I stand at the top of the mountain
and breathe the cold clear air
as I survey
the mighty St. Lawrence River,
its banks crowded with chunks of ice
in a thick slush soup,
and the snowy mounds beyond
in an impossibly blue sky
I am dressed in a white ski suit, decorated
with patterns of glitter
which fits my body perfectly, like it was made for me specially
by its famous designer, who named the suit ‘Camelot’.
I am a Rainbow Princess Warrior.
I own this mountain, as much as any human
can own any piece of our earth.
The snow loves me, the ice, the glistening trees,
the ridiculously bright sun
As I fall into the arms of the mountain
and descend with gathering speed,
the bottoms of my feet slide in perfect harmony,
I am in bliss.
From my lofty perch, I see my body responding
As it has been trained to do since childhood
I check my speed as necessary
and ride the mountain’s back and sides
and play among the sparkling trees.
Making these smooth curves with my skis,
Feeling the edges bite and glide
I create the foundation of the perfect yoga posture
by spreading my toes and pressing into
the four corners of each foot.
I feel the backs of my upper femurs
move independently and strongly to create the
rhythmic back and forth, side to side dance.
My torso is suspended with strength and lightness
with uddiyana bandha , my shoulders relaxed,
and I use my wide angle camera vision to pay attention
with a soft and steady focus – not too tight, not too loose.
As I ride up in the chairlift, my body is soothed
with the hum of the vibration of the machinery.
I float up up up…
My favourite ride is the glass walled gondola
in which I dangle on the top of the world.
As a horse and rider may, with excellent training and practice,
become one in mind and body,
this is how I rode my windhorse.
Over these glorious mountain days,
I was lion, tiger, horse, dragon and garuda: a creature of mythical times,
a magical being in the glistening world
of white and blue and yellow.
My heart has regained strength.
I am invigorated to carry on my work.
Order of Ashe:
“…joins heaven and earth, or vision and practicality; the quality of bodhichitta or awakened heart and the fundamental quality of egolessness…”
Order of Shambhala:
“There are four qualities of warriorship: tiger-like meekness, or gentleness; lion-like perkiness, or energy; garuda-like outrageousness, or compassion beyond concept; dragon-like inscrutability, or egolessness beyond concepts.”
W indhorse – Lungta (definition by Chogham Trungpa Rinpoche):
“When we pay attention to everything around us, the overall effect is upliftedness. The Shambhalian term for this is windhorse. The wind principle is very airy and powerful. Horse means that the energy is rideable. That particular airy and sophisticated energy, so clean and full of decency, can be ridden. You don’t just have a bird flying by itself in the sky, but you have something to ride on. Such energy is fresh and exuberant, but, at the same time, rideable. Therefore, it is known as windhorse.”
Sidney Crosby: I am praying for you. – C
PS Thank you, Hart Lazer, for helping me get my ski legs back.
