fbpx

Seeking Inner peace?

Seeking inner peace? You gotta get high..just ask a Shepherd. I decided to go off-roading….in Crete…with the family. To be fair all was going well as we wound our way through the countryside passing peaceful olive groves and calm little villages where time appeared to have stopped in the 70s….. How I had to get […]

Inner Peace, Julie Phillips Therapeutic Coaching, Stokesley

Seeking inner peace? You gotta get high..just ask a Shepherd. I decided to go off-roading….in Crete…with the family. To be fair all was going well as we wound our way through the countryside passing peaceful olive groves and calm little villages where time appeared to have stopped in the 70s…..

How I had to get high to feel grounded again..

Then I saw the dirt track on the side of the mountain….going into the clouds and I laughed (rather hysterically) at the thought that we might be headed on a road (that appeared to be more of a track)  in our little jeep following a convoy of other thrill seeking tourists who thought off-roading would be a nice scenic way to finish of their holiday. As it happened, I rather thought the expedition may just finish off my life because things were about to get scary. My nerves were about to be soaked in fear.

Feel the Fear…

Now those who know me will have heard me talk about ‘doing something that scares you’ is a good way to know you are alive and actually living rather than just existing; a ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ kind of decision. Always one to walk my talk, the off-road adventuring  seemed to contain the right element of mild peril and family enjoyment; even the brochure’s promise of ‘You want off road – You Get Off road’ did not ring any alarm bells at the time… I thought a peaceful trek into the hills was just the ticket to inner peace.  I was half right.

Later that same day as I clung on for dear life hanging on to the side of a goat truck heading precariously skyward up a mountain track with a sheer drop and no barrier, I reflected on my life ( as it flashed before me) on whether perhaps the universe was having some kind of cosmic joke at my expense. They do say be careful what you wish for or you just might get it.

Eventually we made it to the top of the mountain and were rewarded with the most spectacular views. The Shepherd who had been driving the truck was also providing lunch too although, quite how he managed to cope with the daily hell ride up to his family home was beyond me.

Calming the Nerves

Now I know why they all drink Raki  – a couple of shots of the clear stuff and my nerves had calmed enough to enjoy the peace and quiet – no wifi, no semblance of modern life, just calm. In fact the more I just sat there enjoying the view the more peaceful I felt – there were no other distractions; it felt very much like meditation; just ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. It reminded me of what my clients tell me when they come to meditation class: it is lovely to come to a place where there are no expectations, no pressures or requirements to fulfil a role – you are just ‘being’ quite within yourself, letting life settle.

Fortunately, I know I don’t need to take a hair raising trip up the side of a mountain every week to find this level of calm but I did ponder on how happy and contented the Shepherd and his family appeared to be; there were no expectations of him other than looking after his family and his goats. No Instagram account, no Facebook, no worrying if the Shepherd over the other side of the mountain had a bigger house. They just live quietly during the summer in their mountain house and that is that.

Meditation, Mountains and Me

The experience has brought a whole new element to my Mountain Meditation session – I understand now why this is such a powerful meditation exercise and I will be revisiting this meditation in the next set of classes.

By all means, if you fancy going to see the shepherd and his family for lunch you can head to Crete and buy into an off-road adventure as I did. If you prefer to find your calm to be more grounded in a more local setting, you can just drive normally on roads to my meditation Tuesday Evening class or Saturday workshops – I don’t have any shepherds but I could give you a shot of Raki to take home if you fancy. Either way, you can rediscover your inner calm and nourish your well being naturally.

If we can help, please get in touch with Julie to arrange an appointment, I would love to work with you?