Sometimes we are asked by our students “Why do we practice so much before we run the river?” I reflect on this as I watch a momma duck and her 3 ducklings expertly ferrying in and out of current at the bottom of a rapid. They are feasting on nutrients flowing downstream to their eager beaks – all they need to do is position themselves in a way that maximizes their nourishment. The river also asks us to learn how to position ourselves to receive her gifts. Nourishment is ours if we take the time to understand her bends and turns – she does not deliver instant gratification. Therefore, taking the time to ferry, eddy in and out of current, learning how to position ourselves in her flow is an act of meeting the river halfway. By taking the time to understand her power, the river will “flow not past, but through us”, giving us gifts with every dip of our paddle.
~Quote by John Muir. River Ramblings by Bethany Leonard
