Close your eyes and imagine. You’re on top of a mountain. It’s one minute before kicking out of the start gate – your one chance to navigate icy slopes, through a mysterious maze of gates that will determine your fate. Victory or defeat. Suddenly, the world seems eerily silent, and you tune into the beats and sensations of your own body. Heart is pounding, legs are heavy from the weight of your skis, feet aching from the tightness of buckles fastened to their max. You take a few more deep breaths, visualize the course once more, and pull your goggles over your eyes to adjust to the light. The beeps begin and the tension in your body begins its release. There is no more thinking, only action.
This is warrior mode. The wind hits your face as you get up to speed in a flash. Your eyes are searching with razor-sharp focus for tiny reminders of where to turn and when to glide. The only thing you are conscious of is keeping your outside ski underneath you so you can handle the bumps and you use your body as a giant shock absorber. Nothing clouds your vision, and time stands still.
The faster you go, the slower it feels. You throw your skis sideways in a giant spray and come back to your body, your mind, to reality. Lungs burn, legs ache. You turn back to see your time, but the outcome doesn’t matter. It was always about the thrill. The mountain is our blank canvas. Here is the place to let go of negative thoughts and weighty emotions. On skis, the movement and the presence are absolute. This is where we paint the best version of ourselves.
