Snuggled in bed, 6 AM, I open one eye. Sunlight filters through cumulus clouds into the bedroom, warming my back. It’s peaceful and nourishing, this light.  As I slowly come awake, I’m filled with a delicious sensation of being lit up from inside. I play with this, watching how the bright, white sunlight envelops and emanates from me. 

     I often stand and swallow the sun first thing. Sticking out my tongue to receive the light, lifting my open mouth so the light flows in and down my throat, I swallow golden warmth and feel it come into me, three times. I learned this from Quechua people high in the Andes mountains of Peru. When they emerge from their unheated stone huts into the sunrise, they swallow the sun to warm quickly. It’s also a way they fill with light consciously, washing away any vestiges of heaviness from the night. 

     But this morning’s experience happens to me, without volition, a gift from the cosmos. Instead of having to shift into my radiance, I am radiant. It shows in my eyes when I look in the mirror. It shows in the joy I spread, the peace and calm I bring to everything I do. 

     As the light wanes and the sun slowly lowers its path in our Northern hemisphere, I relish the subtle changes arcing across the landscape. It’s a time to slow down and move inward, yet I know I will miss the brilliant long days, so I pay special attention. Possibly I am storing up light in my body’s memory, just as a stone holds warmth long after the sun has passed. Certainly I am carrying and radiating as much light as I can in these dark days, filling my heart over and over to wash away immobilizing despair.

     If you’re online and tuned in, you’ll hear a lot of talk about indigenous wisdom these days, with good reason. Our brothers and sisters who stay close to the flow and rhythms of nature show us how to draw in the energy of brilliant sun, of trees reaching deep into Earth, of water flowing around barriers, of winds clearing the air. They source from their understanding and interconnections to braid sweetgrass with deep respect, to move through the world with grace and heart. We can too. 

     Shamanic and Earth-based wisdom, as you long-time subscribers know, have been my primary tools for digging myself out of emotional holes, deepening my practice of being present, and exploring ways to shift energy and consciousness. I’m not being called to teach workshops anymore, but working one-on-one, my spirits guide me to offer just the right practices for each person who comes to me for healing.      

     When you are a solitary learner, or just want to check out how these practices work, my book, videos, interviews, and blogs all focus on guiding you step by step with what works. If you avail yourself of these resources, and dive into the Earth-based wisdom that comes from my indigenous teachers, the Q’ero, you won’t be sorry!