Transformation Time!

When you receive this, I will be on day 10 of my 13 day vision quest. Of course, I wrote this before I left so who knows how I am faring, but my intention was – fabuloso!

As the days progress, the hunger, the thirst, being cold to the bone, painful back, hips and shoulders, and being dirty, all increase exponentially. Powerful learning and transformation comes in then, working with the mind/ego – allowing the heart and spirit to lead.

This is my final vision quest out of a series of four. From the previous vision quests of 4, 7 and 9 days, I have listed below the teachings that were shared, and are with me on this final quest. They play a powerful part in helping me make it to the end:

~ Remember to always look within
~ Meditate, observe your thoughts until they disappear
~ This won’t last forever (this one helps me a lot when it’s pouring, and I’m soaked to the bone and freezing cold)
~ Keep praying to move through the challenging moments
~ Pray to the mountain to help you
~ Practice your breath work, especially fire breath to warm the body
~ Have gratitude
~ Pray with my mala as I remember my intentions and stay present
~ All my friends in Colombia who have done their 13 days have said to me, ‘tiempo precioso’ – it’s a beautiful time.

Each year of the vision quest has a lesson. During the year that follows, one integrates all of the learnings and the lessons.

~ 1st year of 4 days is about vulnerability
~ 2nd year of 7 days is about free will
~ 3rd year of 9 days is about sincerity
~ 4th year of 13 days is about integrity

One of the shamans explained to me that the first year of the vision quest is a metaphor of walking up the mountain. The 2nd year is knocking at the door of the mountain. The 3rd year is going through the door of the mountain and sitting inside. The 4th year is walking down the mountain, to integrate with integrity, all of the wisdom and transformation of the 4 years.