Clarity in the Jungle - Taurus Season

We are in the heart of Taurus season and during this time I find myself deep in jungle of Peru.   I’m sitting here in awe that I’m even here, experiencing this incredible place.  Maybe it is because I haven’t travelled since I was a child so the magic feels so tangible, or, maybe it is because I have dropped into presence in a whole new way.

This jungle experience has me reflecting deeply on my life and the way that I approach each day.  Interestingly, my trip feels energetically split between a deeply primitive and isolated jungle experience and a more urban jungle encounter.

The first reflection : ‘pace’- what does it mean to be in relationship to natures rhythm? When we were deep within the jungle, we rose with the first light of dawn. This step was important, in the jungle the sun rises just after 5am and the sun sets around 6pm, the days and nights are balanced.  This felt so good for my body, resting in the extreme heat of midday and retreated to our huts after the sun set.

No running water except the river

No light except the Sun or the glow of the Moon and stars

No distractions

No reason to rush

No reason to stress

You just slip into the moment, you become truly present. Time seems to move differently in the jungle, there are no pressures that modern life has. The only choice is to align with nature and exist in harmony with her, the way we were meant to. It is so easy to do once there is no wifi interference, cell phones and tv’s. You begin to connect with something deeper and create bonds with those around you, through sharing and stories.

When it rains in the jungle it can be torrential so everything ceases. We retreat to our huts, lay in our hammocks and wait. It could be mins or hours, only mother natures knows the timing of the rains.

Every night around the same time it was like someone flipped a switch and the bugs, frogs and ducks would start their nightly symphony. Natures own lullaby for us, loud but oddly comforting. It seemed to create the need to retreat to our beds if we weren’t already there.

The day we hiked out of the jungle was bitter sweet. On one hand, a part of me yearned for running water and electricity  and on the other, longed to stay in the natural rhythm the jungle helped me find.  When we came back to the city, my senses felt assaulted by the noise and smells. This urban jungle - Iquitos runs on pure organized chaos.

Those that know the pace of Iquitos, seem to navigate it with ease.  For outsiders, we stumble around just trying to find coherent footing, trying not to get run down by the tuktuks. No more symphony of insects and animals, no, now it’s replaced with the rumbling of motorcycles, horns  and sirens.

The second reflection: ‘possession and value’ - I have witnessed real poverty while here.  The People have this ability to not attach themselves to things because the jungle rains can wash away their possessions and even their homes. While this seems scary it also seems to be freeing in a strange way, especially coming from a culture with a materialistic mindset. People move and shift with the wet season, so, in a way there is a rhythm here too.

As my time here in Peru comes to an end, I’m left contemplating the value I have placed on my home, my things and the people in my life. While I recognize I live in a very different world, it’s making me honestly assess what the most precious things are to me. The answer I have found may seem obvious but I promise you, this runs deeper than it did before. My family, friends, connecting with others,  being grateful for my health and my families, being able to bring a smile to someone’s face through kindness and compassion … this is what lives in my heart.

Coming to a place like this has made me look at REAL lack and scarcity and what that means when I go back home. True scarcity is not knowing where the next meal is coming from and if you’ll have clean water.  These basic needs along with shelter and safety are what drives people here. Not who has more followers, more clients, money and the next new shiny device. The truth of it is this, a lot of us in the western culture have lost touch with this and it’s a good reminder we all need to sink into.

One thing is for certain, I drank it in. This whole experience will remain in my heart as a lesson and as a way to live my with more

presence, more love and much more gratitude.

A’ho