There’s nothing like stepping away from email, vmail, telephone, tv, movies, newspapers, magazines, radio and web. Add to that days upon days of transformational practices and some very interesting material can arise.
These two retreats were simply exquisite. We laughed, we cried, we despaired and inspired each other.
I managed to get out of the building twice to hike and shoot some photos. One of my favorite spots on the Kripalu property is a creek deep in the woods. I used to hike it a lot and now it has no formal path leading to it. It’s almost impossible not to feel uplifted there.
In late afternoon light I walked up the center of the creek in my sandals shooting what caught my attention and trying to slow the camera down enough to catch the movement of the water. Later in the week I got back in mid-day for some rare direct sunlight.
If you can do full screen, that would be best. The soundtrack is by Fredrick Karlsson, an Icelandic artist. I highly recommend his work.
A meditation on water, nature and light. A bit over three minutes.
Love your blog and this beautiful video – the music evokes our workshop and the photos of the hike I went astray on last week when I was there. I attended the first, transformative, workshop, drove down from Ottawa armed with maps and GPS only to get lost on a simple mindful hike. The workshop seems like a long time ago but my “tank” still feels full and it still appears as a large beacon on my landscape. Thoughts about balanced gratitude percolating up since, the delicate art of creating a loving community, multitudes of other things, and…colonics…!
It was a pleasure to meet you and I’m GRATEFUL to be in touch with some, at least virtual, Jonathan-ness.
Joyce
Comment by Joyce Schachter — July 6, 2009 @ 1:15 am
Thank you, Joyce. What a deep pleasure to be with you.
Comment by jonathanfoust — July 8, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
Wow Jonathan that was so beautiful. Amazing.
Comment by Sherry — July 8, 2009 @ 9:56 pm
So many of the water shots have such an other-worldly feel to them, especially with the music. Thanks for sharing this beautiful “hidden” spot.
Thank you again for the retreat. Transformational would be a very good word to describe it. For me, a very big step into a direction with “no formal path leading to it.”
Comment by Jim Stevens — July 9, 2009 @ 12:56 am
Dear Mr. Foust,
It is said that when a student is ready a teacher will appear. Thank you for letting me virtually tag along during your walk in the (Kripalu) creek. As a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, sometimes I feel like a lone seahorse caught in the Bay of Fundy tides. I really needed to cry as of late and you in your way helped me to do that today. Thank you so much.
Respectfully, Michael Murphy
Comment by Michael Murphy — July 22, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
Absolutely delighted that this has served in some way. I’m inspired by your response!
Comment by jonathanfoust — July 24, 2009 @ 11:00 am