Nature has so much to offer us.
As I step off the ledge, suspended by nothing more than a rope, I can feel my heart beating heavily. The 100-foot drop below me seems to temporarily reverse the effects of gravity as I nearly leap back onto the ledge like Wiley Coyote.
A voice inside calls me back to the present moment – to the space below me and the belay device: the power to slow or speed the descent literally in my hand.
A breath. And then another. I pause, hanging still on the side of a massive rock wall like a bird perched on a small branch. Noticing.
The distant view of Zion grounds me in a natural beauty often obscured by to-do lists and to-be lists. I am reminded that at this moment, the only thing to be is fully present. The only thing to do: focus on the complex yet simple relationship between the wall in front of me, the rope in my hand, and me. In this moment, I am a jumbled mix of emotions, sensations, and thoughts, all while deep spiritual gratitude rushes through every part of my body.
If we allow ourselves to be present, our natural surroundings can function as a defibrillator – reestablishing the rhythm of life that flows through our veins and lives in our bones.
