The Art of Breathing by Penman Danny;Kabat-Zinn Jon;Williams Mark;

Author:Penman, Danny;Kabat-Zinn, Jon;Williams, Mark;
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 6940957
Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Incorporated

escape from your habits

SCAVENGER MEDITATION

You will need: One shoebox (or something similar). Some paperclips. A snack (you mightn't be back in time for tea). That's it.

Switch off your phone (you don't want to be distracted). Tuck your shoebox under your arm and walk outside, close your eyes and focus on the sensations of breathing. Feel the ground beneath your feet.

Walk to your nearest park or empty lot. Wander around, following idle curiosity.

What catches your eye? A pile of leaves? Fading flowers. Some rubbish? If you feel drawn to something in particular, how does it affect your breath? Does your heart speed up? Do you feel excited? Feel the years falling away.

If something looks especially interesting, touch it or pick it up. Peer at all of its nooks and crannies (you're a child, remember). What does it feel like? Rough, smooth, ridged, soft, slimy, or slippery? Soak up the textures. Smell it. Fresh, musty, earthy, or stinky? Use all of your senses to explore what you find; you can even listen to it (remember the sound of the sea in a seashell?).

Let the scavenging begin; collect five objects and put them in your shoebox. It doesn't matter what they are, they just need to resonate with you in some way, whether they be twigs, petals, coins, or chips bags.

Either now or later, take your objects and spread them out. What's their story? If you found a man-made object, what was it originally used for? Where was it made? Who made it? Can you imagine what their life was like? How did it reach the park or empty lot?

For a natural item, where did it grow? Which wildlife relied on it for food, shelter or protection? Spend some time engaging with each object in this fashion and placing it into a wider context.

Close your eyes. Breathe. Imagine the web of connections binding us all together. Humanity and nature. Nature and humanity.

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