By Mary V. Colie
Introduction: Be comfortable, Feet flat on the floor. Feel your heart beating – listen to its rhythm Exhale completely. Breathe in deeply – in through your nose, inflating your mid-section like a balloon, for four heartbeats. Hold the breath for three heartbeats. Exhale slowly through your mouth for eight heartbeats. Do that once more – in for four, hold for three, out for eight.
It is early morning in June. Summer is just beginning to take hold. You are driving about in the countryside with no particular destination in mind. The car windows are open; you can feel a gentle breeze on your cheek; you can smell the sweetness of blooming plants carried in the air. The sun peeks through the leaves of tall trees and dapples the windshield with light and shadow. You breathe deeply and enjoy a sense of playfulness and freedom, having no responsibilities for the moment demanding your attention. You are out to see what you can see.
As the road curves, you see a colorful sign directing you to Chakra Mountain, inviting you to walk its winding trail. Though this area is unfamiliar to you, you are quite certain there is no mountain hereabouts. But just as you acknowledge this fact, a tall hill comes into view. It is covered in rich green trees already in full leaf. Something about it calls to you and you find yourself turning into a gravel drive and parking beneath a huge tree which will shade your car from the summer sun as you take time to follow the path you spy leading into the trees at the foot of the hill. Other people are walking in the same direction, some alone, some in family groups with young children scooting about. Everyone is smiling. There is a charm to this place that has a universal appeal.
As you approach the path, the trailhead which leads up the mountain, you pass through a garden of red flowers of all types. Roses, hibiscus, tulips, petunias, poppies, peonies, and many more are all in full bloom. None are withered or past their prime. It occurs to your natural mind that all these flowers would not typically be found in the same garden, nor would they all bloom at the same time of year, but you accept their beauty, their perfume, and their dancing movement in the summer sunshine as the gift it is meant to be. You smile and take in the rich red glow that is all around you. You follow the path up a gentle slope as it winds around the hill through the trees. Even the birds you see flitting about are red in color. You come to a bench, bright red, of course, and take time to sit and appreciate the view. A child, wearing a red-checked apron, comes by and offers you some strawberries she has just picked. You accept one with gratitude and bite into the lush red fruit, still warm from the sun under which it grew. The juice is sweet and sticky on your fingers. For lack of a napkin, you lick the last of the droplets from your fingertips. You know this is the best-tasting berry you have ever enjoyed.
As you sit on the bench, you feel the earth humming beneath your feet. Its vibration travels up your legs lending them a special strength. You rise and continue up the path through a display of many fruits and vegetables being offered to all the hikers along the path; watermelon, cherries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and ruby grapefruit are being sampled by delighted travelers passing through this rich red haven. Everything looks delicious, but the path ahead is calling you to continue onward and upward.
Around the next bend in the trail, the color mode shifts gradually from red to orange. Trumpet vines, with their bright orange flowers, wind their way through the trees. Ahead you see another flower garden, but this one is filled with blooms in every shade of orange imaginable. Butterflies reflect the color as they dance about among the petals. Now you are not surprised to see orange birds on the wing flying into the trees farther up the path. What does surprise you is the fact that those trees are bearing fruit – oranges! How is this possible? You shake your head and accept the magic of the moment as you pluck a ripened fruit from a low-hanging branch. Ah, there ahead is the orange bench you have anticipated and some handy orange towels, some moist, some dry, to wipe your hands clean. The fruit peels easily and the taste is rich and refreshing. The juicy citrus brings with it a nourishing vitality energizing you to proceed with your climb. Again, a welcoming display of orange foods is available to hungry passers-by; cantaloupe, tangerines, carrots, and such, but also pumpkin pies and some orange cheeses. You select a little chunk of cheddar to nibble on as you continue along the path.
As you progress, the color brightens to a radiant yellow. Again the flowers, birds, and butterflies reflect the theme in every possible shade. The brilliant, golden glow is almost overwhelming. It lends you a sense of well-being you can feel to your very core. The sun shines especially bright in this clearing, but its warmth and brilliance do you no harm. Instead, it nourishes your soul and gives a strong connection to the Source. As you observe the other travelers walking the path with you, you feel a connection to each one of them as you all advance upward along this path. As you have come to expect, there is an abundance of yellow foods from which to choose and yellow benches to rest upon and visit with your fellow hikers. You share in the delights of this special place and anticipate what you will discover ahead as you sample lemonade sweetened with golden honey and watch the children enjoy bananas or corn-on-the-cob dripping with yellow butter. Again, yellow towels are ready for your use. With gratitude for such bounty and hospitality, you wipe your hands clean and continue your walk.
The greenery becomes denser and even more lush. The air is moister and cools your face with a gentle mist. Ferns carpet the forest floor. Bright green parrots fly alongside you and perch where you can see their magnificent plumage. You feel the heart of the forest beat in concert with your own heart. You feel wrapped in the love of Source as the plants seem to pulse with life. Green wicker chairs invite you to the lounge for a while and soak in the atmosphere of this green haven, listening to the song of the breeze through the trees and the hum of insects going about their busy lives. You breathe deeply, taking in the myriad scents of earth and plant life. You rest and let the peace of this verdant spot enrich your spirit. You close your eyes and perhaps you even doze just a little, surrendering to the harmony of this place and time.
As you open your eyes once more, you perceive the aquamarine glow on the path ahead. The dense greenery opens up into a magical forest of periwinkle blue flowers and bright blue chicory amid trees of deepest blue-green. Lobelia, delphiniums, iris, forget-me-nots, lilies, and flowers whose names you have never learned bloom in shadowy groves that blanket the forest floor. Sapphire blue butterflies flutter among the flowers. Bluebirds chirp noisily overhead in the branches of the trees. There is a song on the breeze and you begin to hum along, and then sing, and then laugh as the music of this blue glade fills your soul. You are moved to express your appreciation of this place in words, in song, in verse, and in prayer. A deep and abiding happiness fills your soul. As you continue, the color deepens into a rich dark purple as violets peek through their deep green leaves. Beds of anemones spread in all directions and lead you to a brighter opening of lavender, lilacs, and lupines. Wisteria hangs in profusion from the branches of trees. Honeysuckle scents the air. The feeling here among the many magnificent moods of purple is one of illumination, of awareness of your own magnificent imagination and subtlety of mind. You reflect on your own ability to feel and express every shade of emotion. It is a moment of freedom from anything which would try to limit thought. You see and hear clearly and are anxious to move to the summit of this mountain.
The brilliance of the path ahead is blinding, but your eyes adapt quickly. At once you are in an open grassy expanse in the full light of the sun. You feel its warmth on the top of your head as your consciousness opens to the great eternity beyond the sky. You know you are one with everything. Nothing separates you from Source. The intensity of this divine white light passes from the top of your head, through each of your now-awakened and activated chakras to your feet, through the mountain you have just climbed, and into the earth below. You stand in awe and in perfect peace and wellness, accepting the blessing which is being bestowed upon you. The climb to this point has been fulfilling, enriching, joyful, and nothing short of divine. You join hands with other travelers as they gather in this glorious light. Prayers ascend from your collective consciousness.
Now comes the time to descend, but how? You become aware that as you climbed the mountain you saw no one descending along that path. You become aware of a glowing golden light, a portal of sorts. Others are passing through it and into a kind of station filled with golden cars moving slowly along on silver rails. The walls of this station are covered in diamonds and quartz crystals, winking and gleaming in a softly glowing light. You board a car and feel it move in a slightly downhill direction. It moves into a wide tunnel, also lined with precious gems and crystals. It progresses from diamond to amethyst, to sapphire, to aquamarine, to emerald, to citrine and topaz, to salt and carnelian, and finally to rose quartz and ruby. The car slows and allows you to exit near an opening to the outside world very near the area where your car is parked under the branches of the great shade tree. You expect the sun to be low in the sky, but find that it has not moved from where it was when you began your journey up the mountain. So much has happened to you and to your spirit that you find it hard to grasp that time has not passed, but you accept it as you did each of the gifts you were given along your journey. You make your way to your car, to the road, and to your home, your spirit at peace and a smile on your face.
