Playing in Air

Air is ubiquitous. It’s all around us. I chase after iridescent bubbles in the breeze. We breathe… in & out…in & out…

Rumi reminds us; “There is a way of breathing that is a shame and a suffocation. And there’s another way of expiring a love breath- that lets you open infinitely.”

Through the request of a friend, I was open to expand my horizons by playing in air. I had always wondered what it would be like to fly & soar like the birds.

Prior to the sky dive as plane circled upward I was nervous & excited. I was going to jump out of an airplane! I jumped out into a freefall. A belly flop… falling into the sky. 10 seconds of rushing through the wind… felt like eternity. The parachute opened and I was pulled into a vertical orientation –there was silence- quiet-and a floating calm. What a perspective from up there. Drifting to touch down.

I liked the floating part of the sky dive; so I thought I would enjoy hang gliding even more. On top of a San Gabriel mountain I was hanging on to a big kite that provided me wings. I had been instructed to direct the glider toward the birds because they knew where the thermals were. We ran off the mountain onto a column of air …something… almost tangible. This was closer to what I had imagined. Riding the thermals was truly uplifting.

I am delighted that I was able to have these experiences…Next time it may be ‘up, up, & away! in my beautiful balloon.’ And I hope I can inspire others on their own adventures. -Lauren