Peak Experience Inspires Life Transformation
Realized something as I walked along the harbor the other morning at home in Rockland, ME after some great early season skiing the day before at Sugarloaf, near my new acupuncture clinic in Kingfield, ME.
Opening this new location to help even more people find ease in their bodies has been part of a life transformation for me. What came to me as I reflected on the reflections in Penobscot Bay and replayed the memories of my turns down northern Franklin County's iconic mountain the day before: this new life phase is modeled on a peak experience I had in the midst of my last major life shift. Enjoy these photos from Hawaii, they tell the story before I tell the story.
Snowy peak of Mauna Kea (White Mountain) from the beach
High red juvenile Hawaiian green sea turtle
(All photos from the reefs of Hawaii courtesy of my friend Jason Murray and his amazing site JasonsMarineLife.com. The rest of the Hawaiian landscapes are my own shots.)
Snow capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa from the lush pastures of Waimea, HI
Near the end of my schooling and apprenticeship in Seitai Shinpo Japanese Structural Acupuncture and other Eastern Medical Arts on the Big Island of Hawaii, things finally came together for a dream I had been incubating.
I skied in the morning. Snorkeled with the fishes in the afternoon.
Mauna Loa from Mauna Kea
Clockwise from top Indo-Pacific Sargents, Moorish Idol, Yellow Tang
Two storms in a row had painted Mauna Kea its namesake white.
Time was somehow available in the midst of millions of obligations with school, board exams, clinical duties, child rearing, and solar energy sales.
Ebay delivered just-in-time some serviceable skis, poles, and some too-small boots that needed to have the toes cut out of the liner to squeeze them on.
A friend agreed to join the adventure - and we were off!
When we got to the peak (my ancient Rav4 sputtered and slowed down in the thin air, but we made it!), we arranged to hitch rides in the back of a pickup owned by a dad shuttling his kids.
We got four of the most uniquely scenic and exhilarating ski runs on the planet!!
Humuhumunukunukuapu'aa (Hawaiian Reef Triggerfish)
After that, we drove straight to a beach with easy access to snorkeling on a beautiful reef teeming with vibrant life. A few hours out exploring the coral and its endless variety of fish, eels, turtles and invertebrates always put me in a state of bliss. Though we did not see any that day, sharks, dolphins, whales, rays, and monk seals all frequent the waters of Hawaii. 
Sitting in the warm edge of a Pacific Ocean lagoon that evening reveling in the sheer magic of the day is one of the peak experiences of my life so far.
My mind and my outlook are richer for it. Not every day can be like that, though. So, how do we move on, when something magical evaporates into the past and we are again faced with ourselves and the grind that everyday life can sometimes be?
What I have learned repeatedly, and sometimes painfully over the last ten years is that change is not a choice. Vitality depends on it. So, flow with it. Even when its hard. Especially when its hard.
We are all, of course, surfing atop a moving train, on a rotating globe, circling the sun, spinning in an ocean of stars. Harmony amidst dynamism requires balance and purpose. Perhaps leaps of faith are not last resorts, but a major part of the safety plan for gracefully moving forward amidst the ordered chaos.
Peak experiences rarely just happen. We envision them. Turn them over in our minds until we feel them, smell them, taste them. Our decisions are guided by the moment magnetically attracting us from where we are to where we know we NEED to be.
Obstacles arise. We slide sideways on a greasy road, counter steer just right to avoid the oncoming truck and back into the groove. Aim again for what beckons.
Sugarloaf USA (Photo Credit Unknown)
Never give up. Develop the heart...
No matter what is happening.
No matter what is going on around you.
Never give up.
-Dalai Lama
So happy to have arrived at this moment to share my skills and hard-earned, humble wisdom with those in need of pain relief and inspiration in the Midcoast and Sugarloaf communities. In gratitude, I serve.
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