#droppingin

After Thanksgiving at my grandmother’s house in Hastings in the 1950’s, we rode in the dark for three hours on two-lane roads to get back to Detroit. Sometimes, because he was tired and needed a cup of coffee or because he hadn’t had enough of the joking and conversation that came with Thanksgiving, my dad would suddenly announce that we were going to drop in on J, his brother. Yes, his…

Dropping In: Presented by Ean Wood

THE GREATEST GURU

Photos by Gabriel Rovick 

None of us would be who we are today without the teachers in our life.

Some of them consciously took on the role while others were quite unaware.

Parents at home.

Teachers at school.

The community we grew up in.

Society at large.

For me, part of growing up and becoming an adult has been looking at the lessons I learned.

Reviewing the beliefs I took on from the teachers in my life.

Consciously letting go of outdated information that no longer serves me.

This is part of becoming a unique individual.

No longer being dictated by the experiences of the past.

There is one guru in particular that stands out.

The wisest teacher of them all.

Shapeshifting for time immemorial.

That elder being LIFE itself.

Each day life simply is as it is.

Each day my mind creates stories and opinions about what is.

“Oh, this person here, and all my opinions about them.”

“This event in the world, I have so many judgments about it.”

“I don’t like this, I want less of it.”

“I really like this, I need more of it.”

The external world becomes something that we can become very reactive to.

But if we remember life is our greatest teacher, we can start to look for the many lessons.

There are always gifts to be found in things that we judge as bad.

We can expand, grow, learn, and become more adaptable from every situation.

And if we begin to see life this way the label of “bad” begins to dissipate.

There is a Taoist story of an old farmer who had worked his crops for many years. One day his horse ran away. Upon hearing the news, his neighbors came to visit.

"Such bad luck," they said sympathetically.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

The next morning the horse returned, bringing with it three other wild horses.

"How wonderful," the neighbors exclaimed.

"Maybe," replied the old man.

The following day, his son tried to ride one of the untamed horses, was thrown, and broke his leg. The neighbors again came to offer their sympathy on his misfortune. “what terrible luck!”

”Maybe," answered the farmer.

The day after, military officials came to the village to draft young men into the army. Seeing that the son's leg was broken, they passed him by. The neighbors congratulated the farmer on how well things had turned out.

"Maybe," said the farmer.

When we let life teach us, when we remember we are students, every moment then becomes a lesson. We start looking and listening more intently.

Dropping In is a series about outdoor adventures drawing us inward.

Becoming more aware.

Strengthening our ability to be present for what is.

This is a practice like anything.

Mindful of More

Dropping in Presented by Ean Wood

No one is guaranteed to find relief, pleasure, or connection in the outdoors. It is a co creation. The outside experiences are dependent upon our inner perspectives and interpretations of them. At times I can easily go outside to find nothing but beauty, awe, and fun. I am also capable of finding nothing but problems, complaints, and un pleasurable situations.

There were a few snowboard seasons in particular that I can remember my inner interpretations got a bit off. I was getting addicted to perfection and pleasure. My blessed life had me getting really off track. After each run, I felt like I needed another hit. I wasn’t basking in the sheer enjoyment or pleasure from the run before, all I could think about was- WHATS NEXT?

When Surfing is good I can be blissed out, happy, loving life. Or I can be complaining about the swell, how many people are there. The physical shape I am in. Or just craving to get the perfect wave every time.

In all reality the chemical and hormonal stimulation I receive in these peak experiences could be compared to drugs. Dumping huge amounts of dopamine and endorphins into my body. Stimulating my nervous system. Constantly needing more. When I get the best conditions consistently, the demand for this high just keeps building.

I can easily see that growing up in a booming age of advertisements did not help. Marketing uses our pain points to show us where we aren’t enough, or don’t have enough, so that they can sell us their products. I was trained from an early age to always look for more.

As outdoor enthusiasts this is something to be mindful of. Are we basking in the bounty that is our adventurous life? Or are we just in a state of needing more? Like an addict needing the next hit. This can show up in any outdoor activity. Surfing, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, biking, skateboarding, you name it. Our species has evolved through stimulation and the body can begin to crave these chemical dumps in the nerves and bloodstreams.

Dropping In, pausing for a moment, too continually be in awe and gratitude will help keep our outdoor activities from being something that becomes a chemical dependancy. Breaking the cycle of thoughts that can sometimes easily spin into - not enough.

A reminder of a simple process for Dropping In:

Close your eyes.

Check in with our mind. What thoughts are present. What sensations

Bring your attention to your body. What kind of sensations are noticeable.

Check in with your emotions. How are you interpreting your experience?

This series is focused on how outdoor adventures draw us inward. Our connection to nature reminds us to be connected to ourselves. This is not a far stretch as we are expressions of nature. Enjoy the rush. Enjoy the high. Enjoy stretching your boundaries and abilities. Today I just want to encourage the awareness to witness when it switches from pleasurable to un pleasurable.

As human beings we are capable of having a choice in regards to how we interpret each moment. These minds and bodies are powerful beyond measure. We just need to learn to understand and work with them.

DROPPING IN: Mindful Sessions Amongst Nature

Week Three

Presented by Ean Wood

We are a collective of humans that intentionally place ourselves outdoors more than others. We value the experiences in nature's cathedrals. We continue to play in ways others may never know after childhood. We have access and continually exist within a deeper truth. That truth is, that it’s all connected. Nature is the pulsation of life. Every tree, every shrub, every snowflake that falls from the sky is a participant in the infinite cycles of form and formlessness. The snow you ride down melts away, washes down the hillside into a flowing river, giving life to endless plants along the way. Maybe an animal sips that very water you rode across. Or a friend surfs a wave that contains a drop of this water. Maybe it is then picked up into the sky once again to make its way to a trail, a climbing route, or someone else’s home mountain. My time in nature leaves me in awe and wonder. How does all this beauty exist? Every breath reminding me that I am in a relationship with the plants and trees. What wonder to be in the outdoors.

Feeling connected is a human need. Our species has evolved for thousands of years connected to each other and nature. Tribes. Communities. Towns. Nations. Humans have made it this far because of our ability to work together. We have also made it this far from our dependency and connection to the natural world. The seasons, the cycles of each year. Many of our species have lost this connection. Working in isolated offices all day, driving home to houses that are surrounded by concrete, and encapsulated in man-made chemistry. Shut off from feeling the connection to the natural world. Food comes from a building. Water comes out of a faucet. The many gifts of everyday life have gone forgotten because most of them are now connected to financial transactions. Many have lost track of how interconnected it all is.

We are lucky, our passions have kept us intertwined with the magic of existence. Even if it is within the unconscious mind. We are still interacting with nature, and the ancient parts of us get their needs met. I want you to think of your favorite outdoor activity. Imagine the season it is connected to. What the weather is like. What plants and trees you are immersed in? Can you close your eyes and imagine breathing in the abundant air? Filling your lungs so that your body can perform. What does your body feel like in this location? Is it contracted and tight? Or is it spacious and light? What is your connection to? Is it the earth? The dirt, the rock, the sand. Can you feel the sun? Does it grace you with its presence in your favorite locations? Or maybe you play with the water. Is it in liquid form or frozen? No matter what your outdoor hobby is feel yourself playing with the elements of creation. Earth, Water, Air, Fire.

We live in a world where most have forgotten the depth of their connection to life. Doing. Achieving. Acquiring. Owning. When we get lost in these aspects of life it is easy to forget how much more there is to experience. I am so grateful for the calling to outdoor sports. My life would be very different if I did not get drawn to snowboarding. So grateful for those that pioneered their passion. We are the lucky ones. . . Intimately interacting with the world that our ancestors have been connected to for thousands of years. The truth is we are expressions of nature. Just like the trees, the animals, the plants, the insects. Every time we step outside we are welcomed home.

This awareness can be a training. The truth is it is all connected, and yet our human minds are so powerful that we often miss this atomic truth. Invite in more connection and presence to your favorite outdoor activity. Set yourself up for success. Make an agreement with yourself. “The next time I am outdoors I am going to pause for 1 minute and feel connection and gratitude for such a fulfilling moment.” Life is a gift when we see it that way. The best thing is we can practice finding that perspective wherever we look. Join us on this journey and Drop-In.

Tips for a mindful session amongst nature:

Pause & intentionally make time: Experience your surroundings as fully as you possibly can.

Listen: What can you hear? How many layers of sound can you tune into?

Smell: What kinds of fragrances surround you?

Observe: Watch your breath through the many sensations. Are you breathing fast or slow? In and out of your nose or mouth?