Kirby’s journey West (toward a fresh start)

In Tenn, I taught some potent, simple and fun exercises for getting in touch with the heart and for opening to easy and graceful compassion. I taught them at my friend’s yoga studio. Later I discovered her studio is named, “Transparent Heart Yoga.” So it was perfect! She wants me to come back in the summer and lead some workshops there, so that will be nice.

And then I stayed in Fort Smith AR, driving through the beautiful soft rolling hills of western Arkansas. I pulled into a rest area somewhere west of Little Rock, in those rolling hills, and I did qigong in the trees and then sat and meditated where two streams come together – where a little waterfall is constantly gurgling. That was cool to find that along the interstate!

And also like my family’s journey, my grandfather and grandmother lived for a time in Tulsa Oklahoma. And I had to make a detour to Tulsa because the only Costco in the state of Oklahoma is there 🙂  The good thing is that Tulsa is only about 45 minutes added onto my trip. The challenging part was that between east OK, Tulsa and OKC, I had to stop at about 15 toll plazas. I ran out of quarters! It was insane.

And then I passed by Oklahoma City which is near where my dad was raised and went to school. And then I made a big push today, drove through Amarillo Texas, and then Raton New Mexico. And that is a part of my life (past) because I went to Philmont Scout Ranch twice in the 90s, and Raton is where the train stopped and then the Boy Scouts made the rest of the 120 mile journey by bus.

Fortunately I only have a three hour trip tomorrow to get into Crestone CO. Today was by far the most breathtaking of all, is I drove by mesas, small canyons, cinder cones, and then towards the end of today I saw huge towering snowcapped peaks in the distance.

In the past two days, I have seen not less than 15 – 20 birds of prey, mainly falcons and hawks – but they are getting larger the farther west I get! I saw a large hawk chewing on something as two large ravens were flying around its head. It wasn’t too bothered by them!

Oh and I visited the Caputin Nat’l Monument – where you can hike around an ancient cinder cone. I did a 2 mile hike and got a headache from the altitude – it was at 7,500 ft. Have to ease into it – and / or find some ginkgo!

So I left the friendly womb of well-known friends and allies in the east, and then drove across the Mississippi re-collecting bits and pieces from my family’s past. And now having gone past Oklahoma and Raton New Mexico, I’m on a fresh new adventure. Clean slate! I’m ready to have a new beginning and to make a push to get my business going strong (when I come back).

In the meantime, this massage school starts on Sunday and we dive in bright and early on Monday morning. I am very excited and ready to get this underway.

Love to you all,

Kirby