The Everyday Mystic 3
Part 3: The Mystic Takes a Walk
One of my everyday tasks is to walk the dogs. It’s not really a task. It’s a guarantee that I’ll spend some time in nature. Mostly. I readily admit that in the case of blizzards or pouring rain, both my dog and I opt out. But in decent weather, hot or cold, we walk 2 and often 3 times a day, out past the pond, and all the way around the back lawn. Takes about 20 minutes, mainly due to the dogs insisting on frequent breaks.
When I come back from our walks, I often have to empty my pockets. I’m prone to bringing home treasures.
One day, I found a pretty pink butterfly’s wing, a small black feather, and a mottled yellow and orange maple leaf. It occurred to me, as I admired the gifts, that not everyone does this, and I bet 90% of the people who do are under the age of 13.
That’s okay. I bring home treasures. I think that’s an indication of what’s unique about the way a mystic’s mind works.
The Mystic in the Moment
When the mystic is outside in nature, she is present in nature. To explain what I mean when I say present, I’ll tell you who keeps me that way.
Niblet. I am very lucky to have a bulldog who insists I remain focused on her and our walk. If I start daydreaming, or hubby and I start talking about projects and plans, we’re no longer focused on our surroundings and the present moment.
Niblet stops walking when this happens. She stands rooted to the spot as we move on, our minds off in la-la land. She waits until we notice she’s no longer beside us. We’ve never gone more than a few feet. But she won’t move when we’re not with her in the moment.
We have to walk back to where she is and start forward again, paying attention to our feet in the clover, the pond, the fish, the mountains, the dogs, the sky, the birds… The moment.
That’s presence. Aka mindfullness. We’re present when our awareness is on our experience in the present moment.