“Digging for Courage” started as my floundering for a COVID-19 theme. I was lost in the confusion and hoping to find what I needed in writing.
On April 1st I heard Russell Brand speak with Wim Hof. I had heard of Hof from my sons’ Ripley’s Believe It or Not books and a conversation with Stephen Plyler, their Brazillian jiu-jitsu mentor at Elevated Studios.
Hof’s testimony about his ability to defend against disease was compelling. Couple that with learning that his journey began when his wife committed suicide and I was ready to explore what he was offering.
My journey is at once spiritual, psychological, and physical. They are not separate in my quest. Tonight, as I lied on my back under a nearly full moon with my sons by my side, I let the air out of my body and stared into the cloudy sky. I didn’t just contemplate the infinite, I felt it pass over, carrying me along.
Shortly after, I stepped out of a hot shower and turned the water cold. I eased back under the water and breathed into a standing prayer position. I thanked God for my health and safety and for giving me a body primed for my crazy endeavors. I thanked Him for my sons, my angel of a girlfriend, and my late wife.
As I write that, I thank God for a heart that can hold these gratitudes and loves at once.
Breath is spirit. It gives us access to ourselves and is a conduit to the Divine.
God bless and thank you for reading,
Jason