I went on my second ever retreat for the Easter weekend. What a lovely, relaxing, spiritual time spent with some lovely people. 22 Buddhists all gathered in a beautiful country house to meditate, discuss, reflect and explore friendship – the whole of the spiritual life. Phones were turned off. There was a period of silence. It was an amazing calming and refreshing time. A time in which lives were changed forever.
The sun was shining that weekend. There was time to walk, sit in the sun, read and reflect. I spent some of my time writing. On Sunday afternoon, during the silence, I sat outside of the summer house in an extremely comfortable chair and wrote:
I am sitting in a very comfortable chair. I need that else my painful body is far too much of a distraction. People are scattered around me – reading, writing, walking. Down the slight hill is a pond – a pond which is covered in algae because (I think) it helps to support the waste eco system. It is still beautiful and tranquil. Surrounded by green lawns, bushes and a bright splash of yellow flowers. Two ducks live on the pond. They are always together, swimming one just slightly behind the other. The backdrop to these rolling lawns and pond is a wood. Further on in the wood there are carpets of bluebells, pockets of primroses – although they cannot be viewed from here. All to be seen immediately is a tapestry of trees. At first glance, the trees are all beautiful shades of green, all alive and vibrant. Some with big, flamboyant leaves, others with more delicate ones. But mixed in with this tapestry of greenery are shades of brown. Some trees do not look as alert and alive. They may well experience a re-becoming further on in the year as spring turns to summer. One tree is a deep russet brown, almost red. It is fiery. It towers over a lot of the other trees. The blue sky is its backdrop. The sky was a picture book blue earlier on. I remember a jigsaw I did when a child (I was addicted to jigsaws back then). This jigsaw had just green and blue pieces – a thousand of them. Just trees and sky. this could be that jigsaw. But now the sky has faded a little – a paler blue, almost white in places. Still no clouds though. As I turn my head just slightly to the left I see the stunning show-off that is the magnolia tree. Pale pink flowers against the bright green of its leave. Two / three / fours shades delicately painted on each flower.
My favourite tree cannot be seen from here. It is a favourite of mine and a friend. It forms an archway between the gravel car park and the garden. The brilliant pink rhododendron tree.
A beautiful weekend which reminded me of the need to be more mindful. To live in the present. To enjoy and be grateful for what is happening now.