Off to Offa's Dyke path
FiNaLly! A sunny day without rain. As I've only been on two (wet) hikes in the past two weeks, I can't let a dry day pass by without making the most of it. The aim is to visit two stone circles in the west of the Brecon Beacons. I'm so curious to sense the energy of these ancient places. As I lay awake, I hear the wind howling through the trees. I reconsider, there is no chance of sensing subtle energies in a raving storm. I decide to change plans and choose a destination closer to home. I haven't yet been on the most eastern part of the Black Mountains in the Brecons, and I decide to walk a part of the Offa's Dyke path trail.
It is still dark as I drive along the motorway. My car is quite shaken by the winds … goodness that's a real good storm. I got the impression that my ride looks a bit drunk, since I'm definitely not driving straight and I come up with a nice meditation game to see if I can steady the car.
I deepen my breathing and expand my awareness to really sense the car. Then I relax my arms and wrists, letting my body weight sink into the pelvis and loosening my grip on the steering wheel. It's clear that muscle strength isn't going to get the job done. In my mind I ask the car, what do you need to drive straight ahead? I feel how the steering wheel interacts with the wheels, sense the counterforce that the car needs with each blow it receives from the wind. My hands softly make quick, tiny movements. Continuously correcting the steering wheel with millimeter movements. I'm no longer steering, I'm feeling the pressure and every so slightly giving counterpressure. Successfully. The car is no longer being blown across the road. We're a team.
From the parking lot I walk through a beautiful valley, surrounded by mountains covered with the shadowy light of the dawn. A squirrel takes time for breakfast a couple of meters in front of me. I stop and watch, with a smile on my face, touched by this adorable animal.
After making my way through some farm fields, I come up to the mountains. And with me, the rain. We arrive both at the same time, how convenient. With the rain, the wind seems to start blowing even more forcefully and now that I'm out in the open, it is a lot less fun. I consider going back and decide against it. 'You wanted an adventure', says a voice in me. 'What if the sun comes out again', says another voice. Ahh well, I can go on for a bit longer.
Suddenly the rain stops. Yay! The wind however does not and is so forceful that I get blown to the side all the time. Even though it's broad, I'm still on a ridge, so it seems a good idea to steady myself and not get blown over. I ask my body how I got to move in order to stay anchored on the ground. Feldenkrais lessons come in handy now since they taught me how to sense the movement in my body and how to optimise it with every single move. I remember the forecast mentioning wind gusts of 30 knots … yeahhh I think that's true.
I can't set a quick pace with this wind (my walking kinda resembles a monkey's walk) and so there is no chance to stick to the route I had in mind. Plus I have experienced enough storm now. I see a path on the opposite mountain, out of the wind and decide to make my way there. The steepness making it quite an adventure. It's worth it, this valley is beautiful. Apart from a few drops, the weather holds and I even got sunshine.
The village of CwmJoy honours its name: there is a light energy present and the area feels good. They have a remarkable church:
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