The Columbia City Yoga on-line Moving into Meditation class met this morning. We explored how we can offer caring and support to others on the path. We were inspired by the example of trail angels – the may folks who offer aid to through hikers. With mindfulness, we can “leave the light on” in our hearts and homes. We are all travelers in one way or another. We follow the trails blazed by others and create new paths for others to follow. We can share guidance, inspiration and the wisdom of experience. We can live life as a gift. .
Today’s practice was greatly inspired by Greta Matos’ Grateful Living essay, The Privilege of Sharing Abundance. Greta describes the deep joy of being a “trail angel.” She shares the joy of helping two women who walked 20,000 miles across the Americas. They were on the trail for two years and expected it would take them five years to walk from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of North America.
As a young person, Greta spent many hours gentling and rehabilitating traumatized horses. She considers herself to be a horse listener. She later went for a very long walk along the Appalachian Trail: 2,180 miles from Maine to Georgia. She was blessed by the kindness of strangers along the way. It restored her faith in humanity. Eventually she moved to Chile where she became involved with the restoration and re-wilding of 1,200 acres of old growth native forests. She and her husband spent four months riding horses over 600 miles across Patagonia. They now offer horse-led expeditions involving horse communication and body-based experiences to develop mindfulness and build awareness of the interconnectedness between humans and the environments around us.
Guided Reflection
Last week we continued our sacred journey by intimately exploring our breathing. We explored oscillating patterns of breathing and movement. Seaweed was a metaphor for how we can remain rooted and also give ourselves over to undulation, flow and a deep sense of allowing. This week we’ll explore giving ourselves over to others in presence, kindness and generosity.
Truly being present with someone brings caring, connection and generosity. A natural sense of relatedness develops. We attune to others and become sensitive to their happiness and struggles. Our circle of concern, our sense of family or tribe, grows larger. Simple human caring naturally gives rise to generosity. We want to offer our time and support. We recognize a need and we want to give. Giving goes hand in hand with happiness.
As we travel, whether making a solo journey or traveling with others, we follow the trails that have been created and maintained by others. Our lives are made possible by those who have made the trip before; and by those who offer food, shelter, and care along the way. We, too, are marking the trail for others. We share gifts along the way. It’s good to reflect on the knowledge, creativity and compassion we bring; the resources or blessings we offer. How do we contribute to a sense of safety and belonging to those around us and those who follow?
In her Grateful Living essay, The Privilege of Sharing Abundance, Greta Matos describes the deep joy of being a “trail angel.” She describes the joy of helping two women who walked 20,000 miles across the Americas. They were on the trail for two years and expected it would take them five years to walk from the southern tip of South America to the northern tip of North America!” She writes:
We are all, in some way, pilgrims on a journey as we live out our lives. Sometimes we’re traveling in a literal sense, but most of the time, most of us are simply traveling through the expanse of our individual lives. If we pay attention, and we leave the light on, we may be lucky enough to receive a fellow pilgrim and offer them a few simple gifts to make their journey a little more comfortable, their bellies a little more full, and their spirits a little higher. . . . I believe it’s in our nature to give to one another.
Let’s explore this energy of caring, connection and generosity in practice. Take a few deep breaths and feel the return to natural breathing and the body settling. As you relax, continue to bring mindfulness and compassion to the breath and body, or other strong experiences as they arise. See if you can be with this experience of being alive right now. Breathing. Feeling. Sensing. Thinking. Subtle. Palpable. Arising. Subsiding. Meet these expressions of aliveness like friends.
As you sense your body begin to settle, bring to mind someone in your life who you care about. Someone who is dear to you. Someone who has shared your journey. Sense their presence in your heart right now. Take some time to sense what you appreciate about them. Now imagine offering them an act of kindness. Visualize or sense this offering of kindness. Take some time to feel this experience of generosity in your heart. You might also imagine their pleasure in receiving what you’ve offered and allow the feelings of generosity to deepen. Enjoy the good feelings of a generous heart.
Now bring to mind another person in your life for whom you’d like to develop generosity. It could be someone who is struggling right now or someone who is in need of understanding. Take some moments to sense what you appreciate about them. Again, imagine offering them an unexpected act of kindness and generosity. As you do, take some moments to feel this experience in your body and heart. Envision them and sense their pleasure in receiving what you offer. Breathe and allow the feelings of generosity to deepen.
Now let yourself imagine someone who is on a life journey. Someone who may be on a journey of exploration, growth, healing or may be seeking spiritual guidance. Once you sense the nature of their journey, imagine what their north star might be. What are their aspirations? Visualize them traveling toward their hopes. What guidance, inspiration, or offering can you share? What wisdom from your own lessons learned might you bring? Imagine the ways you can support the well being of this traveler. Open to the pleasure this imagining brings. Feel the goodness of sharing lived life in this way. You are living life as a gift.
Greta Mata reminds us:
If we allow ourselves to perceive the beauty in the world, the beauty in one another, we will not only attract this beauty, but with a willing heart we can live the privilege it is to share the abundance of kindness that lives easily within each of us.
As we close our contemplation let’s start to breathe more actively. When you’re ready open your eyes and take in your surroundings. As you go through your day look for those you can offer caring, connection and kindness. Let’s live our lives as a gift.