Explore Meditation

Well I am not long back from another camping trip. Now some people might like to spend their break lying on the couch, doing the chores they can never find time for, or sitting on a deck chair drinking fancy drink with umbrellas. Me? I love getting back to nature… with no phone, no clock and no computer.

The most easterly point of Australia is Byron Bay. (If you can picture a map of Australia it is about half way up on the right.) The world heritage listed wilderness of Toonumbar National Park is about 2 hours inland from there.

Unlike my last experience to the Bunya Mountains, which had wide sweeping views and gave me vast perspective of my place in the world, this time, the sub-tropical rain-forest held me in a tight embrace beneath its thick canopy. (It’s also winter in the southern hemisphere at the moment – and dark gray clouds filled the small gaps as it rained for most of the time I was away). This experience was very much an introspective one.

They say, ‘sharing is caring’, so here goes.

Personally, I’m not long out of a relationship, and have also recently lost a very dear friend before her time. It’s safe to say I haven’t been operating at 100%

But my entire camping adventure, from start to finish, was exactly what I needed.

Now I absolutely love working on the Explore Meditation website, but I promise you, if I had a set of scales to measure the effort I put in compared to the financial reward I gain, the table would fall over! It’s very much a hobby of passion.

Massage and hands on healing is paying my bills – but, let’s just say, for example, I dislocated my finger while playing basketball two Monday nights ago on court 3 at 6.30… I’m without income for a week

For me, personal growth is not just spiritual growth – and I’m not alone.

Probably as many people have watched ‘The Secret’, as have read ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’. And the messages are clear. Successful people focus on building assets and spiritual people who live with abundance are in a better position to help others.

For years I saved all I could and invested in shares. It was going really, really well, until that little thing we all know and hate called the G.F.C.

My website is a labor of love, massage is a J.O.B. – somehow my savings are a liability, my heart is broken, and although it’s so easy to say, ‘We are spiritual beings having a physical experience’, losing someone dear is still a challenge.

So what did I find in the middle of the forest? Cross Roads.

We have all stood there at some stage. Looking down at our feet and wondering which way they should go. Not sure of the next step… Not sure where the courage and strength will come from to continue…

To lift the mood just a little I digress.

Back in my University days I spent 3 months skiing at Steamboat Springs in Colorado. I worked for ‘The Mountain’ and while at a staff party someone asked me what I do back home. I confidently told them, ‘I’m a Shoo-ah’. Everyone nodded quietly until someone had the confidence to ask, ‘What is a Shoo-ah?’ Well, it’s my job to wake up before everyone else in Australia, and walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge shooing away all the Kangaroos so the cars can get across safely… Shoo! Shoo!” I was waiting for the laughter – but oddly, most of them believed me!

I say this to also highlight the point that the Australian continent is not covered in Koalas either. They usually reside in open woodlands with an abundance of Eucalyptus trees. They are primarily nocturnal and sleep about 20 hours a day. Sure you find koalas at all the animal parks, but to find them in the wild is usually a challenge.

Please try to imagine my surprise when I came across an active little fellow in the middle of the day in a sub-tropical forest. As only the second Koala I have seen in the wild – I would have to say the chance meeting was a little bit weird.

But here’s the thing. As I had taken the first steps of my 18 kilometer hike, I asked the energy of the forest to help give me insight into the direction I should take in my life. What should I do next? On seeing this Koala just a few minutes later… I was compelled to ask if it had a message for me.

Very clearly, the koala told me, “What is most important is that I live with Passion… It doesn’t so much matter what that passion is.”

I said Thank You, took a photo and kept on walking… now thinking about what drives me.

At 36 years of age, I’ve never actually had a proper 9 to 5 job. I’ve always found ways to get by exploring my passions. When I hear friends tell me of their absolute hate for their job I say to them as plain as I can… “Leave!” But they are happier being unhappy than stepping into the unknown. But back to me…

I need a passion that will drag me from my bed before my alarm goes and give me goose bumps on expressing my enthusiasm about it to a friend. Mmm… If I won a gazillion dollars in the lottery, how would I spend my days? What would give me more pleasure than anything else? Lucky I had 17 kilometers to go – for nothing jumped out at me immediately.

As I approached the meeting place of two streams, I stood in a small pocket of sunlight breaking through the clearing above. Thinking what a great place it was to sun myself in a cold forest; I realized that thought, in Australia, can be cause for concern. If it’s good for me… It’s also good for reptiles.

And yes, just a few meters away was a Diamond Python. Not on the nastiest list of Australian snakes – because their venom isn’t as toxic as some, but they are known to bite firmly on they victim (usually small marsupials) before squeezing the life from them.

I told the snake I meant it no harm, and just wanted a few photos and to share its sunlight, before asking if it wanted to harm me. It just looked back at me as though I was a crazy man talking to a snake. And fair enough.

Snakes for me are symbolic for many things, including the ability to shed old skin and start fresh. Excellent – I wanted to share that energy, so he sat on his rock and I sat on mine just a few meters away. I don’t know what he was thinking about, but in meditation for the next hour I made peace with many half-thoughts and confused feelings.

I wasn’t struck by the divine enlightenment of inspired thought – to realize the passion that would propel me through the next stage of my life, but I am now in a much better place in which to find it.

I think we all need to take a break from the daily grind on occasion to take stock and evaluate our progress towards our goals. My usual meditation allows me to relax my body and mind, and examine the individual pieces of the puzzle.  Camping allows me to stop, breathe freely, and look at the complete picture with greater perspective.

As I took shelter in my tent that night, wrapped warmly in my sleeping bag, listening to the wonderful rain drum rhythms on the canvas, my pen was poised above a sheet of paper with the title, ‘My Life Goals’… and I thought…

If I don’t know what I want, how can the Universe know, and provide me with suitable opportunities for growth?

My previous goals were out of date as my circumstances had changed significantly. Although it was a challenge, I soon had several specific desires written in the present tense, (I am…), or with deadlines, (Before this Christmas I will be…)

So I’ll finish this piece by asking if you have specific life goals you are working towards, on all levels of your existence, (Spirituality, relationships, work, etc) and have them written down so you have tangible and exact proof?

How else can the angels shine loving light on the choice of paths before you that is for your greatest good.

Do you have concrete goals? How often do you review your progress? How often do you update them?

Please share your thoughts below

In love and Light, We Explore!
Nigel Coates

No animals were harmed in the writing of this post.

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