| Finding Spirit Through Adventure |
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| Written by Marla Hunter-Bellavia | |
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Can a sailing adventure bring one woman closer to discovering her long neglected spirit?  I had never sailed before. I wasn't going to let that stop me. I was being drawn to adventure. And I was willing to trust my intuition enough to go with it. When I signed up for an all women sail training adventure in the British Virgin Islands, I had no idea what I was getting into let alone where on earth I was actually going. But it didn't matter. I was on a journey to explore new places and new parts of myself. What I didn't realize at the time was that my journey was about reconnecting with my spirit. Not in terms of all the roles that I play in life. It was about remembering my self.  Approaching 40, I realized that, while I had so much to be grateful for, this time next year I didn't want to feel the same way about myself and the life I had been becoming numb to. I was feeling restless and unsettled and I knew that I didn't need more responsibility in my life. Instead, what I really needed was more adventure. So I began to sit quietly and ask "What do I need to do to bring balance back into my life?" I would request signs and omens to help me chart my course, write in my journal and listen to my inner voice. This is how the idea of my sailing adventure began. "True adventures start with desire, an inclination to enter the unknown. In hope of finding what? More of yourself, or of the world? Yes..." shares writer Kate Wheeler. As a wife and working mom, I faced a critical decision: invest in my personal wellness or stay trapped in the status quo. Despite being deeply drawn to the adventure that was calling me, I was not raised to believe that it was acceptable. Travelling for work is one thing. Spending money on yourself and leaving your family behind for pleasure is another...even if it is just one week! But I knew that the routine I had created to manage the demands of daily life was also serving to suffocate me. Over time, this rut was slowly extinguishing the light within me. Sadly, too many of us fall into this trap. We think that we're doing the right thing. What my adventure proved to me is that it's just the opposite. Adventure certainly isn't the only way to connect with spirit, but for me, it was what it took to wake me from a deep slumber and re-ignite a bright light that was always in me. It removed me from my comfort zone and introduced new experiences and challenges each day.  Starting each morning with yoga and Qigong helped me reconnect with my body. The physical nature of sailing a 46-foot yacht helped me appreciate my strength and gave me confidence. I laughed more than I could remember in a very long time. And I was accepted just as I was. It all felt new yet strangely familiar. Because the energy that drew me to the adventure had been in me all along. It recognized similar feelings from more adventurous days of the past. A path was being cleared to allow my light to resurface again. It shouldn't have been such a surprise, but I actually liked that seemingly long lost spirited woman inside. It took eight flights, sea sickness, and going on my first unaccompanied "real" vacation since I was married (almost twenty years) to reunite with her. Returning to my familiar surroundings turned out not to "fit" me anymore. Adjusting was difficult until I accepted that I didn't want to adjust. So my adventure continues as I make changes in my life that reflect my reconnection to spirit. It's about more than a vacation. It's about building on an expanded sense of possibility to create a life that reflects who I really am. It's about saying "yes" to my self. The French writer Colette states that, "On this narrow planet, we have only the choice between two unknown worlds. One that temps us -- ah! What a dream to live in that! -- the other stifles us." I choose the dream and I invite you to do the same. Start with one adventure. What is your spirit calling you to try?  All photos courtesy of HERIZEN Life Adventures. Want to try your hand at sailing? Contact HERIZEN Life Adventures for information on their tours: HERIZEN Life Adventures c/o Valma Brenton 1.866.399.4253 This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it www.herizenlifeadventures.com or www.sailingforwomen.com Comments (1)
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