Reid Stowe's voyage of allowing well-being

I love the sea, but only have one experience with sailing, just one short journey across the Ruddy Inlet in Virginia Beach in the 1980's. I thought it would be fun to learn to sail and rented a little one-man boat. They showed me how to turn the rudder and hold the rope for the sail and sent me out across a small inlet crowded with boaters. I quickly decided this was the wrong time to give it a try and cut a wide swath through yelling sailors on motor boats and sailboats as I headed back to the safety of the pier.

I was immediately hooked when I found 1000 Days at Sea, Reid Stowe's 1000 day journey non-stop on his schooner Anne. He began the journey with his first mate Soanya Ahmad who disembarked before the halfway mark for the birth of their son. They both posted about the spiritual journey at sea as well as the physical one, and as Reid sailed on alone, his spiritual journey has taken on new depth.

There are many things about their voyage that capture my imagination, but I think most of all I am drawn to the simplicity of their lifestyle. Reid is incredibly busy with repairs and maintenance, but this voyage is very much a spiritual practice for him and he goes deeper and deeper into mindfulness as he sails.

As Reid attempts to explain his inner experience it is clear that more and more he lets go of restrictions and resistance. Sometimes it's difficult for me to relate to him, often I am moved and inspired. Using the concepts of Abraham-Hicks, what I thought of when I read his latest post is that he is in a very powerful place of being and allowing. Thank you for taking this journey, Reid, and for sharing it with me.

Here's Reid and then Abraham:

Day 596 - December 8, 2008

Wind SSW, 5 knots, Drifting, Position 26*59s by 116*05w

Annihilating East and West

As I live here on the sea I let my mind go free. I try not to live in my intellectual rational mind so I can experience awe and wonder without judgment. In this way I see the ocean again and again as if it were the first time; a million sparkles in patterns of waves weaving liquid fabric through eternity. Even on my spiritual quests I have always had the tendency to look at the compass and orient myself with the cardinal directions, my planetary guides and the far away land masses. Now I have had the opportunity to abolish all direction and annihilate the rule of east and west. I cover my compass and reside in my heart. When I climb out of my hatch I let the sun and the sea be as they will be. I resist minimizing them by calculating and I expand gratefully accepting out in all directions. There are some clouds. The sun is up there somewhere often shining warmly through. The waves come from every direction and merge together and this tells me nothing of what direction I am looking and drifting. Like this I go about my daily work, which becomes my art, my meditation, my love of life, my love of God. The search for the meaning of life just becomes living. This is my art, how I add love to the world and how I learn and grow. My desire to be disoriented helps me be flexible and learn new things. In the revealed chaos I quietly dwell centered and I stop trying to control what is around me. Then I enter the awesome realm of the divine. I know I am far enough out to sea for the wind, waves and universe to take me where they will.just for awhile. Then I will look to see where I am and set a course again and resume my migration around the world.

Reid Stowe

The only thing that makes the difference in the way you feel right now is the thought that you are thinking right now. It doesn't matter how much money you've got; there are joyful people with no money, and there are unhappy people with lots of money. How you feel is about how you are allowing the Source that is You to flow. So when we talk about the Art of Allowing, we're talking about the art of living; about the art of thriving; about the art of clarity. We're talking about the art of being who you really are.

Abraham-Hicks, 7/20/02

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