2010.09.01 Reflections about Time and WHF

 Maxine's thoughts:

Recalling the Forest walk, in which Jim suggested we open our senses to the forest, just to receive, upon closing my eyes I heard a lovely birdsong, new to my ears,  which repeated every few minutes during the rest of that practice.  It seemed to harken my attention to perhaps newly discovered experience, that of just being there within he bosom of the receiving, sharing forest.  It became a beacon for the reminder of my time at WHF.

            And the beauty of the ‘great hall’ within Juniper Lodge, thoughtfully crafted wood features contrasting with a green colored walls which captured the light from skylights creating a wonderfully relaxing space of light and calming forest colors, amidst wooden beams the size of large tree trunks, from which they had been hewn.

            Silent day: during which the colors and sounds of the forest and WHF seemed quite vivid, as did the flavors of the foods.  This sense of the heightened intensity of flavors seemed especially noteworthy, nearly everyone experiencing it.  Whether the ‘quiet mouth, savory tastes’ were connected remains an interesting mystery. Certainly the experience of the senses being heightened during the silence of this interior day remains a significant experience.

            Facing the inevitable ending of our retreat seemed important, though of course sad. It was at first difficult to focus on the loss, but with the attentive flow, the topic of loss, endings became a rich part of our retreat.

            That last morning, up early with the birds and the frogs, amidst the morning dew, frogs declaring croakingly “Frogs First”, while hummingbirds zipped with their metallic hum.  Gentle greetings exchanged as I silent bid a grateful goodbye.

And a few days later on Prince Edward Island, just north of Nova Scotia:

            Re the Perseid meteor shower: after a viewing before midnight, I returned a couple of hours later to experience (of course) that the constellations had shifted, the sky ‘turning’ in a way which was a bit disorienting to me, causing me to feel weirdly that I could easily fall into pace, just tumble into that slowly whirling mass of stars.  Watching for meteors during this sensation was a peculiar experience, and I felt especially humbled at the end of this viewing.  Again, a sense of being lost in time and space.