avatarBritni Pepper

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What Did I Find in the Woods Today?

You’re in for a big surprise

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No, it’s not teddy bears.

I’m in a new land, one that is cool and green, and where the air is not full of bushfire smoke. I said to the taxi driver taking me to the train station, “It’s good to be back in Paradise!”

And it is. Here there is quiet green farmland, patches of forest, rolling hills, mountains in the distance, and not too far away, the ocean’s blue.

One of the forests is ancient. Tall, twisted trees, rising to a canopy far above, bark covered in lichen and moss, huge old trees here and there amongst their baby sisters.

A path winds through the grove, lined with stones, making a perfect pathway for walking meditation.

Holy folk from various traditions stand in open patches, or at the foot of trees. The Buddha, quietly meditating, his bald head appearing to be a rock at first glance. Mother Mary, serene and tall, her hands clasped in prayer. Bosomy Indian goddesses, flamboyantly dressed and decorated apart from their improbably perfect breasts.

And Saint Francis, head bent over a bird on his arm, at one with nature.

There are birds here. The place is full of them. Little black numbers with yellow beaks, glimpsed as they speed between the treetops. Sparrows, wood pigeons, others that I cannot identify.

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They call to each other as I make my slow way along the path. The air is never silent.

There are flowers, too. Strange exotics dangling from trees, a heady scent to arouse the senses. Pink and gold and blue and white — all the colours against the greens of the trees and ground cover.

Don’t expect a social media frenzy

I’m here for a week of meditation. Three times a day, group discussions, a library full of inspiring books, and the calm forest whenever we have a spare moment. The facilitator advises against immersing ourselves in the electronic world, and I’m sneaking in a spare few stolen moments to get this update out.

I’m here for myself. To still the jangle of the outside world. To get back in touch with my true being. I kid myself that this is always the case, but in a life full of distraction, what about a little genuine me time?

The internet is patchy, there are no shops nearby, the nearest town is half an hour’s drive away. I might sit like Buddha in one of the chairs in glades of flowers and let the world go by for a bit.

It’s not for myself, you understand

My wishes don’t matter at all. Ego is sacrificed at the altar of wisdom, and the pure understanding of the Divine is all I need.

In a larger sense, I am taking this retreat for all of humanity. A little extra gentleness and tranquillity surely cannot do anything but add to the needs of the world right now.

The news cycles are down to about twenty minutes in the world outside. Every fresh story one of sensation and outrage, tragedy and doom on the horizon. An atom of peace amongst the chaos of the world is not much, but it is something.

Here in the forest, all that noise is far away. It is myself, the birds, the trees, the flowers, and a friendly shadow beside me on the path.

No, it’s not the Buddha, nor the buxom goddess, nor even the gentle saint.

It is you, Dear Reader. That’s my surprise. Did you not feel some of the calm, hear the birds, feel the texture of the bark? Come join me on my walking meditation, my forest bathing. Take a moment to close your eyes and let me guide you for a dappled peace, as we walk in companionship for a few minutes under the glorious old trees.

Hold my hand. Turn over a fresh leaf with me.

Britni

Britni Pepper writes for Kindle Direct Publishing. She runs a blog where she reviews erotica, and rambles on about this and that. She may be reached on Twitter and Facebook.

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