Fay Canyon Trail
I hope I don't sound redundant, but the hike along Fay Canyon Trail was a beautiful surprise. I was trying to find a different trail when I made the wrong turn off and ended up near Fay Canyon Trail and the "Secret Mountain" area. The Forestry Department guide said this was an easy trail with little elevation. I was a little disappointed at this news, but I quickly returned my brain to a state of gratitude. I just looked up at the giant red mountains surrounding the canyon and I decided I had a beautiful view before I even set foot on the trail.
Yes, it started out easy, but it felt special. There is some pinion forest on either side of dry creek beds, like a smaller version of what I saw on the Boynton Canyon Trail. And the smell....very sweet and flowery. The climate along much of the trail was refreshingly cool. The coolness reached its zenith when I approached a set of large stones in the dry creek bed, in which a mature Datura plant was growing. You can see her flowers at the beginning of this photo album. This seemed unusual to me because these plants usually grow near water--at the beach, on a river bank or in wetlands. I am thinking there must have been water recently in this stream. Actually, the spot where it is growing even smelled moist...
While walking and meditating, my mind and breathing became more relaxed. For some reason I began reflecting on fear of death. I see this as something at the root of many worries, indecision and loneliness. This fear, is firmly set within our amygdala; an alarm going off too often, like a smoke detector in a kitchen. But what is the point? Do we know what happens when we die? Is the fear actually staving off death? Do we even know what it means to stop breathing. If we were truly, consciously concerned about death, wouldn't we cherish every breath like fine gold? If we release this fear, overcome the default programming, we will not surely die. Eventually, yes. But it is something so inevitable and universal, that fear and worry are ineffective at changing the situation. No matter how much or little time we have, we have now. That is best spent, breathing, exhaling consciously. Getting to know and appreciate yourself. Being grateful to the Creator for this opportunity....
Life is beautiful. Every breath is a treasure.
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