Friday, March 9, 2007
Location: Piikani Reservation, Alberta

Had a really good sweat last night: hot rocks, good prayers, good friends and good weather. While in the sweat lodge I was thinking about how good I’m feeling these days. I’ve been working on the ranch helping Morris dig postholes and build corrals and the good hard manual labour has left me feeling strong and balanced.

How I’m feeling started me thinking about a story I heard a few years ago when I was very heavily involved in martial arts.

There was a man who was a great practitioner of Aikido, until one day he was severely hurt. In being hurt he could no longer physically train, but instead of staying home, he would attend class a sit quietly on the mat while others practiced their technique. Weeks went by, and then months, until finally a student asked him why he kept attending class even though he was unable to train. The man told the student he was polishing the mirror.

For years he had trained physically and had become physically strong and proficient at Aikido technique. This was the time known as 'sharpening the sword', metal to the grindstone, he had been tempering his body into a beautiful instrument.

Being injured the time of physical training had encountered an abrupt pause. He found himself in deep emotional pain, frustrated by his new physical limitations. However, instead of being thrown off balance he decided to go to class and just sit.

In sitting, he began to look inwards. He explored the emotional source of his suffering, he dismantled old patterns that were long familiar, and he spent many classes getting in touch with his spirit. This was the time known as 'polishing the mirror'.

Here on the Piikani Reservation I’ve spent the last few months polishing the mirror. I’ve been working on my spirit and clearing away the grime in order to see myself anew. My Blackfoot family and my time within the sweat lodge have together been instrumental in this process of cleansing. Last night I felt myself reaching a new echelon of mental clarity and overall spiritual health, in this moment of transcendance came a deep calm. Everything is going well, and according to a greater plan.

Now it’s time, once again, to work at sharpening the sword. For me this involves hard physical training, working with my cameras, struggling for those hard to reach images, being my own workhorse, and hammering away at this long beautiful creative process.

peace,
d