There is a River Somewhere

My temporary home for two weeks in August is a cabin on Cherokee land at Indian Creek campground. During my stay, the sounds and sights of the flowing creeks around me are a source of renewal and inspiration.

An American ethnographer, James Mooney, lived with the Cherokee people for several years and wrote about a ritual called “going to water.”

Mooney described how at daybreak a small group of Cherokee would be led by a healer down to a running stream, where the group would face the rising sun and fully immerse themselves in the flowing water, enacting a kind of rebirth.

My morning ritual at the campground includes a walk beside the creek and then meditation by the creek. The sound of the flowing water relaxes my mind and spirit. It reminds me that thoughts come and go and I have the agency to decide where to put my focus.

Take time today to listen to the flow of the water by clicking the video below.