Thursday, September 12, 2019

Nature of Movement: Esalen, September 2019

Moving as Nature in the Wilds

I am recalling beat poet Gary Snyder's poem about how poetry comes to him. To me the path of moving as nature and knowing our deep belonging to ourselves and our earth-body. is a bit similar — we need to work/play and meet wild nature at the edges — where light meets dark.

How Poetry Comes to Me
by Gary Snyder

It comes blundering over the
Boulders at night, it stays
Frightened outside the
Range of my campfire
I go to meet it at the 
Edge of the light

For at me, at least, the path often includes some blundering, boulders, and fear... and this too is often how I know I am getting closer to something tender, authentic, and worthy of meeting.

Thanks to all for how fully you went to meet yourselves, each other, and the Big Sur at "the edge of light."

Here are some requested links:
Photos (three of these are from Jenny!)
Poems to Live By
Tassajara Zen Mountain Center
Nature of Zen
Redwoods
Voices of Esalen Podcast
The Joy System
Hiking with Gary

Extra's
Mary Oliver Tribute in NYT (Today is Mary Oliver's Birthday)
Supernature: Esalen and the Human Potential Movement

As my public workshop season at Esalen comes to a close for 2019 I feel so deeply blessed and filled with gratitude for those of you that showed up for this workshop — The Nature of Movement. This spacious feeling of gratefulness extends to all of the people that have made the journey to Big Sur and chose to show up in wakeful awareness and walk the wild path together.

Deep bow to each of you,

Steven