The Vision~~Cherokee National Forrest;Eastern Tennessee~~2235 miles

So about three weeks after everything occurred last November, I returned to the yoga class that Beth and I had been going to for the past five years.  While neither one of us really were practicing in formal religions or regular church/temple goers, or infrequent for that matter…ok we went for weddings, bar/bat mitvahs, I as well as she, I believe, found that our yoga practice created a space where we could focus on ourselves, each other, our friends, loved ones and get in touch with the divine.  There is a sense of peace and harmony when we were in that space with our cula, and our teacher, Dr. Steve has always filled classes not only with physical exertion, but also humor, love, and connection.  Therefore, after the initial shock and numbness, had begun to subside, I knew that I needed to get back to that space and allow some of the energy and pressure that I felt that I had been carrying to release and allow my mind to once again center itself and be, if only for a moment, at peace.

It was a strange sensation, walking into that room. very aware of how alone I felt.  But quickly other acquaintancesand friends that we had made over the years were very quick and eager to welcome me home with open and loving arms.  It was a tough class and I know that I was pushing myself rather hard as I was purposely trying to exert myself to exhaustion, so it was with welcomed relief as the class ended and we entered in Savasana, corpse pose. 

It was here during this 3 to 5 minute period that I had an extraorinary experience and a pretty mind blowing vision.  Now let me preface this, I am usually the biggest skeptic in the room and would usually refer to this next sequence of events as some type of serious hoodoo voodoo, but they were very real to me…so take these next few paragraphs with a small or large grain of salt and please by no means take any of this as truth, rather an account from my perspective.

The Vision:

There have been times after a particularly demanding class that I have fallen asleep and dreamt, I am pretty certain that I never fell asleep during this class as I always felt aware of what was going on, the best way to describe it was more a dream-like state hovering in between consciousness and subconsciousness.

            I flash to some future point in time where I am already on this journey.  I know that this is not current because in the scene I am at my camp and there is a motorcycle in the foreground.  Behind me is an absolutely pristine lake, where the water is crystal clear blue and behind the lake are some snow capped mountains that are perfectly reflected in the water.  The sun is just coming up over the mountain line and the colors being produced are unbelievable.  I am breaking camp and getting ready to leave, when I stop and look at the water and decide what the heck it is absolutely breath taking, let me take a swim before I leave.  So I get into the water and swim out to the middle of the lake from the shoreline.  As I am treading water in the middle of the lake taking in the scene, Beth swims out from the lake and joins me.  I am surprised to see her and ask her if she is ok and if she is alright.  She smiles at me and says, “I am fine, I am home.”  I remember looking at her puzzled and asked if she meant that now she was with her grandmother and aunt who had recently passed away as well, and she somehow conveyed to me that it was not that she was at home in this after life, but rather that the space, this lake, this location, the water, this was her home.  I can’t remember exactly how she phrased it, but I recall getting the sense of tranquility and joy as if she had finally achieved a peace that had been eluding her.  It was a serene sight as we both just kind of floated in each others arms enjoying and taking everything in, when I finally said, “Well it is time for me to get going.”  To which she responded, “I know, but is ok, I am home.”  So I swam back to the shore, got dressed for the next part of my journey, broke down my camp and packed my bike, and prepared to set off.  Before I set off I turn to her one more time as she had kind of swam over to the shore, and I ask her “Are you sure you are fine?” and she replies, “I am, I am home.”  So I set off down the path, and as I am leaving I look in my rear view mirror and she is waving me good-bye.

The bells then chime and Steve’s voice breaks the silence and I am back in the room where I had lied down a few moments before. 

So what the hell do you do with a vision like that?  Well if you are me you go and purchase a bike, run down a dream that you had over ten years ago, and go off hunting for a lake!!  In all seriousness, it did help fuel my desire to go on this adventure, and while I am open to whatever shows up before me there is a part of me, no matter how small it may be, that is wondering if in any way I am being guided or steered in any particular direction. 

Cherokee National Forrest:

So how does this whole tale pertain to present day as I am traveling through eastern Tennessee?  Well after passing through Boone, and trying to get an idea as to where I would camp for the night, I had found a site on my GPS that I was aiming for by a river, near Knoxville.  I figured the site would be pretty, the weather was cool and it would be a pleasant overnight rest.  Instead of going through the major interstate which would get me there faster, I am traveling on US 312 along the back roads of the state enjoying the ride and having a great old time.  As I round a bend, to my right a lake opens up in the valley that stretches for what seems to be several miles before it touches another mountain range.  I am driving along, thinking to myself how great this is, when I pass a campsite that juts out into the middle of the lake.  Now I passed, this site because I had a “plan” and a stopping point.  But about 3 miles down the road I just laugh at myself and state, “What the hell are you thinking, you got nowhere to be but right here!!”  So I turn around and set up camp for night at the lake…here is what it looked like:

After camping here for the night, the next morning I made it a point to get up with the sunrise:

Another Vantage point:

Now I am not saying that this was by any means what I saw…but it is a good start!!  And I loved that I did not plan on this location, it just sort of presented itself as I traveled.  So I did my morning poses,

 

 

 

 

      scattered some of her essence by the lake…

 

 

 

 

 

 

And off I rode to my next destination. 

 

 

Namaste my love.

~ by coachcrew on July 1, 2008.