Walking Meditations

Perhaps the most difficult part of conducting the “meetings” for this project has been to remain seated at the table while I waited for people to show up.  On days when no one did, I got up about halfway through the hour and took a walk along the cliffside trail.

Last month, I saw whales.  After having done a meditation process for the ocean, it felt like a confirmation to see them there.  A couple of them were surprisingly close to the shore at the base of the cliff.  Seeing whales is somewhat uncertain because they are only at the surface for a brief moment.  Most of my sightings were from the corner of my eye rather than in direct line of sight.  Another reason for the uncertainty is that the surface of the ocean is not smooth to begin with.  The rolling of the waves on the surface can at times be easily mistaken for a whale.  The most certain clues that what I was seeing was a whale were the water spouts.  But the season for whales has passed now.  This past weekend, I did not see anyone from the Cetacean Society out on the patio counting whales.

Some of the wildlife was easier to spot while I was still and meditating.  This was particularly true of the birds.  One week, I saw several species of birds visit the tree I was sitting under.  Some of those may have gone north, too.  I did not see as many birds the last couple of weeks.  Part of the reason could be that the human activity is increasing as the weather warms.

In general, being outside has been a joyful opportunity for communion.  At the individual level at least, this project has been quite a success.

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