Welcome to the 7 Wonders Retreat Series.
My name is Tina Bruce.
We begin by retreating inwards.
Feel your body breathing.
Sense the current of grace running through your heart and let's wander towards your soul.
Imagine now you are standing on top of the mountain.
Nothing behind you,
Nothing in front of you,
Only the peak of the present moment.
Nestled amongst ancient ruins are thousands of stones filled with mystery and stories.
A ceremonial shrine built into caves lined with exquisite holy markings.
As the sun sets below the slopes you notice a shadow casting itself across the snowy capped skyline.
Could this place mark the end of an adventure?
Or perhaps it is the starting point of a celestial journey.
Awe and wonder is one of our greatest human gifts.
We know we can marvel at history,
Learn from the past and take wisdom from experience but we live in the present.
There's only ever right now.
Inhaling now,
I am here.
And exhaling out,
I am grounded.
How do we find ourselves in so many places other than right here?
We lose ourselves so easily like wisps of dandelion hairs blown in every direction.
Collecting our fragments of attention and feel like rounding goats on the mountainside.
Pulling some back from the past and calming those running away to the future.
It takes a skilled shepherd to navigate the moment and keep the flock united in body,
Mind and spirit.
Attachments can be our biggest anchors and barriers to rising into our highest potential.
Heavy weighted backpacks filled with past baggage often slow our elevation and descent to the top.
If only we could climb light-footed towards our freedom.
All the mountain mystics say the same thing.
Be present,
Be mindful,
Live in vertical time.
The more we let go,
The higher we rise.
The ancestors of this sacred site speak to you now.
Look to nature to teach you the art of presence.
The mountain is patient.
The trees let go of their leaves.
The moon will cycle again and again without doubt or worry.
The earth spins around the sun at the speed of light.
Know that even when you feel far from present,
You're always being guided.
Take a deep breath into your belly now and place your hands over your heart.
Imagine you are standing on top of this mountain,
Face towards the sun,
Arms out stretched wide,
Embracing it all.
Feel a sense of gratitude,
Appreciation,
Freedom,
Joy and even bliss.
Let these vibrations ripple out from your heart,
Creating waves of sensation throughout your entire body.
Allow these feelings now to fall down the sides of the mountain to all of humanity below you,
Showering them with grace and prayer from the heavens.
And when a moment of peace unexpectedly finds you,
Pause and remember who you are.
Your presence is enough.
You you you you you you you you you you you you you
