“It’s one of the cheapest ways to change your consciousness, and it’s legal.”
Tom Fleischner, Professor of Environmental Studies at Prescott College, holds a tiny magnifying glass on a piece of cord. We are invited to observe the intricacies of a Helianthus, a wild sunflower. Through the lens the patterns of the disk flowers demand one’s unwavering attention and awe; the mounds of unburst flower buds, and the clinging grains of pollen like a dusting of snow on the bark of a tree, captivate the mind without inspiring conjecture, conclusions, or even thought.
That at least, is how I experienced those moments. And that is what I understand mindfulness to be: an observation and appreciation of whatever is going on at present. Mindfulness means letting go of presets, and allowing the immediate to show itself without us attaching judgment to it.
My ability to be mindful is tested by my horse partner, Pumpkin. Pumpkin is turning out to be a very sweet mare, but it seems that she is having a hard time letting herself trust people. Along with this skepticism, she is startled by what seem to be attempts on her life by such things as ropes, water bottles, and fingers. When I am working with her, I need to be especially aware of our surroundings and her level of comfort. If I practice mindfulness, I can more fully appreciate that which is outside of myself (and be more open to potentially important sensory input), and be less distracted by inner ramblings and snap judgments.
Mindfulness
August 31, 2009 at 6:32 pm (CLS, Natasha, Preparations)
Tags: Arizona Trail, equine-assisted learning, experience, meditation, prescott college
The unanimous night, and the effervescent day
August 31, 2009 at 3:08 pm (Jordan, Preparations)
Tags: experience, Kurt Hahn, success, Whitman
Many times in our life we experience moments of sheer exhilaration, but also utter apprehension. “I do not know which way to go!” we might say. Alternatively, “I don’t believe I am (good enough, wise enough, strong enough …) for such an experience!” To believe these things is to fail before we have even begun. The same is true of this expedition. There have already been points of time which I have tricked myself into thinking that I have no business taking on such an epic journey, but as Kurt Hahn once noted, “We can do more than we think,” with think being the key word in that sentence. How do I know what I can do before I have even tried? For I believe the biggest risk is not taking one, and when an opportunity comes that makes more sense than anything else it is a great risk not to follow thru – we are risking life or death in the sense of allowing our true selves to flourish or turn to dust. So far, everything has been going very well. The horse I will be riding on this journey, whose name is Tonto, started out as quite a character, biting and pushing many of the other horses around, but he is slowly coming forth with a big heart that is shining through like a passing storm filling the sky with cerulean blue. I am excited to witness the change in him, and the change within myself. To the unanimous night, the effervescent day, and the cool breeze dancing through my hair, I bow to the open trail, for I know it will be a great teacher.
THERE was a child went forth every day; And the first object he look’d upon, that object he became; And that object became part of him for the day, or a certain part of the day, or for many years, or stretching cycles of years.
- W.Whitman
Leather Things that Protect me from Spikey Things…
August 31, 2009 at 8:12 am (Andy, CLS, Preparations)
Tags: Arizona Trail, arrival, travel
I live a long ways away from Phoenix, just outside of Washington, D.C. My flight, thankfully uneventful, was early; really early. I had to wake up at 4 a.m. eastern standard time…that’s 1 a.m. Arizona time, ungodly early normal people time, and 2 p.m. Yekaterinburg, Russia time. Now, couple my aforementioned lack of sleep with an annoying inability to sleep on airplanes. Next, mix that with a 2 hour shuttle van from Phoenix, a half mile walk to a college I’d never seen before (with four months worth of gear), a hackneyed pronunciation of “Sinaqua”, and you’ve got my mind state as I walked into a room full of people I’d never met.
Now, three (four?) days later, and I’m having a great time. I’m excited to know that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be. There is nothing else in the world I’d rather be doing. I even bought a pair of, uh, chunks. Sadly, the used turquoise ones with the ace of spades embossed in them were about 70 dollars more expensive than I could afford…I guess the plain brown ones will have to do!
90 Days… 90 Lessons…
August 23, 2009 at 10:32 am (90 Days... 90 Lessons..., CLS, Paul)
Tags: 90days, Arizona Trail, equine-assisted learning, meditation
Every day along the trail we will be sitting in the morning w/ our horses and asking the question,”you are the teacher, I am the student, what is the lesson?” as a meditation on what our equine partners have to teach us about being more fully human.
We invite you to join us with your own daily mindfulness practice. Take some quiet time each day for undemanding time with your own horse, or even as an open query of the day, and then post your reflections here as a part of the community supporting us on our journey.
