This morning, on my last day in Ulsan, I went to Taehwagang National Garden. It was bigger than I thought and had a great bamboo grove. In the park, I also noticed many people walking barefoot, apparently for health reasons. I walked around the bamboo grove, which reminded me of the ones in Japan, especially Arashiyama near Kyoto.
Then, I spotted a bench with a bamboo tree right in the middle. It was really unusual.I realized it was a great opportunity to acknowledge the bamboo and meditate together. I sat sideways and held the tree in my hands while meditating.
I focused on my breathing first. After a while, I noticed how tense my body was. I had been running and pushing myself for many weeks since the last retreat I attended.
As I let the tensions go away, I noticed I was getting calmer. My breathing became deeper, slower. I was my true self again. I felt fulfilled, a feeling I had missed for a while.I stayed that way for some time. People taking a walk must have been surprised that a foreigner was hugging the tree.
And I was.
I enjoyed its cold and very hard trunk, and I was amazed at how firm the base was compared to the upper branches that swayed with the wind. I would have stayed that way if I hadn't been bitten by a mosquito and gotten a bit wet due to rain that had just started. It was time to go back.
An invitation:
Find your meditation companion—maybe a tree or a flower—and try to meditate together. If you cannot hug it, touching or just watching is also good. Try to feel its stability and resilience.You can tap into those qualities inside you, too.
And let me know how you felt.
