View Full Version : Meditation/Buddhism on trail
I'm interested in how many practice their meditation/bodhichitta on trail, and if so, what would your experiences.
Did the trail challenge staying in the middle?
Time To Fly 97
08-14-2006, 10:51
One of the advantages of hiking, compared with other athletic endeavors, is that you can mentally relax...escape the constant bombardment of information, really clear your mind, be alone with your thoughts, wake up spiritually, etc. This is nearly impossible with mountain biking for example, where you have to pay attention every second.
Throughout a hike, all day long, I find myself going in and out of a semi-meditative state...and find myself sometimes "waking up" to the reality around me after being in this state. I think it starts with a runner's high (endorphin and saratonin boost), but grows on its own afterwards depending on trail conditions and physical effort.
After I reach camp at the end of the day, I feel very serene and happy, and I expect very much like the way people feel after meditating. I think that this is an automatic and very healthy side benefit of hiking.
I think this has something to do with why long distance hikers are such good souls. Through consistent semi-meditation and being surrounded by beauty, successes (climbed that mountain, etc.) and like-minded positive people, hikers are optimized... mentally, physically and spiritually. The inherent goodness and kindness of all people blooms in hikers like a plant in ideal growing conditions.
Happy hiking!
TTF
Through consistent semi-meditation and being surrounded by beauty, successes (climbed that mountain, etc.) and like-minded positive people, hikers are optimized... mentally, physically and spiritually.
I refer to it as hiking in "the zone" . It's almost like the trail travels under your feet. I didn't/don't start this way. It's not until I'm in trail shape or about six weeks before I start noticing. It's also not something I do purposely. It just happens!
Footslogger
08-14-2006, 11:12
Ya know ...just about every time I try doing this a tree root jumps up and trips me. I've come pretty close to face planting many a time. But that doesn't stop me from trying.
'Slogger
Blue Jay
08-14-2006, 12:30
I refer to it as hiking in "the zone" . It's almost like the trail travels under your feet. I didn't/don't start this way. It's not until I'm in trail shape or about six weeks before I start noticing. It's also not something I do purposely. It just happens!
After about 6 weeks it's very hard for me not to be in a meditative state. After all all you have to think about is food and your mind gets tired of that. I have to make a list of things to prior to going into town or I'll eat and slide on out because I'm so in the now, I don't even think about what I'll need the next day.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
08-14-2006, 13:39
Couldn't walking meditation (http://www.innerself.com/Meditation/walking_10102.htm) be used to both stay in the middle and in place of most of the sitting mediation?
All good points, and I have to agree that there is a form of 'walking meditation' that happens when on trail. I noticed that the first few weeks of 'pain' if you will, when everything can ache on a regular basis while your body grows accustomed to prolonged activity, your mind slips easily into this separate state, it seems to ease pain as well in a way. That and Vit.I of course, but it really seems to make the miles easier to bear.
I have only seen one individual sitting, and I did not want to disturb them. It would have been interesting to know where they were in their hike, and how often they felt the need to do so.
mweinstone
08-14-2006, 17:56
was he a man,god,charm braclet,happy toy? what? i was a buddest. nerchin shoshu was the sect i belive. i had a gohunzen and chanted nam yo ho lenge kyo. something to do with a flower opening? and one day i got sick of it and ripped up my gohunzen. so my girlfriend told the people where we chanted that i did this thing and the high priest or whatever he was told me i was now on a list for people who ripped up there gohunzens and if i ever wanted to be a buddist again i would have to wait for some kind of traveling monk or ,..i dont know what they call them ,..a budda high guy who came to the temple and touched my head so i could be a budda again. any way i never tryed to chant or meditate on the trail. i love the j man now and ill medicate before i ever meditate. but i love to hike and pray to god. thats the highest form of meditation there is for this found sheep.
hopefulhiker
08-14-2006, 18:10
I found that sounds like cars, planes, buzz saws, and so forth really irritated the meditative state.
Couldn't walking meditation (http://www.innerself.com/Meditation/walking_10102.htm) be used to both stay in the middle and in place of most of the sitting mediation?
From the journal of a hiker who shall remain nameless...
"My friend Paul has taught me some meditation techniques, so I tried to clear my mind of the music soundtrack and mental talk radio and just focus on breathing and walking. My pace improved. So far so good. Then I felt I had a connection with the trail so that perhaps I could close my eyes and let the trail flow through me.
I walked into a tree. Okay. So much for that idea."
:D
As a rule I don't meditate "in real life", but I do find that, for me at least, that hiking is meditation. Like Sly says, not something I do conciously, or even plan for, it just happens. For me usually after about 4 or 5 days on the trail. I "get into the grove" & there it is.
Since starting to hike the AT, I have had a few lessons in meditation while doing training for theater, so now it comes a bit easier, but it's still an unconscious thing.
Doctari.
I'm hoping that hitting the trail is really going to help me with my practice. Lately I've been getting lax about it and there are so many distractions. I practice both walking and sitting meditation at home, but I'll probably limit myself to sitting meditation each day on the trail. I am a klutz and once I get into it I'm sure I'll be running into trees and who knows what else.
:)