Hiking meditation: Nature's good tidings

(Photo by Kkmd)

Although many don't seem ready for a cross-country pilgrimage, most bipeds are up for a short hike within natural surroundings.

Since the miracles of Creation are everywhere, we don't have to go very far in order to experience that which John Muir describes here:  Climb the

mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off you like falling leaves.

Kay Peterson – "a psychotherapist, wilderness guide, and Shambhala Buddhist Meditation Instructor," has found a way to combine all of these disciplines into one sacred activity.  Within a program called "Waking up to the Wild: Hiking as Meditation" that she will be offering at the Far Horizons Retreat Center in the Giant Sequoia National Monument, Peterson offers "techniques for synchronizing mind and body that restore balance, clarity and an overall sense of well-being."

These outcomes might not sound quite as poetic as John Muir's claims, but they are similar nevertheless.  Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh's "Walking Meditation" is another likeminded practice.  Bodhipaksa, a walking-meditation teacher, described his student's experience of blending walking meditation with hiking:  Hiking can be pretty tough going, especially when the weather gets bad and you feel exhausted…  she just kept letting go of negative thoughts as she hiked, and chose instead to simply be aware of her physical experience…  she managed to stay in a balanced and positive frame of mind, even although her body was aching.

Resources

http://farhorizons.org/programs/2013programs/waking-up-to-the-wild-hiking-as-meditation-2/

http://www.wildmind.org/walking/own

Copyright March 26, 2013 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved