WHERE WATER MEETS ICE

 I have always found great comfort in bears. Ever since I was a small child, I have been especially drawn to the polar bear. Every documentary, every book, every picture and every zoo visit,  I always found myself drawn to the polar bear's eyes. It was the bear's eyes that spoke the loudest to me. I was a child who knew much fear, and in the depths of the polar bear's eyes, fear was not present. It was the absence of fear that drew me to it. I found a great comfort in this magnificent creature who possessed a quality I so much desired. And it was in this bear's presence, my fearful heart was still. I would get lost in its eyes, as the bear's spirit recognized my own and its coal black eyes could see right through me, and could see with crystal clarity the fear that was within. It knew it had a medicine I was so very much in need of.

I learned early on in the teachings of the medicine wheel how our emotions are fluid like the water. This particular bear can be found in places where the water meets the ice and it possesses a powerful medicine to those who have struggled emotionally and have been frozen by fear. It gives a voice to the ones whose words have been swallowed by it.

The polar bear has an acute sense of smell and uses it to hunt. One of its hunting methods is what is termed "still hunting" where the bear lies in wait near a seal's breathing hole in the ice. When the seal exhales, the bear is able to smell its breath and reach in with a mighty paw and sweep a seal out of the water. It is able to smell fear as well. And if we allow this powerful bear to teach us, it will show us how to smell fear and sweep it away by following its example.

The polar bear's feet are highly adapted to walking on ice. The padding on the bottom serves as an anti-skid device making it easier for it to maneuver over snow and ice without slipping. It teaches us the importance of developing sure footing, and a confidence to stand, without slipping and sliding across the ice we know as frozen emotion. These magnificent and exceptionally large feet also help the bear to swim, making it move easily through emotional waters where fear often hides.

Polar Bears are exceptionally insulated with blubber and 2 very thick layers of fur - a thick, dense under layer and an outer layer of guard hair that is actually hollow and transparent. This special physical trait of the bear serves to protect it from the freezing temperatures and teaches us the importance of protecting and insulating ourselves from the paralyzing effects of fear and frozen emotion. It helps us to see fears for what so many of them are ... hollow and transparent, empty and void of power once we are able to recognize them and see through their source of deception.

I have great respect for the strength and power of the polar bear.

It is a great teacher and an incredible healer ...

and shows us just how to say PHHFFFFFT in the face of fear. :)