Page 527 - Total War on PTSD

“To meditate means to go home to yourself. Then you know how to take care of the things that are happening inside you, and you know how to take care of the things that happen around you.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Courtenay: One thing my hubby and I did a few years after I got back from my deployment is take a trip to Alaska, and to Ketchikan in particular. We spent part of the trip on a train and part on a cruise ship, and I will never forget this trip if I can help it. Despite my fear of heights, or maybe because of it, one thing we did was unbelievably amazing.
We went up into the rainforest canopy. All hooked up into safety harnesses, we all started up our journey from 120 feet in the air, ready to complete a 750 foot long zip-line, and six others besides.
While we waited to depart each individual station, it was amazing to just look down and feel the wind moving through the trees below in the canopy, even though when the wind picked up I was tempted to hold onto the massive tree trunks for dear life.
Surprisingly, it was less scary not to hold on because, when you held on, you would feel the tree moving in the wind.
The adrenaline I experienced made me feel very comfortable doing something I never thought I’d do. It was exhilarating to be flying through the trees absorbed by total silence offered up by nature surrounding me like a long-desired hug. It made me feel alive again...for the first time since Afghanistan.
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