I experienced a lot of magic on my recent trip to Hawai’i and one very magical place is Kealakekua Bay near Captain Cook south of Kona. If you click on the image at left to see a larger version you will see that there are a lot of black lava stones along the water’s edge. Those are actually pushed up onto the beach during storms. In this image, the tide is high so the black sand of the beach is under water.
My first trip to the bay was with friends and we were walking around and talking so I didn’t get to relax and let the bay talk to me.
On my second trip to the bay I was alone and did more exploring. As you walk down behind the berm of stones, you find that people have piled them up into small monuments, and about a third of the way down someone had fashioned a quite comfortable chaise lounge complete with back rest from the stones. I adjusted a few of the stones and layed down. As I relaxed and allowed myself to slip into a light trance state, I became aware that I was hearing an echo of the waves crashing on the beach shortly after the waves actually crashed. Being the recovering engineer that I am, I looked around and realized that the echos were coming from the sound of the waves crashing being reflected off of the cliffs you see in the background.
As I enjoyed the symphony, I became aware that when the echo returned to me, a portal, or window was opening to the spiritual side of the bay, and then as I continued listening, I became aware that every time the echo returned, the spiritual side of the bay was speaking to me. It wasn’t coming as words, but more like an emotion, and after a while, I started to realize that in a way that is difficult to explain, the echo that seemed to come after the physical wave crashed on the beach was actually coming to me before the physical wave. This was an interesting thing to experience since my physical mind did not want to accept this. To it, the echo could not preceed the physical event.
There was an incredible joy being sent to me with each wave and echo. It was so full of life that all I could do was smile and laugh and let it carry me away. I’m not sure how long I layed there that day, but I would not have missed the experience for anything. In fact I enjoyed it so much that I returned two more times to let it sweep me away.
I have read this post several times. And your description of the echo kept reminding me of something! Finally I realised! When I was living a rather sad life in Tasmania, I escaped for some time out to a place on the east coast called Bicheno. There, on a rock shelf, I saw a woman doing Tai Chi as she faced the waves. As I watched, I felt a sense of peace filling me and surrounding me. Very strange! She turned and waved me over to join her. I stood behind her and simply followed her movements and felt this amazing sense that our movements in fact echoed the rhythms of the waves. I felt then that the time had come to find a place by the sea and to find the peace I so longed for there.
It sounds magical and the serenity is almost palpable. Your beautiful photo is the icing on the cake.
What a lovely post. In our hurrying around the world, and even when we have the express intention of experiencing some of it, we’re often so busy hurrying, or chattering, or just thinking of something else, that we miss experiences such as this. I can just imagine the wonderful meditative impact the waves and their echo must have had on you. Thank-you for letting us in on such a special experience.
Just dropping by to say “hi”. Would love to read more of your explorations when you are ready. I have been reduced to eagerly seeking out your wit and wisdom on the WordPress fora! 😉
Found your website through WordPress – and was very moved by your post. I echo the hopes of reading more of your observations and reflections. Your trip sounds incredible… Namaste.
Very nice blog.
The photo is incredible.
Blessings like these are special and something to remember on those tiring days.
Shraddha
Wonderful post – you really had me “there.” I like your writing style and overall feel of this blog – will have to come back often. 🙂
The Old Silly
amazing post =)
Loved reading your post. Something came to me as I was reading and it was more about the freedom that is experienced by the very few in real life. I think these same experiences happen every second of the day, everywhere however, get shrowded by the external driven forces of the world. They are there.. and perhaps an experience to be learned in the real… just a thought!! Thanks for sharing
Wow I love this, oh to have that innocence again, I agree with Robyne, we are boxed and clouded…
Thanks…x
Richard, seems we have a few things in common with regard to the sea – Good luck in Hawaii, maybe you could follow the trades over here one day.
pete
Hi Richard. Thank you so much for your help with my blog. I’m a ‘blog virgin’ so its all new to me, but my daughter (who is a writer, doing her PhD in Oxford) has urged and encouraged me, to help keep in touch with friends and colleagues, while I’m off living in Kenya for a while and later hope to travel in the Far East, and hopefully Japan, before we get too old and must confine our travels to Europe or Scandinavia.
Anyway, I looked at your blog and only hope I can maintain something even half as good. I shall try ..
Happy writing and photography. Many thanks again.
Virginia