In fact, please do! Walking the Hidden Valley Loop Trail, our retreat guide encouraged us to find a spot to sit for ten minutes and write for ten minutes. This place was amazing. I tried my best to capture its beauty but, as they always say, pictures just don't do it justice.
Meditation
I found a high rock that I could climb to and perched on top of it. The higher vantage point had the breeze moving freely around me and softened the sounds of the rest of the people visiting the park. The sun was shining brightly and warming this Minnesota girl's heart. I set my watch timer, assumed the position, and focused on my breathing. My thoughts faded in and out; my noticing kept calling me back to the awe-inspiring location I was inhabiting. When the timer finally buzzed, a new calm had spread through me. When I opened my eyes, I was yet again reminded of the quiet beauty of this place. I hoped that I had taken enough mental pictures that I would be able to return here even when I would be sitting back in the frigid cold of a Minnesota winter.
Writing
Set the timer. 10 minutes. Go. Pen to paper. Never stop moving your hand. Repeat lines if needed. Go wherever your mind takes you. If it tries to tell you, "No, not there...that's too much." Forge ahead. Go there anyway. You will be amazed at where your pen takes you and how the time hits differently each sit.
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