Walking in the wetlands

Walking in the wetlands this morning I was noticing how difficult it is to really be present in the walk. The thinking mind, often called the ‘monkey mind’, by spiritual teachers is always trying to take over the conversation.

Walking in the wetlands this morning I was noticing how difficult it is to really be present in the walk. The thinking mind, often called the ‘monkey mind’, by spiritual teachers is always trying to take over the conversation. ‘Listen to me, listen to me’, 'it says and goes off on a tangent on a subject that has nothing to do with the walk, or the small flower emerging out of the sand in front of me.

I have to steer my awareness back to this astonishing yellow flower totally on its own and managing to survive in the sand. Beautiful flower, so sorry for allowing my monkey mind to distract me from your presence and your gift of flowering. Before I know it, the monkey mind is now reminding me of what I have to do when I get back home and away it goes again, until I become aware of its ploy.

Thinking does not see the flower, but the moment I acknowledge the flower then thinking grabs my attention again, and even uses one of its allies ‘imagination’ to talk about flowers, when all it knows is the story about flowers and nothing about the flower in front of me.

Then I relax again and just enjoy the walk and the present moment of early morning mist, the mountains and the sand path my feet are moving along.