We needed this.
Away from the computer, away from the telephone, away from the society of man.
Neglect the woods a day or two, and the path to the cabin begins to close, nettles knee-high now and stinging our ankles and shins if we're not careful. Yet that is not pain, only a reminder that we live, sensation in this sensate existence, and rare in the universe.
Buddhist monks sometimes clack their teeth together for the same reminder. Sometimes, to be more in the moment, they flick their ears. Try it. More alert now, are you not?
We enter the woods and its insular quiet, its long shadows, its cooler air and sweeter birdsong. There is a fluidity to this canopied space akin to being under water.
Quieting the mind promotes well-being. We don't need "Consumer Reports on Health" to know that, but there's this: "12 minutes of daily yoga meditation for two months improved general memory, attention, and cognition in middle-aged and older people."
So while you're open to suggestion, do that now. Turn off the computer. Leave the house. Find your quiet place. It won't take long, and the peace you find, if only for a few minutes, will carry you through the day.
copyright 2010 J. O'Brien, all rights reserved
