Spending Time in Your Personal "Wilderness"
Spending time in the wilderness can be difficult in our busy tech-driven world, but nonetheless is important for our mental and physical wellbeing and the pursuit of our goals. Great philosophers and writers and artists seem to be drawn to solitude to think and reflect, to meditate and create. Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Jesus of Nazareth, Henry David Thoreau, Albert Einstein, Walt Whitman, Nikola Tesla, Mozart, Isaac Newton, Leonardo da Vinci, Buddha, and many others were said to spend time alone thinking, reflecting, meditating, praying, and creating to help them use their minds to follow their passions.
So what or where is your wilderness? I don’t think we have to go out into a wild area and endure the attacks of insects and wild beasts, the cold, the rain, and the heat of the desert. I don’t think we need to pack a backpack or suitcase and fly off to another continent either. I think that “wilderness” can be any place or state of mind that is free of distractions, demands of routine, and interruptions.
My “wilderness” is everyday sitting in my favorite chair very early in the morning before even the dog gets up for about an hour sipping a cup of very strong coffee while staring into a faux fireplace. I make the cup of coffee, sit down, press the remote button for the little light show to begin, and I bring myself to this familiar pose to move my mind into an unfamiliar matrix of thought. I meditate, pray, plan, reflect, and sometimes I work at thinking about nothing at all. It is very hard to empty the mind for longer that a few seconds. It wants out. The most important part of my wilderness trek is that except for the fireplace remote and a light switch I don’t touch tech.
Where is your “wilderness”?
Free Image by Jordon Hedge
Beautiful article, it resonated with me in so many ways!
I have the corner of the yoga studio where i meditate at the end of practice, i have my jogs in the countryside when i leave the city.
And i agree it isn't necessary, but recently I have taken a break from the treadmill of my city life and having that extra space and time to think and be creative was one of the most precious things i could have done.
Namaste x
keep sharing x
Thank you for the reply. In my younger days I tried creative thinking while exercising, but found it too distracting. I'm glad you find it fruitful.
Everyone should get lost in their own wilderness. Great post!
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sometimes the heresy will give you a struggle between the things and the desired experience, a solid post ...
Thank you for your comment!
great article. I try to spend time in wilderness because nothing else is like it for resetting my equilibrium...that said in our Canadian climate ...not always possible. My studio is a great substitute.
Thank you for the reply! Your wilderness is anything you make of it. Mine used to be driving to work every day before I retired. I'm in Michigan so like you selecting an outdoor "wilderness" doesn't work for me year round.
This is such a lovely post, really made me think. I stress out quite easily, and it made me think of a time when I was living in London - notoriously difficult place to live ha - and I'd kinda reached my breaking point and needed to get away without going back to my hometown. So I got on a million hour bus to Ireland, after randomly choosing a seaside town, stayed in a large shining-esque hotel (mostly reminded me of that because the hallways were quite winding and I seemed to be the only person there apart from the militant oap proprietor). It overlooked a pebbled beach, and was next to a long cliff walk. Just having some time alone, no wifi, no one I knew, a gloomy beach and fantastic pubs.. it was a few years ago I went but I'd love to feel that level of tranquillity and freedom again.
Thank you for this well thought out reply. It took me a few decades to figure out that it is not what happens to me that stresses me up it is how I react to it. If you can, find a tech free, secluded place to sit, be comfortable, and think every day for a few minutes. Another thing I do each morning during my morning devotions is to forgive everyone who pissed me off the day before. I don't forgive them for them, but for me so that I bring no baggage into the new day and can make the most of it.
And thank you for your thoughtful reply - it is really good advice. Yoga, meditation and proper hard sweat exercise never fail to put me in a better mood so I'm trying to do that more - I'm in the middle of sorting out my attic to be a studio space, so it is a bit of a chaotic room right now with tools everywhere and redocorating that needs to get done, but it is the most tech free room in the house and I am planning to make a little zen nook for myself. A punch bag could be useful too haha
I think you have an outstanding idea! Good luck with it.
nice post
my wilderness is when I've something to do at church but some one calls me for a contract.
but don't forget it's God first and everything else will be added unto it.
all in Mathew 6:33
Thank you for this reply! The Sermon on the Mount is (chapters 5, 6, and 7) the best definition of what being a Christian should look like. Failure to follow those clear guidelines is failure to be a Christian IMO. Those chapters are where people who are critical of Christianity or religion in general should start there before making judgments on the subject of religion. I'm very glad you have chosen to help others!
Thanks sir and may God bless you for the good work you are doing
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STOPI really liked your post! My wilderness spot varies but watching the sun rise at the beach is usually my most precious place to meditate or practicing grateful silence :)
That's cool. My time is early morning, but it is only a few months in the summer where I can watch the sunrise because my no-tech wilderness time is 5-6 am. When I can it really is precious as you say.
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Nicely written Chuck, it sounds like you are a man very similar to me in the way you achieve your solitude / wilderness. I'm usually the first person awake in my house and my morning routine starts with me drinking coffee (but usually in front of my computer) and I usually get about an hour of peace and quiet in before I interact with anyone face to face...oh the coffee maker just finished, gonna go grab a cup now!
Ahhhh that's the stuff. Nothing like that first sip and cup full of coffee to jumpstart the brain and warm the body.
That's my daily escape. But every so often I love going off into the woods on a long hike by myself. I've chosen times before (like Black Friday in late November when I know I'll have the trail to myself mostly) when I've done a 12 mile hike in rain and snow and not seen a single other person and it rejuvenates me like few things in this life ever do. It makes me feel truly alive being in that special place mentally and physically.
I'm not big into astrology but I will say by birth sign I'm a Sagittarius (the hunter) and those born under that sign are generally fond of solitude / freedom and the outdoors and dislike being constrained by anything, so it seems I fit that profile pretty well.
I haven't gone on a lone hike in awhile...my wife usually comes with and it's great to have her along but sometimes I like just being by myself, which she cannot comprehend but she now understands that I have a need for that and if it goes unfulfilled I tend to turn into a not so nice person to be around. She and my step son are both Leos and are always in need of attention which creates a bit of an interesting dynamic within our household. Maybe there is something to this astrology stuff. Idk.
I just know I love the few chances I have to be alone with my thoughts and myself....in whatever physical location that may be.
Thank you for this great reply. We have something else in common. I was born in December. I don't follow astrology either, but maybe I should : { You are behind me in time a bit. West coast of USA maybe? I'm in Michigan on the west coast only a few miles inland of Lake Michigan. Again, thank you, sir!
Oh I'm on Eastern time. I slept in this morning so I was starting my day a few hours later than normal. During the week I'm usually up around 6 a.m. EST and that begins the short time of peace and quiet that I get each day.