Cultivating Sage Presence Whitewater Rafting On The Rio Grande

Location: The Rio Grande. Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Date: May 17, 2012.
33 years ago, the heaven’s parted and I made my climactic entrance into a carefully crafted planetary existence.
Time: 8:30 a.m. MST

I’ve dreamt of whitewater rafting on my birthday for years now, always thinking I’d be cruising down the Colorado River for my first rapids. Yet, as the Universe delivers in unexpected and miraculous ways, I ended up on the Rio Grande. Being the 3rd largest river in the U.S. I found it to be quite synchronistic, considering it was my 33rd birthday. Might as well add another 3 to the mix and make it a holy trinity.

And holy it was. No wait. Make it orgasmic. But isn’t that the same thing 🙂

We booked an all day excursion at New Mexico River Adventures and lucky for us, no one else did. I have to say out of all the river peeps I saw online, you know I had to go with my intuition and choose this company and I can definitely say they delivered a memorable day.

Gently down the stream was how our morning went. Birds in chorus, bursts of wind, dancing foliage, splashing of paddles against the water, sharing our histories, and the cradling light of the sun rising. It was an orchestra of connection, oneness, laughter and silence. As the sun made its appearance high in the sky, we had a yummy picnic at one of the launches. The rest of the voyage continued into the rapids.

I listened intently to the river. Gave her gratitude for her gifts of nourishing the wildlife, my souls and being a reflection of truth.

Rafting and the Rio Grande imparted sage wisdom on embodying presence in the midst of chaos, turbulence, transformation, bliss and peace.

We moved with the currents, maneuvering through rocks and looking for the path of least resistance. Our expert guide Elias reminded me of our intuition, leading the way. Teaching us skills to move with grace, be in the flow and come out a champion.

At one point he said, “Sometimes you have to stop and assess the river.”

A Universal reminder to honor when to take a necessary pause in life, reflect on your direction, especially when things are starting to look a little rough. Then you dive right in remembering that the only way out is through. Trust in the flow, paddling not to fight but to take flight.

Often times when we find ourselves in the midst of chaos, we fear things will never change or we want to turn a blind eye to seeing what is.

But the river spoke to me and shared this message, “In times of turbulence, we are still moving.”

That despite what appears difficult, you are always in motion. Difficulty creates growth. And you can soar smoothly even through tumultuous times.

Movement through radical turbulence and transformation requires teamwork. Every time we were in the rapids, we paddled in harmony. It’s the same with life. When times are tough, you call on your Divine beings for extra support and loved ones for more horsepower to propel you forward and avoid being sucked into the whirlpool of chaos.