I am home and am surrounded by the colorful reminders of my recent journey to Oaxaca. So many memories pass through my morning mind, wafting along with the scent of coffee, like little golden glitters of joy. Flashes of stunning landscapes, amazing architecture, brilliant craftsmanship, and incredible food fill me with delight. Mostly though, I think about how I felt. I had two weeks of deep aliveness and gratitude.
So many things happened, so much was uncovered and rediscovered. It was a journey of profound exploration.
We learned about life in a new place as we sat in homes and listened to stories, stories of rigors and triumphs, of loss and challenge, of perseverance and success.
We learned about ancient ways and wisdom, how they make brilliant dies from the tiny bug that lives on the cactus, how they fire their kilns to make their renowned black pottery, and how they grind the baked maguey cones and let the grinds ferment so eventually they could distill the pure mescal of the region. 
We walked with healers on the mountain paths as they pointed out the herbs and their many uses and all the various names in the various languages of the region. We experienced their ancient healing techniques, the “limpia,” or ritual cleansing, and we felt our own healing, a cracking open, a willingness to be more present to what was truly alive in us.
We saw how rituals infuse their daily life, and how the physical/emotional/ and spiritual planes are all combined so that life is whole and each aspect of being human is honored. We enjoyed the simplicity and beauty of their lives, close to nature, filled with work and family, valuing hospitality and a generosity of spirit, recognizing the power of the unknown.
And we learned about our selves- what we value, what we yearn for, what sustains us, what we dream of. And we created a pack. Without knowing it, we bonded as our hearts opened. We learned about each other and we grew closer, so close. We cared, we shared, we supported, we celebrated. We howled at the moon, we played in the mud, we swam under the waterfall. And something changed.
We experienced what is possible. And now we know. We can be open-hearted and authentic. We can play like children. We can do more than we thought possible. We can love and accept. We can find support and nurturing. We can enjoy deeply and share joy. We can journey on this human path with others and find beauty and inspiration as we face our own obstacles and losses.
We can celebrate the path in a way that honors all that we are, this being human, this living with the moon that rises over the ridge and the water that spills out from the mountain spring and bubbles joyously on a path to the sea, this standing here on the solid earth that supports us, standing here with the other beings that share our life in this glorious moment.
Standing in our imperfection. Standing here in safety with our pack, experiencing both the vastness and the intimacy. Standing here or standing wherever, inside us now are memories of deep aliveness and gratitude.
Please join us if you can, there are more memories waiting to be lived…..