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| AHYMSIN newsletter, Issue - December 2011 | ||||||||||||||
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Contemplative Walking in a Peace Gardenby Lori BeronA recent conference/vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii brought me to an incredible place called Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary, a botanical garden with many shrines devoted to various spiritual traditions and religions. At the center of the property was a galaxy garden, a walk through model of the Milky Way, mapped in flowering plants and based on astrophysical data. Towards the end of my visit I walked a labyrinth, incorporating contemplative walking. Ma Radha was recently in Minneapolis and gave a workshop on teaching contemplative walking; with the technique fresh in my mind, I taught my traveling companion, and we slowly wove our way through the labyrinth. I’ve walked labyrinths before and felt I never really “got it”, but by practicing the techniques of contemplative walking it really helped me to “get it” this time. At the end of the path I simply sat quietly on a bench absorbing the incredible vibration of this place. Departing, I commented to the caretaker about the strong energy. He said some native bones were taken from the land and displayed at the Smithsonian Museum for many years. The bones have been rightfully returned to this place complete with a ceremony from the native Hawaiian people; the caretaker said this place is sacred land. Once again I am struck with immense gratitude to the Himalayan Tradition for the teachings that allow me to be aware and appreciate these subtle places, and thanks so much to Ma Radha for teaching contemplative walking, it really enriched my experience (and my friends too!). Although I may never get to Paleaku Gardens again, I can still practice contemplative walking anywhere, honoring and reminding myself of the sacredness of this earth. Website for the Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary: http://www.paleaku.com/index.htm (To see one of the labyrinths, click on the "See an arial view of Paleaku" link). Additional views of the "Galaxy Garden" can be found here: www.galaxygarden.net Editor’s Note:Contemplative Walking is a chapter in Swami Veda Bharati’s book Night Birds. Night Birds is available at http://www.yogaineurope.eu/store/books/catalog/13/. In India, it can be found at the SRSG Bookstore and through ahymsinpublishers@gmail.com Night Birds as an E-Book can be ordered through http://dansdigitalbooks.com/all-books/swami-vedas-complete-books/night-birds/ The “Contemplative Walking” booklet by Swami Veda Bharati can be purchased through the online bookstore at The Meditation Center (http://www.themeditationcenter.org/jnana/index.php?) which ships nationally and internationally. The booklet is described like this: “Swami Rama used to say, ‘When you walk it should look like you are dancing.’ He walked like a king and a lion, as a yogi is both of these. In this little presentation, we shall try to work towards the habit of proper walking. Includes sections on Controlled and Guided Walking, Body and Breath and Mind.” For a power point presentation of Contemplative Walking, please use this link to download: http://yogaineurope.himalaya-yoga.nl/ppt/Contemplative_Walking.pps
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