A long time ago, in a place called Allerton Gardens on the island of Kauai…
No, this is not a fairytale, though the botanical gardens walks one back in time and place… to sublime.
Allerton is not the Garden of Eden, but close. For one thing – there are no critters. For another, it’s in the U.S. But it is as idyllically near as any place my husband and I have traveled. If you haven’t visited, especially during a period of great angst and conundrum, I strongly suggest that you do. Reportedly the gardens is where Jackie Kennedy was flown immediately after her husband was shot.
Get it?
We were guided through the garden – for a fee which we gladly paid. Well, not so gladly because my husband is a skinflint. Teasing, yet not – he just didn’t know that high value would come in tandem with the high price.
We and our small group of tourists walked and walked and walked – through acres and acres and acres of nature’s bounty, well-groomed and filled with a place to ‘sit a spell.’ Water features of ying and yang variety, eclectic, ancient-and-modern, yet all aligned in perfect pitch.
To a heartbeat.
And, when I noticed and remarked, the guide said, “When you walk to the pace of your heartbeat, your health improves.” It was then that I noticed the pace of his gait as well as our group’s pervasive – yet subconscious – alignment. Just as the fountains were aligned, so were we.
Here’s a parallel, a truth of writing that I’ve noticed: Just as sync and flow assist with writing, so it goes with health.
Interesting concept, walking in sync with your heartbeat. I’ll have to try that. In stores and other venues with background music, I always walk in sync to that. Can’t help it. Okay, sometimes I may dance a little.
Happy writing in November.
Thanks for your comment – and your musical affinity. Life as dance improv! What fun!