I’m obsessed with cairns.

I recently learned that some people HATE them.

“It’s human ego, we cannot go anywhere without leaving a mark.”

“They’re dangerous for hikers.”

“It reminds us that people were there before us.”

“It’s nature graffiti.”  (I also love graffiti.)

I love running into their stately presence on long hikes.

I feel connected to every other hiker that was and will be.

I feel like cairns are a tribute to nature–live art that is built by a community with love and respect for outdoors.

I admire the balance of something so heavy and clumsy transformed into something so tall and regal.

How many times do we find ourselves feeling so heavy and clumsy-completely out of our element?

And how many times, with the perfect re-stacking and support, do we regain our balance and become majestic?

I feel like we build our own cairns in our yoga and meditation practice.

The postures stack and re-stack our bones and muscles into a perfect balance.

Pranayama tests the sturdiness, crumbling anything that doesn’t belong.

And meditation rebuilds again, and again, and again.