Radical Presence

    

Radical Presence

Imagine hiking up to the top of a mountain with a group of people, one of whom is hauling a standing bass, amplifier and small mixing board.  You then find a place to sit on the ground and face the setting sun as the lower resonant tones of the musical scale begin to penetrate the surroundings.  There's nothing left to do but sit, listen and allow the experience to wash over your being.  


I didn't have to imagine this scenario as I experienced it twice, in fact, at Wanderlust Squaw last month.  A talented and accomplished musician, Garth Stevenson, offers sunset and sunrise meditations where he carries his 70-pound load of musical gear in a custom-made "back pack".  He "plays music in nature" and WOW...the experience was the highlight of my time at Wanderlust. When the music ceased playing after about 30-40 minutes, all of nature's sounds were amplified.  I sat gazing out into the wilderness with such clarity and sense of connection. My breath was present but almost literally taken away at the same time.

 

I have had the good fortune of magical travel experiences over this past month. Following my Wanderlust trip that took me to Lake Tahoe, Ed and I embarked on a two-part journey.  Part one was hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, Peru with part two, spending six days exploring the Galapagos Archipelago in Ecuador.  


For those unfamiliar with the Inca Trail, our 4-day trek covered 26.5 miles (42.5 Km) as we climbed to 13,779 feet (4250 m), then again to 13,123 feet (4000 m) (and all in one day) as well as descended countless steps to finally climb up the "Gringo killer" steps to pass through the Sun Gate at 8956 feet (2730 m) to catch our first glimpses of Machu Picchu.  To say it was "steep" would be putting it mildly, yet despite the lungs and quadriceps burning and reacting to the high altitude, it was more than just a worthwhile effort.  We had incredible porters who hauled the heavy stuff (and could run the trail with seeming ease and focus), a talented chef and incredible guide.  Our small group of eight had the life-bonding experience of vistas, ruins, rain, hail, fog, an ancient trail, bone-chilling nights and glaciers.  We saw other groups along the trail but had many moments of quiet and solitude.  In order to traverse the unpredictable terrain, one needed to be completely focused.  It was a 4-day walking meditation where distraction could mean a slip or a fall.

 

The final phase of this trip was the other-worldly exploration of the Galapagos, a stark contrast to the Inca Trail.  Located along the equator, the temperatures were perfect, the sun was shining on an endless ocean.  Ed and I ventured off on our own to join 14 others on a yacht.  Being in the Galapagos is like having the most bountiful and wild zoo at your footsteps.  Giant land tortoises, blue-footed boobies, flightless cormorants, Galapagos hawks and penguins, pelicans, frigate birds, marine and land iguanas, green sea turtles, families of sea lions, dolphins and a whale abounded!


One of the many incredible things about this part of the world, as Charles Darwin observed, is that the animals have little fear of humans which allows you to walk freely among them (keeping a safe and respectable distance too, of course!).  What often seemed to be volcanic islands with lava flows revealed themselves to be overflowing with life and particular eco-systems.  We needed to be fully awake and aware as to not step on any precious creature all the while having all senses alight with animal and natural delight!

 

In these three experiences-meditating on a mountain, hiking the Inca Trail and being amid wildlife enabled one particular and common experience - that of being radically present.  What all of these moments had in common was a complete absorption of the experience.  My mind was simply in the present moment.  Work, worries, politics, world and social woes, heartache and despair were not even on the horizon of my consciousness. The sole experience was being on the mountain, then on the trail with each foot fall, then, in a different moment, face to face snorkeling with a marine iguana.


It reminded me of what the essence of yoga is largely about-being present in the most profound and radical way.  No distraction exists to pull you away from the feeling of absolute connection to all beings and all creatures.  These experiences reminded me of being divinely connected - of being one.  No separation existed between me and all else.


What a gift this travel adventure uncovered.  My hope is that this reminder is one that comes to me often, fully and in my ordinary rather than just in the extraordinary moments of my experience.


Wow...radical presence...what a gift!