Wednesday Morning Hiking Meditation with Zen Monk Chaitanya Peter Cutler
Chaitanya is a 40-year student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh who taught and popularized walking meditation as a spiritual practice.
We begin at the Sedona Zendo and hike up Table Top (Airport) on the back side. We will begin at 5AM and hike until 7AM to avoid the heat of the Sedona summer and to watch the sun rise.
The entire hike is about 5 miles and takes 2 hours at a leisurely meditative pace. There are hills we go up and down, equivalent to 22 flights of stairs, so your body needs to be in a condition to handle that. Please wear hiking shoes with a good tread. If you want to avoid the steeper part of the trail, you can park at the airport, go around the fence, and join us at about 5:30 when we reach the top.
I will not be leading the hiking meditation since we are hiking in silence. You will be hiking with me.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HIKING MEDITATION
The instructions for hiking meditation are simple. Be silent. Pay attention.
No talking. This is very important. Don’t give attention to your thoughts. Allow them to fall silent. This will allow you to pay attention to everything else.
You will notice that I touch all the trees on the path. You may do the same if you like. Avoid the cactus. They don’t like to be touched. Trees, rocks, and the earth itself speak in the language of silence. When your mind is silent, you can hear them. This is the practice of hiking meditation.
If your body is not up to hiking, you may join us for silent seated meditation at the Zendo every Thursday night from 7 to 8pm.
If you are interested in the Wednesday morning hiking meditation, please contact me through the website https://n-lightenment.com or email me at sedonazendo@gmail.com, and I will give you directions. If you are interested in the Thursday night silent meditation, do the same. Please include contact information to be informed in case the schedule changes.
There is no charge for either, but donations are accepted if you feel so inclined.
