“When you do things from the soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy ”
The River
The River, in its long journey, is symbolic of our lives.
In their endless flow through transitions, transformations and passageways, rivers symbolize the flow of TIME, and life itself. There are periods when the River is turbulent, chaotic and disturbing (rapids), and there are periods when the River flows peacefully, smoothly and calmly.
When we stand in the middle of a bridge above a River, and look down, we can experience a powerful, awe-inspiring, hypnotic sensation watching the River flow beneath our feet. Although it is the same River, it is the continual flow of new water that enchants us.
To appreciate the full wonder of a River it is helpful to consider River’s life journey from its inception to its final transformation into the sea. Beginning as a spring high up in the mountains where it has been filtered and cleansed from many years percolating through the womb of Mother Earth. Emerging purified and life giving from this mountain spring river joins with other waterways gathering strength and volume. Moving around and over obstacles, quietly pooling then becoming turbulent forming eddys and waterfalls, River’s water becomes aerated and infused with vital life force energy for the benefit and preservation of all people, animals, and vegetation. Eventually, after its long journey, river merges with other rivers, and finally its individuality blurring as it empties into the sea becoming part of the One Great Oceanic Sea.
Reflecting on this journey of the River we might ponder the value of the twists and turns in our own lives, how even the tumultuous and unsettling moments may also be opportunities to stretch beyond our limiting beliefs, shaking us up, urging us to find inner resources to discern what is needed, what matters most and what is called for now; Like the River, these times can fortify us with renewed conviction, hope, and energy to propel us forward to make different choices, and find new ways to ultimately optimize our health and well being. More often than not, when we look back we discover an inner wisdom was forged by the trials and tribulations of life to help us more fully manifest our unique, one of a kind, wild and beautiful life.
At East and West of the River Wellness our life’s journey has graced us with a deep respect for the confluence of eastern and western medicine and a keen appreciation for the healing arts.
Come! Drink from the wellspring of our refreshing life’s work!
“It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
that to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that’s where the river will know
it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.
~Khalil Gibran”