** Note,  Pīti is a very specific joy associated with a state of deep tranquility. I used that word because it was cool, and different,  and the Buddhist context seemed apt for the subject matter.

This past weekend, I went firewalking with Andrew Steed with a wonderful friend of ours.  It was Awesome.  It was Joyful.  It was a hug-incarnate.  It was all sorts of good happy things that words seem pretty cheesy for when typed out, but still don’t come quite close to the actual Experience of.

Our young son attended, as well, and appears to have had some of the wisdom and Healing that happened there sink in much deeper than it did to curmudgeony old Maebius.  He still talks about building the fire with Intent, and growing your personal energy and Love, and SHAA!

One thing that resonated to me though, was surprisingly NOT the actual walking on coals.  For as much as I love fire, and as awesomely energizing that act was, I was most moved by events before the gathering around the embers.

Prior to the walking, Andrew led an empowering ritual where people broke wooden arrows with their bare throats!    While I’m sure our friend would have loved to see me participate, I was not called to, and was basking in the Witnessing of the whole thing.     After the arrows, they bend a 6ft rod of steel rebar!!

Now, let me tell you, I can repeat the mantras of Witnessing others, and can psychologically try explaining how it’s likewise empowering to support people doing such powerful spiritual acts, but I also admit it’s a heck of a lot of fun to do them yourself too.

This time, I surprised myself by being so caught up it the moment, so viscerally Present, that when each arrow broke, I clapped and smiled like a kid in a candy store.   There was just So.  Much.  Love!  in the room I couldn’t help myself.    When the rebar bent, I don’t think I could even really see it due to misty-eyed, tingling-spined, AWE that was radiating in that room.  I had some profound Piloerection events (mind out of the gutter!).

Even today, almost a week later, and having felt a bit of that Joy slip away over the work-week, the mental thought of that room, with those people, just shines in my heart and makes my feel 10lbs lighter.   I’m reminding myself to carry that feeling all the time, even while at work, because “I’m doing my job Anyway”, and am very grateful for the experience.

Still, the musing of this post is a new, deep-rooted realization that Witnessing, in the sacred context, is absolutely Empowering.  It is impersonal,  non-ego driven, and Participatory.  It’s potent stuff indeed.

I have a much better appreciation of that Avatar Movie, too, so to all my readers….

I see you.   <3

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