What is a cairn, and what does it have to do with our health?
On the homepage of my website, there is an image of an intentionally-laid stack of rocks. I first saw these on a trip 15 years ago to Acadia National Park with my then young family. I came to find out that cairns are man-made piles of stones found all around the world for thousands of years that have long been used to mark special places in nature. They help tell a story, or offer guidance, or to remember a time in history. They can also be built to mark memories of special moments in life.
As I continued to come upon them on many a magnificent trail, I thought, “Someone was here on this path…they have passed this way also.” The cairn points to a deep need in us to be seen, to be acknowledged, and to belong somewhere to someone. I found them throughout Ireland, and especially on the Aran Islands, where I built the one that symbolizes health on my homepage.
Health is built step by step and choice by choice. It is intentional. Balance is essential in this pursuit. We must remain flexible; the stones are not mortared together, but rather delicately stacked. The base is large and stable, and is an essential important element for other stones to be securely laid. As we build a sustainable life of good health choices, including whole food, movement, sleep, stress management and belonging, the base of our cairn becomes more stable. This is not to say that wind and rain will not blow down upon our cairn. Life can be messy and difficult, but our resilience and courageous spirit will help us pick up the fallen pieces and put them back into place.
Each of us will have a unique shape and form to our cairn. I honor your expression of what it means to be human here on the earth. I see your cairn on your path. You are here—your “one wild and precious life” is yours to live. Make your mark!
With a deep belief in your ability to bring health and wellness into your life,
Beth
—
Poem 133: The Summer Day
By Mary Oliver
Photo: © Robert Wojtowicz / rwimages.com