09/10/25

Hey there, fellow cliff-leapers, edge-walkers, and wonder-seekers!

Leap of Faith.
Jumping toward the edges of your comfort zone.

So I did a thing this past Saturday.

Mind you—I’d done this thing before. But I also knew just how completely epic it is…and how it stretches every edge of my comfort zone every single time. Which is exactly why I said yes again. Because only in spaces like this one can moments arise that discombobulate every fiber of your beingness.

Seven dear friends and I set out on the Waterfall Rappel Trek with Green River Adventures in Saluda, NC. Everyone knew what was involved—they’d read the description, heard us talk about it—but until you do it…you don’t know.

You arrive at the outpost in downtown Saluda. Sign in, stash your phone and keys, meet your guide (ours was “Sprinkle”), get briefed on safety, strap into harness and helmet, and load into the van for the trailhead.

There’s nervous chatter in the air, the kind that leaks out of bodies holding just a little too much “can I do this?” worry.

This was our self-declared “50 and Over Day.” Every one of us over fifty. Already strategizing about hiking pace, agility, and how to help one another through whatever lay ahead.

The hike in is short—less than a mile—tracing Cove Creek as it tumbles toward Big Bradley Falls before emptying into the Green River. Soon enough, we left the main trail, dropped down a side path, rappelled a 30-foot rock wall, and scrambled along a goat trail until we stood staring into the belly of Big Bradley Falls at the bottom.

Sounds poetic, doesn’t it? A neat little description you might read in a brochure.

Here’s where the true meaning of Field Notes comes alive.

Because brochures don’t tell you the truth of it. They don’t tell you about the body-mind reckoning that comes when you ask:

• Can I step onto a slick rock while lifting my leg higher than I thought it could go?
• Can I trust my footing on a trail so steep I need three points of contact?
• Can I stand to have wet feet for three-plus hours while climbing, wading, and clambering through boulders?

And then…let’s talk about the rappel.

Picture this: you’re standing backwards, heels dangling over the edge of a cliff. Harness snug, figure-eight device clipped, belay line tight. One hand behind your back on the brake rope, the other guiding. Your instructions: lean back into an L-shape, feet forward, body suspended.

Every cell in your brain is screaming: this is unsafe, you’re a two-legged human, we don’t lean backward off cliffs. And yet—to move forward—you must surrender to that very position. Vulnerable. Exposed. Gorge walls rising around you. The roar of a waterfall you can hear but not yet see.

Some people glide into it like gazelles. Others fight the entire way, stiff with distrust. Stress hangs heavy in the air.

But all eight of us—and Sprinkle—made it through. Some with triumphant shouts, some with shaky laughter, some whispering I almost turned back. And still…we did it.
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Rite of passage complete!

And that was just the beginning. Four more miles of creek hiking, rock hopping, spelunking, wading, scrambling.

The brochure doesn’t mention what it feels like afterward—especially on 50 and Over Day.
Utterly spent. Muscles trembling. Brain fried. Heart wide open.

It is an odd sensation, coming down from such an emotionally charged, physically demanding day.
But it is also the sweetest reminder of what our beautiful bodies are still capable of.

Comfort zone, be damned.

So I will say this: you must challenge yourself to do something you’ve never done before. And surround yourself with friends while doing it—bring them along. Support one another. Live the experience together. And then, relive it over and over again as you re-tell the stories that unfolded.

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Wild-Heart Practice of the Week:

Edgework: Find Your Mini-Rappel

This week, give yourself permission to lean back into something that feels like an “edge.” It doesn’t have to be a cliff or a roaring waterfall...your edge might be much smaller, but no less powerful.

• Name it. What’s one thing you’ve been resisting because it feels uncomfortable?
• Step toward it. Take one tiny action in that direction.
• Pause and notice. Just like hanging over a ledge, your brain may say unsafe! while your deeper self whispers trust me.

The point isn’t conquering the whole cliff—it’s discovering what becomes possible when you lean back, trust the rope, and let curiosity carry you forward.

Because wonder doesn’t live inside our comfort zones. It waits—patiently—just beyond them.

New Guided Meditation: A Walk in the Woods (from Wherever You Are)

Sometimes leaning past the edge doesn’t mean rappelling down a waterfall—it can be as simple as pausing to breathe, listen, and remember your own aliveness.

This 5-minute guided walk isn’t about doing it “right.” It’s about stepping out of your comfort zone just enough to leave the noise behind and re-enter the quiet of your own soul.

Whether you’re ready to begin a meditation practice or simply longing for the steadiness of trees when you can’t reach the forest—start here.

This brand-new meditation is my gift to you, a thank-you for walking this Field Notes journey with me.

Let’s take the walk together → [Click here to listen]​

So here’s your invitation: find your own “mini-rappel” this week.
Lean into the edges of your comfort zone—whether that’s starting the conversation you’ve been avoiding, taking a different trail than usual, or simply saying yes when your first instinct is no.

That’s where curiosity, magic, and wonder sneak in.

Until next week, keep listening for what whispers to your soul.

With gratitude,
Namaste. 🌿
​Rachel

P.S. If Field Notes continues to spark something in you, you can support the work here: [leave a tip here]

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You can find more writings by Rachel here on her blog.

You can find Rachel's Tedx Talk that ultimately led to the creation of these Field Notes at www.RachelDickson.com​

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