention to everything conveyed in the simple pattern of steps and bounces, I realized my body was feeling something new. I was feeling deep relationship with the Earth. I was learning what the spirit of sustainability, even regeneration, felt like within me.
I began to seek out other cultural groups arriving at the same connection through their own traditions. What would happen if we lived in solidarity with each other? Could we transform the greater culture? That’s how I was introduced to Sharon Day and the Water Walking ceremony.
Through water walking I have encountered a well of teaching, inspiration, and accountability. Water Walking has also expanded how I imagine having an impact.
Sharon Day, leader of the Lake Superior Water Walk, is in the red shirt and straw hat at right. Photo by Nicole Christian, edited by Joanne Robertson.
Sharon Day often emphasizes that nothing is more powerful than the spirit of the water. After all, no water = no life. Water is also a major way that climate expresses itself – an arid climate vs. a humid one, for example. We are praying to the spirit of the water, honoring its power to regulate our lives. Healing the water, we heal all of life.
I hope to carry the pure energy of Lake Superior forward in my teaching and healing. Water Walks continue to inspire the Healing Waters Qigong practice group. My experiences this summer will be adding texture to what I offer at the upcoming Find Your Nature retreat. I look forward to discovering how it unfolds through me!
Blessings to you as you prepare for the transition into fall,
Emily
p.s. Here’s some great in-depth reporting about the walk, if you are curious to learn more.
Savor Every Last Drop of Autumn: Find Your Nature Retreat
Learn three practices to help you experience more connection, support and ease from the natural world. September 15-17 at the Christine Center in Willard, WI (2.5 hours East of the Twin Cities). Learn more and register.
