Veteran visitors of this website will remember Verena. We lived for two and a half years mostly together on the meadow, partly in Berlin and briefly at a few other places.
Though our main focus was swimming with Dusty, we often walked in wonder through the beauty of the Burren and also by herself Verena went on long walks, often returning way after sundown.
Verena not only has extraordinarily sharp senses of smell, sight and hearing, she is also a former biology student with a powerful observation. She has opened my eyes to detail and insight and though she went back to Berlin to accomplish her studies in Shiatsu, bioenergetic treatments and foot reflexology, her inspiration has never left me.
We did hundreds of swims with Dusty, often videoing each other with her and in the evening tried to analyse our experience with the dolphin while watching the footage we took that day.
We found that often the impact of an encounter with Dusty would come later and reveal a very personal and intimate understanding. Similarly Verena went through a life-threatening experience that she only came on terms with well afterwards.
Recently Verena started a practice in Berlin. She has put an attractive website on the Internet with the address www.energetische-koerperarbeit-online.de.
She gives information about a wide range of topics related to healing and health.
An additional feature are stories of her life. Among them is the story of the monster wave. The following event I remember very well as I was in it, thrown about myself and terrified by seeing Verena smashed against the rocks, washed back and smashed in again.
'After swimming for an hour we wanted to leave the water. The waves violently drove into the sharp-edged rocks. As my feet were pressed together in a large (mono)fin I decided to take off the tight rubber straps on my heels in knee-deep water. Just when I had one foot out I saw her coming towards me. The mega wave. One foot out and one inside the fin. I could not swim or walk. She seized me and like a sheet of paper I was dragged to and fro. Did not get back on my feet. And again. I fell into panic. I pulled on the strap that still held my foot and suddenly felt the sea bed with the other one. Could not free my other foot. Just couldn't and when I looked back I saw her big sister rolling in. I just had one thought - Now it's over. I could do nothing. All effort had become meaningless.
I was overcome by a feeling of endless lightness. Yes, that's what it was. And the water swallowed me.
I found myself back, hanging on to the rocks, right where I wanted to get out, unharmed.
I had let go, given up control and just let it happen. Yes, I could have died, the power of this wave was overwhelming and the rocks razor sharp. But it turned out otherwise.
But above all there was this wonderful feeling. There was nothing more to do! I had tried my best and let go to relax. Peace. Infinity.
And this is exactly like I imagine dying.
Dying alive makes me live.
A fair gift, isn't it?'
Verena Schwalm – Praxis für Energetische Koerperarbeit /Berlin-Fanore