Table of contents and
suggestions for
Tracking the Thread of Awareness in the
Great Outdoors
Every once and awhile, often
unpredictably, we feel some special affinity
with the natural world. These moments come
and go as they please, dropping in unexpectedly
as we look out over the sea or observe some
fascinating living creature. When you see
a fabulous, magnificent view - like from the
top of a mountain - you stand there drinking
in the beauty of the world, stunned into silent
awe and total absorption. You are THERE, right
there, all of you. After a few minutes, however,
your brain starts in. Chatting away about
this or that, thinking of something else,
somewhere else. Work, shopping, whatever.
Off it goes, daydreaming.
Did you like the feeling of being there, awestruck with the view, a
child-like smile on your face, and butterflies in your tummy.?
If so, you've probably touched on the Thread of Awareness. Here are
some great exercises to improve your connection to the Thread of Awareness in its natural
habitat.
A couple of suggestions for doing the experiments outdoors.
Do the experiments in a nice place where you can blend them in with
your daily exercise period. After you learn the basics and have some experience, the
exercises have a greatest opportunity for success if you can, perhaps on holiday, leave
your normal life behind and go to a place where you can do the exercises in wildness or at
least in a park like setting. Pick a place where you can do the same path or trail or road
every day for awhile. Going over the same path is important for several reasons.
-
Each time you walk a trail you leave behind parts of yourself. Your
exhaled breath becomes part of the vegetation, for example.
-
You get to know a place and any wildlife there, like birds, get to
know you. This intimacy helps establish communications.
-
Some of the later experiments deal with time and being in the same
place at different times.
-
You should, if possible, select a special place along the walk where
you can return to be alone with wildness, to meditate, to do exercises. This should be as
remote and beautiful as possible and "feel" special to you. A scenic overlook.
It should be at the far end of your round trip walk, perhaps a couple of kilometers from
your home base; a place to walk to and back in the early morning.
Running means walking or jogging fast enough to get your heart and
lungs going at the correct speed for your age. There are lots of
other kinds of exercise but I don't think they will have the same effect, because many of
these experiments are "linked" to the dynamics of walking or running. I'm an
excellent swimmer but have never been able to achieve these experiences while swimming. I
can't see anyone doing most of these experiments while concentrating on a ball or being
chased across a field by a team of screaming people. But you never know.
TIME yourself. How long can you keep your brain there with you
before it drifts off thinking about something else? This is a major tip. A key to all the
exercises. Be there. Right there. Not off thinking about your traffic ticket, that idiot
at work, or anything beyond where you are and what you are doing. If your brain wants to
wander off, give it a direction that goes with the theme of the exercise.
You might be amazed at how quickly your brain escapes and how
difficult it is to stay focused in the general vicinity of your body. This discovery will
quickly give you a clear understanding that there are inner control systems that easily
send "you" off track. You can think about that while you exercise.
Be sure to read the 10 tips for
getting the most from the exercises
Order Thread of Awareness
Exercises on Audio Tape
Phase 1. Warmup exercises to build later experiences on.
Phase 2. Focus and tuning.
Phase 3. Finding the Thread.
|
