Salmon Swimming Upstream​

​If you want to see Pacific salmon swimming upstream, then come to the rivers and streams that flow into the Salish Sea in late summer and early fall. Although Sockeye’s seasonal run has already peaked, you may catch sight of Chinook, Coho, Chum and, on odd-numbered years, Pinks - also called Humpies because of the distinctive humps on their backs.
 
Pacific salmon can live in the open ocean for years, but eventually a deep desire awakens inside them. It is the longing to return to their origins. Salmon carry the memory of their birthplaces in their bones. Spawned in the freshwaters of the Fraser, Skagit, Nooksack, Nisqually, and Puyallup Rivers and their tributaries, their eggs hatch into alevins that grow into smolt that migrate down to the saltwater sea. And so begins an astonishing life journey.
 
As they descend, the young salmon must fight for their lives against seals, gulls, eagles, herons, and other fish. Then, once in saltwater, they must survive orcas, sharks, and human fishing, as well as shrinking supplies of food, ocean acidification and warming.   
 
Eventually, an unspoken calling compels them to leave the open ocean, pass back through the Salish Sea, and return to their natal rivers and streams. Swimming upstream is not easy. Some species, such as Chinook, must swim up to 3,500 miles and ascend some 7,000 feet. Surviving strong currents, rocks, rapids, waterfalls and hydroelectric dams, hungry bears and all the other predators they encountered on their descent, they follow the call to return to the waters of their birth.
 
But whatever the distance and the difficulties, the most pressing problem is time. Salmon do not eat after leaving saltwater, surviving up to six months on their body fat alone. And to swim upstream they must expend every ounce of energy, fight fatigue and hunger, and navigate a safe passage home.   
 
To see a shoal of salmon flinging themselves against a waterfall or a hydroelectric dam, evading a hungry hunter, or avoiding a submerged boulder is to bear witness to deep devotion and dedication. Each setback is followed by yet another push forward, yet another leap of faith. Salmons’ persistence seems less like grim endurance and more like unbounded love— love for their hidden origins, love for the source of their being.
 
When salmon reach their destination, they spawn – giving the gift of life to future generations of their kind. And then comes the supreme sacrifice; they die. In doing so, salmon give the gift of their bodies back to the places they came from, becoming food for those still living. Salmons’ generous gifts ensure not only the survival of their own species, but also the survival of many others.
 
It seems to me that the human spiritual journey is somewhat similar to salmon swimming upstream – daring, difficult, and often downright dangerous. Like them, we can spend many years immersed in the seas of life surviving and searching for sustenance. Then one day, out of the blue, an ancient, inner calling arises that cannot be ignored or resisted for long. Reminding us of our sacred origins, it urges us to leave the familiarity of the known world and heed our soul’s desires.
 
Just as salmons’ journey upstream is a struggle, so too is the human spiritual journey. Embodying the effort to align ourselves with a higher calling, a more authentic way of being, it often means defying social and cultural norms, abandoning the people and places we know, and pursuing a path of purpose and faithfulness. And although the ebbs and flows of life can be strong, drawing us downstream towards an existence shaped by comfort, convenience, and conformity, there is something more powerful that calls us upstream. Inspiring us to step out of the collective current, we willingly turn our bodies upstream again and again and again.
 
Rather than letting ourselves be drawn downward back to life’s seas, we begin to look up and seek the source of our being. And just as salmon’s striving may be rewarded with an ecstatic homecoming, so too human spiritual striving can ripen into a rapturous return: a return to our true nature, a return to the love of life, a return to the sacred mysteries of birth and death.
 
So swimming upstream requires courage and conviction. It means remembering that the journey is not only about doing what’s easy and looking after ourselves. It’s also about resistance, selflessness, and the openness to change. Yes, turning away from the familiar can be lonely and scary, but we often find new friends following a similar path -  like-minded companions who share our values and orientations. And this can be both immensely supportive and deeply enriching.
 
For salmon, successful return culminates in death and rebirth. Likewise, for humans, return can result in radical transformation. As we swim upstream, our old, grasping and selfish selves can slowly soften and dissolve, giving rise to new identities and new ways of being and seeing that will benefit others, not just us. In swimming upstream, we are not only returning to our sacred origins, we are offering something back into the streams of life. The faithfulness to a higher purpose, the willingness to struggle, the openness to change, and a commitment to the future —all of these become nourishment for those who will come after us.
 
To contemplate salmon swimming upstream is to remember that the deepest movements of the soul often go against life’s prevailing currents. To follow this call is to refuse to drift along in the seas of life. The journey may be long and arduous, with many obstacles on the way, but the call is sure and true. It is the call to return to our sacred origins, to give generously to others, and let ourselves be totally transformed by the journey of life.

Events
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All times are Pacific Time

Tuesday, September 1 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More

Tuesday, September 15 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More

Thursday, September 17 7:00 - 8:45 pm In Person and on Zoom
Wise Spirit Buddhist Community Portland, OR
Topic: The Sacred Pause

Saturday, September 19 9:30 am - 4:30 pm on Zoom and In Person
Portland Insight Meditation Community
Daylong Retreat: The Sacred Pause

​Tuesday, October 6 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More

Tuesday, October 20 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More
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Tuesday, November 3 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person - *CANCELLED*
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More

Friday, November 6 - Thursday, November 12 In Person
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center, WA
Residential retreat (six nights)
Expanding Perception and ReMembering Who We Are...Slowing Down-Sensing-Responding
Co-taught with Ayya Santacitta
More info and registration

​Tuesday, November 17 4:00 - 5:15 pm In Person - *CANCELLED*
Healing Circles Langley
Mindfulness Meditation & More​