Went for a long walk/hike a couple of days ago. One of those perfect Portland summer days that we don’t talk about much. Early morning light clouds completely burned off by noon. High of 69. Long pants and a light shirt were plenty. A cool down canyon breeze blew at just the right times evaporating the sweat of exertion. It had rained the night before and as the sun burned off the left over rain, everything SMELLED. Each turn in the trail brought a slightly different exposure and a slightly different vegetative community and very different smell.
The fact that I’d just completed a multi day meditation retreat left me feeling wide open to just being there. To just walking, just seeing, just breathing, just smelling and just hearing. As I’m typing, I’m chuckling at “just”. Doesn’t seem to do the experience justice. My mind was wonderfully quiet as we walked. Talking a little about our lives. Mostly being there. Taking in the lush under story of fern and maple. More greens than I could ever hope to name.
The fact that I’d just completed a multi day meditation retreat left me feeling wide open to just being there. To just walking, just seeing, just breathing, just smelling and just hearing. As I’m typing, I’m chuckling at “just”. Doesn’t seem to do the experience justice. My mind was wonderfully quiet as we walked. Talking a little about our lives. Mostly being there. Taking in the lush under story of fern and maple. More greens than I could ever hope to name.
Last week I asked, “Why do I do it? Why do I meditate?” This hike is another reason why. To be free from my ever wandering, problem solving/creating mind. To simply be. Here.
No comments:
Post a Comment