The themes this week have been learning through experience (sitting in the middle of a forest, arms wrapped around a tree, waiting to experience what comes), and observing with one’s whole being, with the heart.

Those led me, not surprisingly, to this weekend’s “quest” —

Practice

For 20 minutes, sit yourself somewhere in nature, or at least with a view of the outdoors. (I find setting a timer on my phone really helps keep my mind from wandering!) Practice observing with the heart, with your whole being. Listen for sounds, smell what’s in the air, watch for movements, etc. Then, push yourself further, as Bear Heart does for his trainees (an orange isn’t just orange and round but has a certain texture, streaks, marks, has been hanging from a stem on a tree). Push your observations further. What more can you observe, feel in the cavity of your body? The direction of the sound, a rise or fall in volume, a tear in a feather. Practice expanding your attention wider and wider like a field, trying to encompass it all, and yet at the same time aware of the smallest details you can decipher.

The goal in this 20 minutes is to practice this full-bodied observation — and see what arises — anything surprising?