To Hell and Back

Hoellerundweg, the name of the trail we hiked yesterday in the Bavarian Alps, can be translated as “To Hell and Back” .  Well, though the trail was not as rough as the name would suggest, the devil did treat us to a variety of weather.  We hiked this trail in mix of driving rain, sleet, hail, snow, and a bit of sunshine.  The heaviest deluge of rain came when we stopped for lunch.  There we sat on a bench, alongside a rushing river,  eating cheese, an orange, an apple, and pumpkin seed flat bread crackers, while looking across at the devil’s face etched in the rock wall across the river.   Luckily, we had our heavy duty all-weather ponchos on and managed to stay dry and warm and were able to laugh back at the face carved into the rock ahead of us.  In fact, I could not imagine this day being any other way.

Devil’s face etching in the rock wall across from our riverside lunch spot. You can see sheets of rain over the devil’s face. It was a real feat to take this photo AND keep my camera dry.

There is a Sanskrit Mantra I use for guided meditation in class.  The mantra is “So Hum” and it means, “That I am” or “I am That.”  The meaning is both simple and complex.  Clear your mind and you become a reflection of all that is around you!  (I am the devil’s face etched in the rock wall, seen through sheets of rain?).  So Hum.  So Hum is as simple as hearing church bells in the valley and becoming the sound of the bells reverberating through the spring mountain air. So Hum is as complex as being more than an individual.  So Hum is being one with humanity, one with the environment and nature, one with the cosmos, one with universal consciousness.

I thought of this today as I walked the valley, the mountains, as tiny hail stones pelted my shoulders and parka-hooded head. The unbelievable part of today’s hike was that we loved every second of it.  The manta So Hum kept me in the moment in this Elysian valley, mountains, and trails.

Below are more photos and meditations on the So Hum mantra.

So Hum:  I am the rushing river.

So Hum:I am the shades of green, the pure fresh air, the church bells ringing.

So Hum: I am the eccentric Carriage Museum with all of its humorous odd collections of carriages, old costumes, antiques, and mishmash of collected items.

So Hum:  I am a collection of the past, the very fabric of the present, the wonder of the future.

So Hum: I am the reflections of the outdoor Carriage House mirrors.

So Hum: I am the colorful butterfly.

So Hum: I am the mooing of the gentle cows in the fields. I am the sound of the chiming cow bells.

So Hum: I am the covered bridge, witness to the great rushing river below.

So Hum: I am the ringing of the ancient Hindelang church bells reverberating throughout the valley for the last 800 years.