And the mind had been in charge for too long

I knew it

But things were the way they were

Because that’s how it is sometimes

And we tell our body

Just wait

Soon

Hold up there

Don’t break

And it waits

Patiently

As the mind has its way

And our heart creeps right right right away

And our lungs lose capacity

And our stomach fills with acid

At the audacity

Of some of the food that mind throws into it

Healthful

Becomes salty

Sweet

Overbalanced

Undernourished

And the heart creeps creeps away from the centre

I’m old now

At least 47 summers

And another one coming

So I’ve learnt

When to stop

Put down the mind

And bring my body back into line

I know a place now

Which isn’t very far

Where the wise woman blows sage smoke

Brushes with bird feather

Playing drums and crystal bowls

Works the leather of my skin

Back into suppleness again

And my organs weep

As I lie bathed in sweat

Then rest in bubbling hot water

Up to my chin

Gazing up into a vast black universe full of silver pin pricks

Picking out the Milky Way

The saucepan

That’s really all I know but I imagine the others into some sort of picture

A sickle moon

And a frog

Croaks

I eat nourishing food

Let my soul say anything it chooses to this woman

Who gently holds space

For all her kind

The essence of grace

She listens

And accepts my words

Replies with her own

And the two mix and mingle

Like fireflies above us

Circling as we eat and chuckle

I wake to the stars again

At 4am

By torchlight

Ellie adds wood to the fire

And then I sweat again

Work yogic energy through my veins

Afterwards I sit rolling in heat listening to the refrain of my breath

Feeling the slick slide of moisture where it pops forth and then trickles down the hills of my body

And the sun paints the sky outside

And my heart

Returns to centre

My whole body sighs

With pleasure

So many people reach for a wine

A whisky

A scotch

And perhaps it helps stop the body from screaming

The mind torturing

For a minute

But if you take the time

Do the real body work instead

You heal

And

Properly refreshed

Are ready to go on again

I spent the night at Meraki Reach. I feel incredibly blessed that Ellie and her husband Russel have taken the massive financial leap to open this retreat.

More in the magazine – perks of the job of editor I guess. My staff came with me as well which was a little annoying because they wouldn’t stop talking but eventually …

They all shut up

As we left

A little voice asked “when are we coming back?”

I said

Soon.