Art by Judith Sparks

Some of you know that I went on Holiday to Hawaii, the Big Island in February from the 16-26th. I want to tell all of you about an experience I had there that deeply resonated with my experiences of meditating with you both at the Seattle Sangha sits and in our weekends with Reggie Ray and Tami Simons. My dear friend and spiritual teacher Amara Wahaba Karuna Heartsong stewarded a visit to a Yoni Cave for myself and my 3 close friends who traveled with me to Hawaii. There is a cave there which has remarkable features that resemble/imitate/generate the feeling of being with the sacredness of female genitalia. While most caves do this in and of themselves because they are clefts in living rock in a natural habitat that must be entered by going down and within our living planet, this cave has the additional features of having lava that formed into the shape of female genitals which include anatomically “correct” parts of the clitoral complex. In addition, it is believed that the cave has been used for several hundred years for rituals of conception and birth. It is, in and of itself, without the components of imitating, ( is that the right word, are women an imitation of the earth or visa versa?), female genitalia, a magnificent experience to enter this cave.

There are stalagtites and stalagmites and mineral deposits with a myriad of colors and crystal formations. There are two cathedral rooms to enter before going down a long tunnel that opens into a larger room with two lava tubes stacked on top of each other. As a spelunking experience it is marvelous and relatively easy to traverse. Anytime I have had the opportunity to enter a cave and the presence of mind to let the experience register in my body, I have been deeply humbled. In this cave, where I was fortunate enough to be guided by a person who feels it is part of her spiritual responsibility to steward others to experience the cave’s holiness; I had several transformative experiences. We prayed and sang and did ritual to heal ourselves and connect deeply with the energies of the earth. I felt, as I have so often felt during our meditations together, that the planet is alive and waiting for us to turn our attention to how she is alive “in us”.

I cried many times with both relief and deep sorrow sourced by the senses of recognition and reverence that arose in me. We were in the cave for several hours and I emerged with two distinct and lasting impressions: 1) it is imperative that I continue to bring grounding and a sense of “falling down and back” into all of my own spiritual work and into the classes, workshops and private sessions I offer to others as “my work” 2) I am to allow anyone who feels a desire to have this experience themselves, access to this experience. To that end, if any of you are traveling to The Big Island of Hawaii in Hawaii and plan to be in the Hilo/Puna Pahoa district feel free to contact Amara at the phone number and/or email address given below. I want to be clear that this communication is not an advertisement for either the cave or for Amara. I am distinctly NOT in the business of exotic location/vacation tourism. This is not a tourist experience. Neither Amara, nor myself are interested in making money from the opportunity to be with the planet as it naturally occurs.

Having said that, I have renewed my dedication to championing the ecological restoration of the planet. I am committed to beginning all of my teachings with a grounding exercise where people align themselves with the energy body of the planet and have a sense of connection and belonging that provides healing and reciprocal nurturing. Amara does accept donations for the act of taking people to the cave, doing guided visualization and shamanic work that ensures the guardian of the cave is willing to have visitors, requesting that visitors to the cave have a spiritual context for their time there, and requesting that the conversations in the cave be ritualistic rather than mundane or social in their focus. Amara also gave me permission to share information about the existence of the cave and her contact information with others if I felt drawn to do so. It is my desire that any of you who align yourself with the work of Dharma Ocean and are also traveling to the Big Island of Hawaii get the opportunity to enter this cave and possibly be transformed. Feel free to contact me directly for more information. Blessed Be!