Life is so beautiful the way it untangles and reveals things in it’s own way and if we slow down enough to notice, everything we are looking for is right here, available to us at any point.

Recently I taught at our BodyMindLife Jasper’s winter retreat. It was the first time I left my kids for a night, let alone three. I was very nervous about leaving my kids but excited about spending the time teaching with Nicole and Persia and connecting with our students. I was also looking forward to three uninterrupted nights of sleep not to mention time to connect to myself again.

I decided to fly up so I could have the day relaxing at Jaspers before the students were to arrive at sunset. Jasper’s Village is 60 minutes inland from Port Macquarie, nestled in the hinterland of the north coast and sits next to a beautiful river running from the surrounding rainforest dotted mountains to the sea. I had visions of paddling in the river, lying in the sun on the grass, having a massage or simply lazing about. I wanted a half-day to slow down and get grounded before the students arrived.

What I didn’t know was that I was to miss my flight despite being at the airport, checked in at the time of boarding and would spend the rest of the day travelling north to Port Mac by various means and modes of transport.

I ended up having to buy another ticket with a different airline and I waited three hours at the airport before flying North. I hitched a ride into the main town of Port Macquarie and walked to the bus depot to catch a bus to Wauchope. I waited in a local café until closing time and eventually met up with ‘the love bus’ driven by our teacher Donald from Sydney, full of our students. I ended up getting into Jaspers as the sun slipped over the hill….a hefty 12 hours after being dropped at Sydney airport that morning.

Despite the day being vastly different from what I had expected, it turned out to be just the thing I needed. I felt so happy all day; free and easy and without a care in the world. It was funny for me to feel so happy given the situation and reminded me that it doesn’t matter where we are going but how we are within ourselves, along the way.

I arrived at Jasper’s relaxed, rested and connected to my heart. Present, happy and grounded! I had had a chance to meander through life…take in the views, meet people on the way.

My plans for seamless transfers from home to airport, airport to Jaspers then a day of relaxing, massage and perhaps a little sleep weren’t to be. But what I got was 12 hours of adventure, during which I met some very cool people and in the end I felt very nourished by it all. I didn’t get what I had hoped for but because I remained open to the opportunity of life it was still a great experience.

It reminded me that if we are happy, we feel rested and energised. If we feel anger or resentment, blame or any other negative emotion, it drains our energy and takes us away from being able to enjoy what the present moment has to offer as we lose ourselves to ‘our story’.

I have been saying to myself and to students for years, ‘it’s not about the destination but the journey that counts’ and really this experience was a perfect example of that. It doesn’t matter where we are but how we are…if our hearts are open, every step can be beautiful, fun, exciting and new. And if our hearts are closed or we’re blocked in some way, even the most beautiful day or moment for that matter, can be a nightmare.

Rainer Maria Rilke sums it up beautifully,

‘Even the most visible happiness can’t reveal itself to us until we transform it, within’.

If I had closed my heart at the airport earlier that morning, I could have had a really bad day and been caught in struggle and blame cycles and stayed agitated, impatient and annoyed. Instead I had one of the best days of travelling I can remember and it was such a great opportunity to re-connect with myself, woman, wanderer and as a result I felt so ready to share open heartedly with the teachers and students of the retreat. The retreat was such a success, so deeply warming and nourishing and bonding…I can’t wait for the next one already…I wonder how I will get there?