Textural walk:

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​I encourage you to take a slow meditative walk, if possible with bare feet on soft grass, or else in a place that has a clear texture, such as gravel. As you walk, become aware of the texture that you are feeling underfoot, and the sound of each footfall. Allow yourself to surrender to the texture of the path in each moment, and as you do so, bring an attitude of surrender to God with your whole being. At the end of your walk, bow in gratitude and acknowledgement for the texture of THIS path that you are journeying on, for your life in this moment in time. Now open your hands as a gesture of willingness to participate in kinship with this beautiful, suffering world. 

“Curiously enough, if we primarily try to shield ourselves from discomfort, we suffer. Yet, when we don't close off, when we let our hearts break, we discover our kinship with all beings.” - Pema Chodron

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Take some gentle time to read and reflect on the following poems:

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When I am among the trees

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When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

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I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

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And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
"and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

–Mary Oliver, “When I Am Among the Trees” from "Thirst," (Beacon Press, 2006).

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ONE STEP AT A TIME (Extracts)

The path is walked one step at a time.

Not in the imagination. Not in the memory.

Not in some idealized future.

Just here—where you are, as you are.

To meet the moment is to step into presence—not conceptually, but actually.

To be with what is, without resistance or embellishment.

To stop arguing with the life that is happening and instead participate in it fully.

This is not passivity. This is deep acceptance.

This is humility in action.

This is spiritual maturity.

That’s the grace of the path: it’s always right here.

You don’t have to go looking for it. You’re already on it.

One breath.

One moment.

One step at a time.

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–Kavi Jezzie