
Rise Up
I took the day off from the paying gig to follow my passion. I created the music, then added images I’ve taken throughout the years. I hope you enjoy.

I took the day off from the paying gig to follow my passion. I created the music, then added images I’ve taken throughout the years. I hope you enjoy.


I have a confession to make. Anyone that follows my writing and photography knows I hike. I have a deep love for the trails and forests that said trails meander through in the Smoky Mountains. But I don’t just hike…I dance. And since truth is a light I bear, I also sing and have been known to play one of my flutes to the creeks, trees, rocks, and today I played for a great blue heron.
It was a moment of flow, where the music of the water and the song of my soul came into harmony. I was smiling as I played in the blissful state.

Standing on a large rock beside the creek, I recalled feeling this open in Ireland when the wind was playing standing fence pipes and I sat in the lush grass in the 5000 year old stone fort and wrote in my diary: we are like flutes, with Spirit the wind and if we open ourselves, we can be in universal harmony and allow Spirit to play us, to move us. So….I was remembering that moment and feeling that inner flow and harmony when a beautiful great blue heron flew within a few feet of me on her way to a favorite rock somewhere upstream. There’s no way to capture that image other than with words and simply closing my eyes and seeing her fly, hearing the water and flute…feeling the Oneness of us all.

Magic happens when we can be in a place of neutral stillness, with no agenda, and just follow the energy as it arises within and around us. I have received a lot of guidance about being neutral lately, of not putting myself in a position against anyone, but being in neutral and allowing that stillness, that stillpoint, to unfold. If we hook into the chaos, we feed it. So it’s a balancing act of learning to be neutral, finding stillpoint within, and staying in that place. Maybe that’s unconditional Love.

My friend Katherine describes it like this: “True Love is Neutral. True love has no polarity. As we strive to seek that point of stillness, to hold that point of stillness as an anchor, a fulcrum, a central point of balance, around which the chaos of polarity can bring itself to Quiet, and fold itself into the same resonance of stillness…until there only exists the Neutral, the True Love.” I like her explanation. A lot.

Something special happens when I allow myself the freedom to sing, dance, and play my flute in these sacred places. I consciously acknowledge the spirits of the places, the pure essence of life, and allow myself to celebrate them and all life. There’s so much we have to grieve about in this time of chaos, but there is also so incredibly much to celebrate.

What has made you dance lately? What songs are you singing? How has your soul expressed itself? Find a way to celebrate the beauty, even as the old paradigm crumbles. Refuse to hook into the chaos because it’s counting on us to feed it with anger, hatred, and fear. Step away from that trap. Feed your soul beauty and share that experience with the world.

With much love I send this out into the world.

With so much chaos around us, I was inspired to create a guided imagery about cultivating peace within the center. Much love everyone!


High elevation hiking to beat the heat gave the perfect Smoky Mountain experience early this morning. Thick clouds blanketed the mountains. White mist blew across the road as I drove to the trailhead.
It felt strange to start a hike going downhill, but to get to Andrews Bald, that’s how it goes. It stands at 5860 feet and the trail head is at 6350 feet. The cloud base was far below that elevation. And it was magnificent.

Wet rocks, lush ferns, water hugging my face as the clouds blew across the trail…perfect. Bird song so sweet my smile never faded. The forest feels close, so close, at these higher altitudes. Trails are carved from rocks and meander between fraser fir and red spruce trees. The smell of the firs intoxicates me every time I’m with them. It’s as if that fragrance calms me, steadies me.

When the trail isn’t cluttered with hyper, human energy and chatter, I’m able to connect deeper with my friends–rocks, ferns, trees, birds, flowers–and hear their voice so much clearer. The same can be said when I am able to stop my internal chatter.

Clouds act as my guide to inner stillness, inner quiet. They open me to experience the forest from their perspective: moist blankets that wrap everything in their beauty.

The flame azaleas were a sharp contrast to the grays and whites of the clouds.

After enjoying the colorful, fiery beauty of the azaleas, I hiked the Bypass Trail up to the top of Clingman’s Dome and enjoyed being above the forest in the clouds.

I feel at peace, joyful, and grateful to connect deeply with the spirits of the forest. Go outside…find your inner quiet and listen to the wonders of Nature.

