stillness – Contemplative Camino

Lessons from a forest

When I enter the embrace of a forest my jaw slackens and my heart rate drops. Birds swoop and flit among the leaves overhead lifting my spirits skywards. Whenever I need a rest, I search out trees. Solid and grounded they teach me how to be still.Light filtered through the newly budded chestnut leaves deepContinue reading “Lessons from a forest”

Stand still

Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside youAre not lost. Wherever you are is called Here We left for Moissac early in the morning, keen to find a cafe and some substantial food after a skeletal dinner the night before. When we lifted our eyes from the asphalt we saw pink and white appleContinue reading “Stand still”

Walking into Silence

We are forever writing our inner commentaries on everything, commentaries that always reach the same practiced conclusions In the beginning of my walks silence only broke through in patches. Although the forests and fields were free of human noise my own thoughts and worries still crowded in. Most of my thinking in the early stagesContinue reading “Walking into Silence”

Effort and grace

Effort readies us for grace, as grace can never be planned for or willed to appear, only entered Stillness is illuminated by movement. I discovered that the more strenuous the movement the greater the sensation of stillness when I paused. Pausing after walking, and especially after climbing, allowed me to truly see what was beforeContinue reading “Effort and grace”

Stilled again

Yet sometimes it’s only through extended stillness or exhaustion that we finally stop and go clear like water. When stilled of all that stirs us, we can see what is life-giving. The huge dorm behind the cathedral in Conques, France, was reminiscent of many of the Spanish albergues and monasteries on the Camino Frances. ManyContinue reading “Stilled again”

Walking, listening, pausing

We practice presence so that we might cultivate our ability to really hear the voice of nature speaking to us This morning my pre-ordered copy of Christine Valter-Paintner’s new book “Earth, Our Original Monastery” arrived on my Kindle. In the very first chapter she advises getting out in nature, “simply walking, listening, and pausing”. OfContinue reading “Walking, listening, pausing”

Silence wins through

We are forever writing our inner commentaries on everything, commentaries that always reach the same practiced conclusions In the beginning of a Camino silence only breaks through in patches. Although the forests and fields are free of human noise my own thoughts and worries crowd in. Most of my thinking in the early stages isContinue reading “Silence wins through”