We were on our early morning silent walking meditation and had walked to the far end of the beach where an actual river flows into the Arabian Sea. I verbally walked each retreat participant through the River into the Sea meditation and left them to decide where they physically wanted to be to do the meditation.
I observed to see the kind of space they would choose for themselves. The idea was also to use the Clean Space process developed by David Grove to see what knowledge would emerge for each person in their chosen space. They were also free to spontaneously change space.
John O'Keefe says:
“Space plays a role in all our behaviour. We live in it, move through it, explore it, defend it”.
Our bodies react to the space we are occupying. Social scientists have shown that we put images of people in mental spaces and the cognitive scientist, Steven Pinker, says that space acts like “the medium of thought itself”. James Lawley and Marian Way in their book, Insights into Space state:
'Whether we know it or like it, our bodies are constantly reacting to the configuration of our surroundings...whether we're choosing places to visit, where to live, the kind of home to live in, organising furniture or ornaments, arranging food on a plate, or even how we hang out the washing, we're involved in a creative interchange between inner and outer spatial relations...Clean Space makes the “medium of thought itself” visible, malleable and in service to the creative process.'
Participants stood on the beach, sat on rocks, stood in the middle of the river, walked in the water...
I decided to play with the meditation also.
Stepping into the cool silky soft river water, I felt the sharp stones beneath my feet jabbing and poking at my feet as if to say, why are you here with your ten ton of heaviness pressing into us - the pain is unbearable?
I followed (walking in the river) a leaf that was flowing downstream. The current was guiding its path as it meandered and glided around stones and other obstacles. Then it reached very shallow water towards the river shore and stopped. Stuck amongst other leaves that had drifted to the too shallow water where there was no longer enough water energy for flow to take place.
This can also be a metaphor for some people's lives. They drift along with no purpose or goals. Going where the wind blows. Helping others to realise their dreams while their dreams remain unsung.
In what ways does your flow get blocked and interrupted?
The sea and river are always moving and changing. Flow is their nature. Waves moving up towards the river and the river towards the waves.
I knew that when the tide came in the water levels would rise and a shift would happen for those leaves – nature and life at work.
The leaf was stuck so I decided to keep walking downstream to where the river and sea seemed to meet. Going back to that moment in memory now...
I am filled with anticipation
My eyes can see the meeting of the two water forces but I am not yet in the midst of it. My heart is beating faster. I am aware of tightness in my shoulders and solar plexus.
I decide to relax and smiled.
We are one.
The waves move forward to greet a long expected cousin. There is a sensation of joy in my whole body. The waves are joyful. The water comes closer and closer. The river selflessly surrenders.Then we meet and I am it.
We were aiming, in this meditation, to connect with our limitless nature. This was the overall theme of the retreat also.
Later in the evening, I timed everyone and in eight minutes we wrote about our meditation experience. Each person read their mini meditation tale aloud to everyone. And then we started our asana (posture) practice.
