On the weekend of May 25th and 26th, I was in charge of a meditation session at the two-day, one-night "Adult Camp." The theme was "Discover your true self in the great outdoors."
The program started with a trekking tour led by a local guide. I had imagined a peaceful time walking through nature and learning about many wild plants and flowers, but the guide was a real entertainer and we all burst out laughing. Everyone seemed to get along with each other right away. (Unfortunately, I joined after this session and didn't get to meet the guide.)
For dinner, we had a BBQ using plenty of locally produced ingredients. It was a special meal in the middle of nature. At that point, the atmosphere was already friendly and fun.
In the evening, we watched "How to Find Your Best Life" at the night theater in the forest. The outdoor theater, which was made by cutting down trees in the forest and setting up a large tent, was a fantastical space. The content of the movie must have made the participants think deeply about their own lives.
It started to rain during the screening and turned into a downpour at the end, but this also created an extraordinary feeling that I can't describe. It was a very memorable experience.
Afterwards, we had time to talk around the bonfire. Someone said, "You can look at a bonfire forever," and it was a warm, relaxing time as we all shared our thoughts about what we learned from the movie and about ourselves.
Get in touch with yourself through mindfulness meditation
In my meditation session, since it was the participants' first time experiencing mindfulness meditation, I explained to them what mindfulness is and what it means to face yourself.
Deepening self-awareness leads to a deeper understanding of yourself. Just as something that was not clearly visible in an X-ray becomes clearly visible in an MRI, it is like being able to grasp your own condition more clearly. And once you understand your own condition clearly, you will be able to control it the way you want.
First, we started by sitting quietly and practicing switching our consciousness from "doing" mode to "being" mode. Every day, we are busy, doing this, doing that, and we are always chasing "doing." We take a break from that and focus our consciousness on just "being here," existing as we are.
Next, through walking meditation, participants practiced continually observing the movements of their own bodies, and how miraculously they are able to balance and stand on two legs. This naturally creates a dialogue between the body and the participants, and they begin to feel a sense of mystery and gratitude. One participant commented with delight that "a feeling of gratitude naturally welled up inside me." This feeling of gratitude can be a great source of strength to help you.
Finally, we sat down for a little longer and did some breathing meditation. By focusing on the "here and now" and observing ourselves as we are, we were able to regain peace of mind and have time to face ourselves deeply.
Afterwards, through Flower Communication and group coaching, we helped the participants envision their future and take a new step forward.
I sincerely hope that through this event, all participants were able to feel the wonder of mindfulness meditation and spend valuable time facing themselves. For me, it was a very fulfilling two days. Thank you very much to everyone who participated.
Due to popular demand, the third installment will be announced soon! The next one is scheduled for around October. Please look forward to it!
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