Bluff and Hozho

In doing research on Bluff, one particular term continued to pop up, and that term was Hozho.

Hozho: "The Navajo Concept of Balance and Beauty." "Consideration of the nature of the universe, the world, man, the nature of time and space, creation, growth, motion, order, control, and the life cycle…..expressed in terms quite impossible to translate into English." (BluffUtah.org)

Several of the survey responses had people sharing this concept and others expounded on it by stating ideas like: “Bluff is a feeling.”

On my visit to Bluff I would have to agree. It was a feeling. Entering Bluff through the red rock canyon was an exciting experience. They are securely nestled into a beautiful valley of great history, and when you visit Bluff you get that feeling. It comes from being there and interacting with the people.

You feel one with the land and sky, the river and the wind, and the people. Its peaceful and simple there and a place that allows you to contemplate what is most important to you.

This is what I think of when I saw Bluff and Hozho comming up almost as synonyms.

The BluffUtah.org site also mentioned that "Hozho is said to be the most important word in the Navajo language and is loosely translated as peace, balance, beauty and harmony.  To be “in Hozho” is to be at one with and a part of the world around you."

I think we all could use a little more of the feeling of Hozho in our lives.