Southwestern College Santa Fe, NM
The beauty of living in such a scenic part of the country is that there are so many places to explore. The possibilities are unendingly limitless. The season of winter is linked with the direction of the north on the sacred Medicine Wheel. The north is the place of wisdom, gratitude and giving thanks for everything revealed in the dreamtime; your individual dream and the collective dream that we are all apart of on this planet. To be honest with you, I love winter! It’s a different aspect and expression of Mother Nature. Growing up in Miami, it was either all sun or rain. We had no idea that kids in other states were having days off from school called “snow days.”
I have found some really beautiful sacred spaces on the Atalaya Mountain Trails. The trees here in this land seem to carry the strength of the earth. They represent for me large nurturing containers of wisdom; selflessly supporting us in all of our endeavors. The feel and sound of the snow crunching beneath my feet, the scent of the earth and the streams frozen over with ice; have all spoken very loudly to me. Each visit here is different from the last. Sometimes the wind whips with such fervor and zest that it instantly becomes a friend, following along in your footsteps. Other times the wind appears to be so still and yet teeming with the iridescent essence of the breath of life.
Leaving the mountain one day, I headed straight for the Rock Tray Workshop at SWC; Co-facilitated by Karen Wennberg and Nicole Morgan. Key themes were self-care, grounding, ecotherapy and symbol work. The workshop fabulously included a walking meditation and the creation of your own combination altar and sacred space container. This was a really healing workshop that immersed me in the quiet power of the earth elements. It was a great experience to create my own sacred space rock tray, while at the same time knowing that I am connected with the vast, infinite sacred outer and inner space.
Natascha Holmes, M.A., LMHC, SWC graduate and faculty member, aka Hiking Woman
If you’d like to view images from the rock tray workshop click here
