This morning I joined Paul Barker’s Meetup Group for a Men’s Heart walk; my third walk with this particular group aiming to empower men to reconnect with and redefine their masculinity through nature. Sadly this morning it was only myself and Paul who were there for the walk. But Paul seemed set on not allowing his vision to dissipate and we continued on the walk.
The mist created a thick layer over the beach and we could only see a few metres in front of us. The famous Table Mountain was visible against the skyline. The temperature was surprisingly pleasant. We started off by reading a poem: ‘Easter morning in Wales‘ by David Whyte. The poem speaks about our inner garden that is so often neglected rather than nurtured.
The beach itself was very busy. It seemed like a school community had come down to walk on the beach. We were not much perturbed by them since the beach has much space to offer everybody. I took my sandals off to wade in the shallow water. The water was cold in its embrace of my feet.
I was pondering my own inner garden; something that has existed for me for ten years. As a Rosicrucian I visit and nurture this inner garden of the mind often. In the poem the garden contains a tomb but my garden has a wonderful crystal cave… a sanctuary protected from the strife of life.
I thought about how there are parts in my garden that are neglected and that I need to take a wider stroll in that inner image to discover the neglected parts. Those deeper parts of me, I hide away, for they are unappreciated by others. Often the neglect is due to concern for others so that parts of myself are sacrificed for the greater common good. Maybe it is just because I have not found out how to integrate that part of me into my world of being. Everything we have has purpose and eventually every part of us has a role to play in living our destiny. I thought about how this inner garden is a mirror of the external world and how the two relate to each other.
On my route I picked up two small pebbles, one white and one black. A beautiful yin-yang depiction of the inner-outer duality of life.
We stopped after walking for an hour in silence and had a lovely conversation. We walked back chatting further and had a cup of coffee at a restaurant before saying our goodbyes.
I left the beach mindful of my inner garden and its need to be continually nurtured but also reminded that it is a place for my enjoyment and inner well-being.
(To read the poem see: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1130461853646483&substory_index=0&id=213407562018588)
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