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August Centering Hint
| Thomas Crum
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The River and The Warrior Spirit
The cloud does not insist upon
its form
The wave does not force its
way over the ocean
So why should you clutch so
tightly your little map?
Haven Trevino
In July, we did a pilot six-day
Magic on the River trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho. The
Middle Fork is one of the true wild rivers in the U.S. with no man-made dams or
motorized boats allowed along the entire 100 plus mile stretch. The river did
the teaching: the principles of flow, impermanence, life and mystery were imprinted
upon us with every bend and canyon.
Floating down the river, we would
look up to see an eagle soaring, look to the side on the canyon rocks and see a
big horn sheep, or look down and see trout shimmering under the water. And then
- poof! It was all gone as a new bend in the river arrived, with maybe deer, or
a bear, or a waterfall misting over us from so high up that the sunlight and
mist created a magical celestial shower. And then another bend, another moment.
In all that flow of beauty there was
also destruction: hundreds of trees knocked down by avalanches or mudslides and
jammed into rocks below; acres of burned forests from lightning strikes; dead
salmon too tired to swim the final miles to spawn. The water was quiet and
peaceful one moment, then roaring with fury the next. And yet it seemed -
through both life and death - so purposeful, so majestic, so harmonious. For
me, it was nature's way of teaching the warrior spirit.
I define the warrior spirit as the
total commitment to become fully alive. Sounds like something we would all
aspire to, doesn't it? The difficulty comes when we realize that to become
fully alive we must cut through the ego and its stories and dramas, the veils
that the ego uses to define us and provide some semblance, however false, of
security. The river has no need to play such games. As the canyon pours down
boulders, trees, and mud, she responds in flow, acceptance, and aliveness.
Our own lives produce an endless
supply of boulders as well; difficult work situations, tumultuous
relationships, emotional chaos, physical illnesses or injuries that challenge
our sense of OKness. The warrior spirit is the courage to accept those
'boulders' with centered equanimity and continue flowing on.
When we have learned to stay awake
in the difficult, fearful times, rather than medicating them away, or running
to the comfort of our old dramas, something profound happens. Not enlightenment
or deep peace, at least not at first, but more discomfort because being awake
and present begins to strip away all the ego-trappings that we have acquired,
the ones that give us a sense of groundedness, safety, of OKness. And that loss
can be painful and scary.
But, just when we're lying on our
backs in the blood and tears of it all, with nothing to hold onto - bang! (or
maybe it's just a whisper) - we discover we're still here, and somehow we're
flowing a little more freely inside. The river does not insist on its form. Why
should we?
If we can learn to appreciate, with
centered equanimity, the twists and turns, the rapids and eddies, of our life,
a little more of the Mystery will seep in. Peace and joy flow into our being;
compassion and kindness flow out. This is the warrior spirit, and the river
knows it well.
Tom
River photo by Andrew Arentowicz |
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Journey to Center
by Thomas Crum
This bo  ok by Tom Crum features humorous and poignant stories on the
exploration of centered and uncentered states. Whether in Southeast Asia
or his backyard in Aspen, Tom finds adventures that constantly amaze,
entertain, and enlighten. What a delightful book! Journey to Center
has a vital message, but the message never get in the way of the fun.
And a big part of the fun is getting to know the adventurous,
high-spirited, and wonderfully candid author. I savored this wise and
enchanting book from cover to cover.
George Leonard, Author of Mastery and
The Ultimate Athlete
Purchase now on our website!
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Thomas Crum
Thomas Crum is the creator of Centering Hints. He is an author and presenter in the fields of conflict resolution, peak performance, and stress management. He is known throughout the world for The Thomas Crum Approach, taught through best-selling books, audio and visual materials, and live presentations of varying length and designed to help people become more centered under conflict, more resourceful when facing challenges, and more effective under stress. Learn more about Tom.
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