Spring Retreat
Time for a little reflection, a little perspective, and a re-look at the spatial and temporal dimensions to my odd existence. As Spring arrives it brings welcome reminders of continuity, the cottonwood buds, the coyote hunting the emerging mice, the river otter hunting spawn-weakened rainbows, the meadowlarks and new colts, lambs and calves. I am in my home-away-from home this week, the (even more) remote Big Hole valley, in a rural setting away from newspapers, televisions, even radio. We play our own music and discuss and let natures rythms inform our contemplation. River time is a whole different animal, a refreshing and invigorating context and so necessary to keep in mind. We operate at an un-natural pace and speed for lots of the year and it becomes difficult to pay attention.Creates debilitating paranoia, anxiety, way more stress than is healthy. The river helps.
posted by troutsky @ 8:09 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
"We operate at an un-natural pace and speed for lots of the year and it becomes difficult to pay attention.Creates debilitating paranoia, anxiety, way more stress than is healthy. The river helps."
I would add that "we operate at an unnatural pace and speed" most of--if not all of--our lives. Without any reprieve (ever!) paranoia, anxiety and stress cannot ever be abated! Just think of your overall stress and anxiety levels if you never had a break, retreat or escape ever! Hence, the criminal breaking points and diverse socio-pathologies ailing our society. Oh, to give the masses a season on the river to recover from their wickedly oppressive lives!
Stemming from my own battle with anxiety, high blood pressure, etc. I learned to practice meditation, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), yoga, walks, etc. These are things one can practice (granted, they have to be told of their existence and taught their techniques and immediate benefits) no matter where one lives. You and I are very lucky to be able to get away to work on our stress and anxiety almost any time we want. However, these stress and anxiety management methods I mentioned can be taught to everyone, be practiced anywhere regardless. They also encourage a a lifestyle and a process for living amidst the shitstorm.
They do not address the injustice and oppression, but like you said one cannot barely think when overwhelmed by paranoia, stress and anxiety. Having a means for restoring and maintaining emotional and psychological resources that anyone can access could be a powerful tool for change.
It freaking snowed here. Not too much, but I thought that crap was over.
To combat stress, I like to go home (my parents house, central ND near the Canadian border) and ride the four wheeler. Sounds silly, but I can spend a day riding up and down the country side on that thing. There are a bunch of abandoned homes all around the prairie. I always wonder what happened to the people, some of the homes still have some shit in them. Very peaceful.
I get lost in paperback books.
Like a small child with ADHD, I tend to loose myself anywhere. Passing squirrels, prostitutes, or ironic billboards; I tend to wander.
So we all have mechanisms to cope, hopefully,and stay energized for this seemingly endless struggle.When Che advises giving the masses a season on the river I realize how priveleged I am to have these gifts.
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The mere fact that such reflection is reserved for retreats to nature is the most telling of the warp of our lives. To react all year to external influences and reflect in the aftermath is precisely how we allow our lives to pile problems upon problems with our vested interests confusing our sound judgement. I am working on a post about the threshold between thought and action, and how the lack of recognizing its existence leaves us no choice but to react to others and the consequences of our own behavior. I am glad you can still appreciate nature for the general sense it shows us, but can you see how such does not exist at all in the mindset that nature is to be conquered by the wonderful cleverness of mankind. That is the mindset of any government. Being able to cope with our fucked up lives is not the same as unfucking them.
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