"We train here," is a metaphor for learning to survive in the shadow of a mountain — where the sky is great and open like our mind is curious and open. We train in forest and meadow, where the deer feed and rest under a star canopy so clear and bright it takes our breath away. We train along the wandering paths of bear and cat — along swift cascading streams to still deep pools. We train in glen and glade and mountain top. This is where we train to be alive and human.
We Train Here
If you begin a survival skill such as Bow Drill fire making. You discover the technique works not only the muscle but also the mind. For every physical skill you learn there is a mental counterpart.
Train to move
Movement is life. Sometimes your movement is fast. Other times you move slowly, a snail's pace. You move only when the wind moves. Challenging muscle and mind. In survival training, you use everything around you. It's a game. A limb becomes a chin up bar. A rock, a weight to lift. The ground, to crawl upon and push against.
Breath is life
We breath as we move. Breath, releasing breath. With each exhale we relax. An inhale with no tension. Moving the tension around the body, into the ground. Then relaxing with more breath. Always breathing always relaxing. This is how we train. In the mountains, on the trail. Where the air is fresh and nature sublime.
We train here. Be like water
Bruce Lee made this ethos famous, be like water. Lee lived his life with this concept in mind. Training mind and body. Following ideas of self-counsel, concepts that uplift not degrade the self, or others. Lee encountered bigotry and stereotyping in his life as an immigrant. But Bruce Lee developed a system to rise above it. Lee used will power, emotion, reason, imagination, and more to rise above the haters. This is how we train.
A human life
We train here, in the magic of nature where we Live the Wilderness Way. Songs, language, expression outward a thing made, made with our hands. A wooden bowl to fill with food and share to giveaway. Laughter, teasing, community, fun. Falling into sleep under a brilliant sky filled with silver stars. This is how we live a human life.
In Closing
You may hear us or our echo along the lake trail or the dervish of butterfly ridge. From the corner of your eye, you will catch a glimpse as we ramble down the trail. It, life, is all made of thousands of sunrises and sunsets. This life we live. We will meet you there.
Leave a Reply