Have you ever been lost in a National Park? Really lost? I have- here is my story of Natures guiding powers.
I was with a group of people after a meditation retreat. At the end of our retreat my Meditation Teacher Tim took us to the Morton National Park at Bundanoon. Tim had done this walk many times before, he felt confident that this particular track was going to be perfect for us after our 3 days in deep meditation.
The walk was about 4 kilometres round trip it was a medium grade trek, not too many steep inclines and plenty of bush and wonderful views of the Park.
For me the terrain was quite steep in parts and some of the rocky areas were a challenge. The views were spectacular and the bush flowers were in bloom. We stopped a number of times to take in our surroundings; Nature was putting on an amazing display for us that day.
After one hour of walking we came to the end of the track. On our return journey we were given the choice of going back the same way or to walk along the gravel road which would take us back to where we started. Myself and another Meditator decided we would walk back along the gravel road together.
We walked and talked, getting to know each other, engrossed in our conversations, not paying attention and didn’t realise we had missed the turn to take us back to our meeting point.
An hour went by, we thought we were still on the right track but after another long period we knew something was very wrong. Nothing was familiar and by this time it had started to rain and not a good idea to turn back. There were other tracks to take but these were unfamiliar. We decided to keep going in the hope of finding our group or to come across other people or a Ranger. The rain was torrential; the only things we had was water and the cloths we stood in.
Anxiety began to creep in, however there was a sense of calmness inside from our meditation retreat.
Something (Intuition) kept telling me to stay on the gravel road. A long time passed again and still we had no idea if we were going deeper into the Park or where we were. Every time we came to another bend in the road we were hopeful of seeing something familiar but there was nothing.
Then suddenly we saw in the distance a hut with a shelter over it. The relief of being out of the rain and somewhere safe was incredible. What we had done was walked back to the entrance of the Park. We were safe and extremely relived. To our delight there was a map of the park showing where we were and where we had come from. We had walked about 10 kilometres and walked ourselves out of the park.
With no mobile phone or way of telling Tim or our group we decided to stay there and wait for someone to come.
By this time the weather had turned really nasty. Then we saw a car, it was Tim. He was very relieved to see us and concerned by what had happened. When the group realized we were not coming they had gone back into the bush searching for us and calling our names. Thankfully none of them got lost.
We were all safe, drenched, unharmed and relieved. It had been a challenging experience for everyone. I was grateful that I had listened to my intuition to stay on the gravel road and not turned down any of the many tracks we saw. Nature had taken good care to steer us in the right direction.
What I learned from that day I have thought about often and put into practice the following valuable lessons.
* Don’t let anyone out of your sight after a 3 day Meditation Rounding retreat.
* Keep everyone together at all times, never split up especially after a deep meditation
program.
* Take a mobile and back pack with the essentials.
* Pay attention to instructions listen carefully and read the signs along the way to ensure you’re not taking the wrong path.
* Keep on track and don’t get distracted, you may miss the turn in the road.
* Draw on you inner calmness and follow your intuition.
* Don’t give up, keep moving forward. Be aware and trust that Nature will always be there to support us.
Two years later I did another retreat with Tim and the same walk. This time Tim bought his wife along to keep an eye on us or should I say on me I think.
This time we stayed together and to my delight we took the gravel road back to the starting point. This time I was paying attention. My senses were raised, I was aware of every turn in the road. Tim pointed out where we had taken the wrong turn that day. It looked so easy this time. It was good to retrace our steps again with a different awareness.
Reflecting back today I see how far I have come. I know for sure that my Meditation had a lot to do with the outcome of that day. I learned to listen to my Intuition and to trust it because that is where Nature lies inside of me. I am more aware of all the gifts I receive every day from my Meditation practise and from Nature. I wake each morning looking forward to the day.
"Today I will see the beauty of Nature in my life and be grateful for all that has happened, the good parts as well as all the challenges."
