I was in retreat with you all about four years ago. Every July the connection becomes stronger as my memories return to Three Mountain Foundation and the experiences that were mine to treasure for life.

In February of this year, on my birthday in fact, in the night I experienced an Ischaemic stroke which started as being quite mild but within a day or two had left me paralysed down the left side of my body, after three weeks of intensive care the hospital released me into the care of occupational therapists and physiotherapists, who visited on a daily basis for two weeks and gradually some movement was regained.

Earlier I had moved myself to the Canary Islands to live and loved it there I was exercising regularly, eating well and started Kundalini yoga, connected to some shamanic groups and secured a job in a local clinic, everything slotted into place and I had never felt so well or contented.

Returning home to send my belongings over there the stroke occurred, now I had no fixed abode for the hospital to release me to, fortunately my ex wife came to my rescue and allowed me to stay in her flat and staying there to look after me, her partner was very understanding.

Now the difficult part of the journey began it felt as though the real me had died on my birthday and some stranger had inhabited my body, he couldn’t walk, talk properly or move his arm, hands or fingers, he was living in a place he didn’t want to be a prisoner in the home and worse still his body feeling that his life had been ripped away from him.

For four weeks I struggled with the thought of returning myself to spirit every waking thought returned to this desire and the hospital kindly though unintentionally had provided me with enough drugs to do the job five times over.

That is when memories of the time spent in Kamloops began to flood back, the people that touched my life there, the experiences shared, conversations and particularly the spiritual awakening that was my personal experience, I had the understanding that all those experiences were given to me for a purpose and that my spirit was eternal, gradually the darkness began to pull back and I “Returned to Self” my recovery has been fairly rapid since then and other than a slight limp most of my faculties have returned.

Which brings me to the purpose of this long and boring email which is to thank you all for what you do and to show you how far reaching your teachings are the love doesn’t end with the hug goodbye at the end of the retreat.

Personally the group energy has carried me through many difficult periods but none as tough as this, it is my belief that gratitude is one of the greatest spiritual gifts I express it as many times as possible and I am expressing it now to you all.

I am truly blessed to be a part of this soul family,

With much love and many blessings

Brian James.
(From London England )