Bear Medicine

This whole year has been so daunting and depressing and feels like nothing will ever get better. Dealing with elderly parents, especially when one of them is having severe mental issues, is exhausting. One day they hate you, the next day they are crying like a baby and apologizing. Something just has to give. I went on a walk through our forest and pulled a few of the wildlife camera cards, just to see if there was anything on them to make my day. It has been a few years since we have seen a bear, so when I saw this big fuzzy wuzzy, I was so stoked! I said, Thank you, God, you know I needed this medicine today. And, ironically, I had been sitting on that chair the same afternoon and the day after that. It's a little chair I have set up by the little pond and I sit there and watch the tadpoles swim. And one of the websites I still get daily emails from is "DailyOm" --- it's amazing how often the messages in their emails is exactly spot on with what I'm feeling/going through. Of course, when I received the following email, it made me very emotional...if you don't think things happen for a reason, you need to think again! Thank you little Bear!! You have no idea how much I needed you!!
 

We can incorporate bear energy into our lives by remembering to take time to go inward, to rest and rejuvenate in daily mini hibernations.

"When the image of a bear enters our consciousness, we may first notice their size, strength, and power, but beyond their physical attributes lay many traits that can guide us deeper into our experience of life. Their abilities as hunters and powerful protectors of their loved ones are well known, but you may also envision them on a quest for variety as they seek out the flavors and scents of the world, first fishing, then enjoying berries, or braving angry bees to indulge in honey. But their hidden strength lies in the bear’s ability to travel between the physical and spiritual worlds, a talent that is recognized all around the world by those who live in harmony with nature.

One way that bears access their inner world is during hibernation when they find a safe and womb-like environment to let their physical bodies rest while their spirit travels. They travel through time, mentally digesting and learning from their experiences, but they also travel beyond the realm of mind and body into the dreamtime, where they are able to be rejuvenated by the source of all life. In this sacred space, they are connected to physical, mental, and spiritual realms all at once and can find the balance that they need to reenter world.

Polar bears don’t enter a deep state of hibernation like other bears, but instead fluidly cross between realms on the physical plane as well the spiritual. Their reflective, translucent fur makes them difficult to see as they move across the frozen ice, blending into terrain covered with snow, making them seem like they are shimmering between dimensions. They move as easily in water as on land, agile and able in both worlds. They can remind us that we are one with our environment, inseparable from it. They teach us that while we can take time apart to connect with spirit, we can also carry that awareness with us as we move through life, making the spiritual indistinguishable from the material. By aligning ourselves with bear energy, we fully embody the best of all worlds."

Then I found this clump of maple tree "whirly birds" and thought: Every day I'm challenged by more of what God thinks I can handle! Sometimes I wish I could be like a tree and just release everything that no longer serves me --- easier said than done. It's hard, but I'll get through it...I've gotten through much worse.

love and peace always ~ Kathy