Imagining into Reality & A Wee Bit of Magic
As with many healing journeys, mine began in the deep dark.
Are you familiar with concussions? I hope not, though many people are. At the outset of this injury, health care folks recommend a period of complete darkness with no activity. It reduces aggravation to your injury, and eases your senses which are usually thrown into utter disarray. Ideally, this should be paired with a visit to someone who can reposition your body back into better shape to facilitate healing.
Darkness & Being
After an unceremonious noggin knock while woodworking, I was sentenced to three days in “jail” by my athletic therapist. I was more than happy to close the door and turn the lock. For the first couple months most light, sound or movement was nearly unbearable. My head was so thick with fog, I could hardly process thought or hold conversations. Unable to occupy myself with the high energy busyness I was used to stuffing my life with, I was faced with simply… being.
Thankfully this period gradually dissipated, but what a profound experience! How often to we just stop? How often do we simply be? Can you sit with yourself without distraction, see who you truly are? Where will your mind go? For me, it was a scary and wonderful gift. I discovered I am at peace with my true, bare essence and with what she brings. Locked in the deep dark, my mind was free to imagine the most incredible adventures and possibilities. This time was filled with fantastical creatures, heroes and heroines, and epic efforts for the good in this world. Dragons were heavily involved.
Imagining into Reality
After the first days of darkness, I eventually gathered the strength to step outside. Walking plays a huge role in concussion recovery. Gratefully, slowly, I emerged from the house under a dark, starry sky. Only able to walk a few short minutes, I looked up and there she was, waiting just for me. Free, wild and diving through the stars was a shimmering dragon made of clouds, encircling a full grandmother moon. This wee bit of magic encouraged me on.
Most people recover fully from concussions relatively quickly. I am the rare case that took a couple years. Throughout this time, I consistently imagined myself coming to a place of full wellness. I took any and all steps to get me there. I relentlessly turned over, examined, and changed most elements of my life, great to small and across all spectrums - physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental. Throughout my wellness journey, I also held fast to imagining my dream of returning to the lands of my ancestors in the Celtic nations.
What we think and imagine has a powerful impact our bodies. Mind, body, and spirit are intricately interwoven. We know this inherently, and there’s much research showing this is so. My two favourite, best selling authors who beautifully relay this simple, fundamental concept are Norman Doidge in “The Brain that Changes Itself” and Caroline Myss in “Anatomy of the Spirit.”
Imagining turned to reality, and as I walked the path of recovery it set me at the start of a new Grand Adventure. Now, two years later, I've reached a deeper understanding of how to live a life with holistic wellness. Now, released from "jail," I've been blessed with new gifts, teachings, and sensitivities. Now, two years later, I’m about to begin a 6 month journey where I’ll walk across the mountains, moors and shorelines of Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Faroe Islands and England.
Coincidentally, my journey starts in Wales, whose national animal is the dragon.
Dragon & Moon, watercolour on paper, by Sarah West, 14 x 11”, 2017
The starry sky is a thing of magic and beauty. It gives us a sense of our place in the universe and calms the spirit. Stars burn, pulse, twinkle, shift colours. They align. They come together as constellations to tell stories, and show us the way. Can you spot them in this piece? Included are a few of my favourite night sky fixtures… Cassiopeia, the Milky Way, Pegasus, Andromeda, Mars, Jupiter, the North Star and a few others.
