I did the morning walk today in a woodland area. I did not follow the directions for one generation names. I just focused on being in the woodland. I burst into tears as I saw a huge tree. It was almost as though I could let go and be open in the company of this tree and all the other trees in this spot in the woodland area. I felt so peaceful after the emotions burst out of me. I took some videos of some things I noticed growing out of a tree like mushrooms. I enjoyed watching the trees sway with the wind and I enjoyed walking on the crispy floor bed of leaves. There was such a gorgeous carpet of multi coloured leaves on the woodland floor.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience, Michelle! It reads like a poem.
I invite you on another walk, if you like, while following the directions for one generation names, as I consider this a valuable practice. And: you are free ๐
Well, I feel discouraged about the morning walk. To be honest, I never had any sort of beautiful experience with it at the School, and as I walked this morning I felt dull, like I just don’t get it. Nothing seems new to me. I notice my mind just trying to “follow the simple instructions” and yet when I do they feel mechanical and meaningless, like an empty ritual.
Also, it is wet and cold here. The ground is muddy, the sky is gray. And while I know that shouldn’t matter, I notice that I don’t like how things look and feel around me. I long to be in some sunny, sparkly place, like the camera effects make it look in the instruction videos. I notice myself judging me for not being “enlightened enough” to enjoy the wet cold weather.
I’m discouraged with this exercise and don’t know what to do.
Dear Annaliese, I can imagine how you feel. I had the same experience during my first couple of schools. Until -at one point- I understood the point. In my story, it isn’t about experiencing something beautiful. It’s the practice itself that becomes alive after a while. Like doing The Work can become an automatic reaction when you practice it long enough. When I hear your experience, it seems like you have moved away from one generation names by calling the sky gray and the ground muddy. Could you just stick to: ‘sky’, ‘ground’, etc.? And when you notice judgments about the sky and the ground, you can name thรกt too: judgments. And then move back to naming what you see. In my experience, this is a walking meditation. Reading your post again, I can also see some juicy stuff for inquiry in there ๐
6 Comments
Michelle · November 7, 2021 at 10:22 pm
I did the morning walk today in a woodland area. I did not follow the directions for one generation names. I just focused on being in the woodland. I burst into tears as I saw a huge tree. It was almost as though I could let go and be open in the company of this tree and all the other trees in this spot in the woodland area. I felt so peaceful after the emotions burst out of me. I took some videos of some things I noticed growing out of a tree like mushrooms. I enjoyed watching the trees sway with the wind and I enjoyed walking on the crispy floor bed of leaves. There was such a gorgeous carpet of multi coloured leaves on the woodland floor.
marijketops · November 8, 2021 at 9:18 am
Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience, Michelle! It reads like a poem.
I invite you on another walk, if you like, while following the directions for one generation names, as I consider this a valuable practice. And: you are free ๐
Annaliese · November 9, 2021 at 5:25 pm
Well, I feel discouraged about the morning walk. To be honest, I never had any sort of beautiful experience with it at the School, and as I walked this morning I felt dull, like I just don’t get it. Nothing seems new to me. I notice my mind just trying to “follow the simple instructions” and yet when I do they feel mechanical and meaningless, like an empty ritual.
Also, it is wet and cold here. The ground is muddy, the sky is gray. And while I know that shouldn’t matter, I notice that I don’t like how things look and feel around me. I long to be in some sunny, sparkly place, like the camera effects make it look in the instruction videos. I notice myself judging me for not being “enlightened enough” to enjoy the wet cold weather.
I’m discouraged with this exercise and don’t know what to do.
marijketops · November 9, 2021 at 6:55 pm
Dear Annaliese, I can imagine how you feel. I had the same experience during my first couple of schools. Until -at one point- I understood the point. In my story, it isn’t about experiencing something beautiful. It’s the practice itself that becomes alive after a while. Like doing The Work can become an automatic reaction when you practice it long enough. When I hear your experience, it seems like you have moved away from one generation names by calling the sky gray and the ground muddy. Could you just stick to: ‘sky’, ‘ground’, etc.? And when you notice judgments about the sky and the ground, you can name thรกt too: judgments. And then move back to naming what you see. In my experience, this is a walking meditation. Reading your post again, I can also see some juicy stuff for inquiry in there ๐
Nanou Anne · November 10, 2021 at 7:34 am
I did the morning walk in question 4: floor, human being, mirror, red lines on hand, alive body, breath
marijketops · November 10, 2021 at 3:17 pm
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Nanou Anne <3