Day eighteen on the Central Route of the Camino Portugués is mostly off-pavement on paths and cobblestone lanes and includes a rigorous climb in the middle of the day on the ancient Roman road, the Via Romana.
Calligraphy, Thich Nhat Hanh I went on retreat at Magnolia Grove Monastery in Batesville, Mississippi with Thich Nhat Hanh (Thây), a monastic community, and about 900 others. This is the first in a series of posts about my experience. I look forward to this retreat for almost a year. In excitement, I tell practically everyone I know. Some of you I tell twice (forgive me, if you’re one of them). Thây, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, author, and non-violence activist, is a significant teacher in my life. His ideas for how to love and bring forth a peaceful world resonate in my heart and mind. The mindfulness retreat has a title: “Heal yourself. Heal the World.” The idea is that world peace or world healing happens by starting with oneself. Mindfulness is the energy of being aware and awake to what is happening inside and around me in the present moment. It’s as simple and profoundly challenging as becoming aware of my breaths, steps, and the wonders of life in each moment. That means slowing down. Softening. Concentrating. Becoming still. And, at this point in my meditation practice, I use the breath or some other support to help do it. I want oh so much to say that my introverted self is peacefully ready to breathe, sit, and smile about camping with hundreds of others. (I wrote about my apprehension here.) But I’m not going to start lying now. I arrive anxious and full of energy. The energy is passion and enthusiasm for the experience. The anxiety is about letting go of the familiar, including everyday habits such as eating fast, busyness, and distractions. I will not be in contact with my husband, family, or friends. (My phone is off and stored, not even for pictures. I consciously choose to be a participant, not a spectator.) I step out of my car and head to the gathering area. I’m immediately aware I’m not in the present moment because I’m worried about my accommodations. Who are my roommates, and where will I sleep? I place my carefully packed soft luggage bag on a large tarp that will be dragged uphill a half-mile to the entrance of the monastery. I wonder how I’ll find my bag. I turn and sigh c’est la vie and begin the hike. At the entrance, I notice calligraphy that says, “This is it,” which means this wonderful moment asks me to notice it. As touched as I am, my moment does not feel wonderful. Yet. I look skyward seeking relief. A bell rings. It has a loud thick vibration, sort of like a gong but without any brassy splash. At the sound, I notice and join others and stop walking and talking. I take a breath. The bell is an invitation to cross to an opposite feeling. Before the bell, I felt agitated and stressed. Its sound invites me to breathe in the pine-filtered air of the surrounding woods, put my face into the breeze, feel sunshine on my face, and let go of unsettled feelings. After three breaths, activity resumes. I feel lighter. More peaceful. Registration is in a building adjacent to a gigantic bell. I get in a line with two others to see where I’ll stay. While waiting, I feel simultaneously eager to be in the presence of Thây to experience how peace is possible in a world of rife discontent and uncomfortable not knowing or being able to control my housing environment. I recognize I can hold opposing feelings at once. It’s my turn and with a lotus greeting and smile I’m kindly and gently welcomed and told I’ll be staying in a dormitory named Compassion. “When you find Compassion, your name will be on a bunk bed.” She gestures to another volunteer outside the building who points towards the woods and says, “Follow this path.” I do. I find Compassion. I check for my name on each bed, but I’m not listed. Understanding, another dormitory is right next door. I check to see if perhaps my name is there. It’s not. I hike back to registration. I get in line and tell my story. Puzzled, a gentlewoman checks a roster, smiles and says, “You need the Solutions table.” I walk to that table. A sign says, “It’s going to be okay.” I believe that sign. A monastic sister taking care of solutions looks me in the eye and says, “Let’s try Diligence.” (I’m now clued in about the word associations and see a personal dharma lesson emerging in the evolution of my housing places.) I get excited because I just read about diligence in Thay’s book, The Art of Power. Diligence is essential in maintaining a joyful spiritual practice. Sister is glad I’m thrilled. She says, “You understand.” I quietly chuckle to myself, having just returned from checking the dorm Understanding. We walk together side-by-side in silence to see if there is a bed available in Diligence. There is. I’m ready to wave goodbye and settle in, but Sister asks me to walk back to registration to reserve my spot. I’m glad I do. When she checks the computer, she shakes her head back and forth—and for a reason that is still unknown to me, says, “Your home is in Deep Listening.” I ask, “Are you sure?” She laughs. It feels like a Buddha joke. Deep Listening is right next door to Diligence. And it’s not a dorm. It’s a new cabin with four beds, not eight or twelve. An air-conditioned cabin a short walk away from clean indoor bathrooms and showers. And it’s close to Thây’s cabin. Oh, my camping angels, I’m feeling fortunate. I unpack, make my bed, and head off to my first silent dinner to begin days of deep listening.
Stretch your legs on one of these pretty city routes, says Rosie Fitzmaurice
Cultural diffusion, or the spread of ideas and customs from one society to another, occurs in a variety of ways including migration, war and trade among diverse societies. The Silk Road of ancient China is an example of cultural diffusion and exchange of ideas occurring as a result of trade.
Demystifying meditation for the modern world: an accessible and practical route to improved health, happiness and well being, in as little as 10 minutes.
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Discover new dimensions of micro-adventures with our volume titled "Additional Tools and Takeaways"! This section helps you fully integrate micro-adventures into your daily life, enriched with practical advice and essential tools. Learn how to employ digital detox and creative route planning to enhance your micro-adventures, boosting your mental health and savoring the small adventures in life. Stay inspired and motivated by continuously exploring micro-adventures!
Certaines routes offrent de très beaux décors lorsque l'on voyage. Pourtant, certaines sont très dangereuses bien qu'elles soient spectaculaires. Voici le top 15.…
There's more to Sweden than the mainland! Here are 10 of the best and most beautiful Swedish islands, along with tips on how to reach them.
Fausse route : Vous vous sentez coincé? Ne vous inquiétez pas. Parfois se perdre est exactement ce dont nous avons besoin pour nous retrouver
Feeling stressed about Covid/Brexit/everything? Try this... Demystifying meditation for the modern world: an accessible and practical route to improved health, happiness and well being, in as little as 10 minutes. Andy Puddicombe, founder of the celebrated Headspace, is on a mission: to get people to take 10 minutes out of their day to sit in the now. Here he shares his simple to learn, but highly effective techniques of meditation. • Rest an anxious, busy mind • Find greater ease when faced with difficult emotions, thoughts, circumstances • Improve focus and concentration • Sleep better • Achieve new levels of calm and fulfillment. The benefits of mindfulness and meditation are well documented and here Andy brings this ancient practice into the modern world, tailor made for the most time starved among us. First published as Get Some Headspace, this reissue shows you how just 10 minutes of mediation per day can bring about life changing results. What people are saying about this book! 'If you're thinking about trying mindfulness, this is the perfect introduction....I'm grateful to Andy for helping me on this journey.' BILL GATES 'It's kind of genius' EMMA WATSON
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Roadtrip Sicilië van 10 dagen tot 2 weken. Route over het hele eiland. Perfecte route met highlights, mooie strandenen historische steden.
Tags: Baguio Zen Center, Zen, Meditation, Zen Meditation, Baguio Meditation Center, Meditation Center, Meditation Baguio, Meditation classes, Meditation classes Philippines, Baguio, Philippi…
Thinking innovatively sometimes depends on what you don't do.
Wondering what are the best things to do in Knysna? Here are the most amazing activities to do in town. #7 is such a life....
Angkor Wat takes you 20mi (32km) through the magnificent remains of the Khmer civilization in the verdant jungles outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Dans cet article, nous allons voir ensemble comment l'échec peut faire de vous une meilleure personne, peut importe votre domaine!
Bonjour à tous Qui se souvient quand l'Onu a déclaré que le Yi King est patrimoine de l'humanité ? Le Yi king non divinatoire, donc le yi king noir, est à la b
Demystifying meditation for the modern world: an accessible and practical route to improved health, happiness and well being, in as little as 10 minutes.
An extraordinarily powerful and personal meditation on race, culture, and identity. As an Aboriginal Australian, Stan Grant has had to contend with his country's racist legacy all his life. Born into adversity, he found an escape route through education and the writing of James Baldwin, going on to become one of Australia's leading journalists. As a correspondent for CNN, he travelled the world, covering conflicts everywhere, from Baghdad to North Korea. Struck by how the human spirit can endure in the face of repression, he found the experiences of individuals he met spoke to him of the undying call of family and homeland. In the stories of other dispossessed peoples, he saw that of his own. In Tell It to the World, Grant responds to the ongoing racism that he sees around him. He writes with passion and striking candor of the anger, shame, and hardship of being an indigenous man. In frank, mesmerizing prose, Grant argues that the effects of colonialism and oppression are everyday realities that still shape our world.
