Hummingbird Journals

without judgment

Taking a picture this morning triggered a day of contemplation. Couldn’t resist capturing that moment.

I tell people, when they ask why I don’t wear shoes, I’d rather be cold than confined.

I asserted my desire to live in bare feet after retiring from teaching. At first it was exhilarating to feel all of the seasons through my feet. I became more intimately in tune with the telluric currents and subtle energy shifts that spur on the changes in nature as the seasons transition. Walking my dog, Sebastian, regardless of inclement weather, was a great teacher to me.

Although I do recognize the dangers of being exposed to frost bite, the need to know compelled me to explore the edge of what my feet could endure walking in snow and ice. The Colorado sun keeps our pavement dry and warm most of the time. During the times when I was walking short distances through the snow I became aware of the limitations of judgment. The moment I judged the situation as good or bad the experience soon followed. It was the reverse of walking on hot coals.

Instead, I learned to allow the sensations without analyzing. Just observing them without judgment..

Remaining curious in life is a gift. It became a spiritual practice for me for a few seasons. All these years later, as I put my foot fully into the sensation of cold this morning, I felt free.