Sacred Prana: 

A Connection to Earth and Self 

By Dewachen Ilg

Mountains are entities of power. They are sacred in nature and have been worshipped as powerful protectors within native cultures for centuries. If you have been blessed enough to gaze upon the majesty of a mountain range, you have likely experienced an overwhelming sense of awe, wonder, and complete unworthiness to be graced by the presence of these glorious giants. To me, existing in the presence of mountains feels as though I am kneeling in reverence in the palace of God. I feel insignificant when I move within their kingdom of lush forests, the scent of pine and fir wafting through the air. Sickly-sweet-smelling wildflowers adorn high alpine meadows and glacier lakes turn to trickling streams, stumbling down the hillside, inducing flourishing foliage.What can I offer the earth, which holds everything in perfect, natural balance? How can I honor its spirit? I am nothing to it; although we are part of each other. The mountain is as much a part of my soul as I am of its energy.

An important theme in Robin Wall Kimmerer’s acclaimed book, Braiding Sweetgrass, is exploring how us feeble humans can reconnect with the earth and honor her spirit in a way that respects the sacredness of her being. In a chapter titled “An Offering,” Kimmerer shares a childhood story of her father gazing upon the hallowed peak of Tahawus in the misty morning and pouring boiling, amber coffee to the ground in honor. Kimmerer states that, “is the power of ceremony: it marries the mundane to the sacred. The water turns to wine, the coffee to a prayer. The material and spiritual mingle …” (37-39). To Kimmerer and her family, their simple tradition acted as a ceremony to honor the holy life-force of the mountain and the Earth. It was a selfless gift, an offering to tie the physical to the spiritual; to mend them together in a way which connects all things.

My father inserted the key into the ignition and the car stalled and sputtered briefly, cool air rushing from the vents until the engine began to warm. We placed our chilled hands on the dashboard and bowed our heads in reverence as my father prayed, “dear Holy Deities, please bless the 10,000 beings that enable us to take this trip. We pray for your abundant divine grace and presence to guide us safely. May we turn our experiences inside out to benefit all beings in all realms. Om Mani Pedme Hum, Amen.” My father guided us in this prayer before every mountain adventure we went on. The teaching of having gratitude for my experiences was instilled in me from a young age; as well as asking for divine, safe deliverance.

We sped West along the highway; the La Plata Mountains looming ahead, their shadows merging with the final fleeting moments of darkness. I turned my gaze East out the passenger window. My pupils constricted as the first glimmers of sun crested the horizon, casting orange rays upon the mountains, warming the last patches of snow as the soil beneath began to soften. The same soil gave way underfoot to shifting, jagged talus rock as my father and I crested the summit of Parrot Peak. Hours later, the sun had climbed high in the sky, its heat toasting our skin and warming our chilled bones.

Whenever we summit a mountain, we always yogi squat in humility, close off Pingala Nadi (r.nostril) inhale through Ida Nadi (l.nostril) exhale Pingala, inhale Ida, exhale Pingala, inhale Ida, exhale Pingala … hold external exhale then repeat the sequence for two more rounds. Through clearing our nostrils, our lungs expanded with the pure scent of fresh mountain air. I could taste the Prana- the life-force energy- dancing on my tongue. It seeped into my cells. The scarce, but sacred alpine oxygen infused itself into every tissue, every fiber of my being. In that moment I became one with the Earth, summit, and sky.

When my father and I engaged in our humble prayer and ritual, we synced our human existence to the sacred Prana. This force flows through all living things, entertwining our souls with the mountain and the whole universe’s energy. We recognized, as the natives and Kimmerer did, that a selfless ceremony is the only way we can honor the spirit of the sanctified summit. A simple offering is enough to lift the veil between the heavenly realm and Earth.

Dewachen Ilg is a full-time student at Western Colorado University. She is majoring in cellular molecular biology/pre-medicine with a double minor in chemistry and psychology. She also runs Division II cross country and track for the Mountaineers. When she is not studying or running, Dewachen can be found drawing, painting, listening to music, or writing poetry. She loves skiing, climbing, creative writing, and horseback riding. 

Works Cited

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.