Last week, my husband and I took a bike trip vacation, along the C&O canal, which runs a total of 184 miles from Georgetown to Cumberland, MD. The trip was well-planned but the weather didn't permit us to complete the whole 184 miles in a few days; I almost completed it, just over 70 miles short of finishing the trail. For me, it was magic not to finsh it this time, for I have the next bike trip to pedal.
The change of plans didn't upset me at all; instead, I felt totally elated by our physical stamina, our creative ideas on dealing with the changes of location and our minds ... the remnant of miles to complete is an organic gift to look forward to in the future.
Most important of all, I found my new passion, the Spirit of Silence. During my first 30 miles of biking, the surrounding nature was shadowed by the complete quietness of the forest. I could hear the trees breathing. I could absorb the flow of the canal into my flow of thoughts. There was an exact moment when my two tiring legs kept pedaling, and my heart and my mind was focused seriouly on "the moment." It happened naturally without forcing, without even thinking of trying to focus. There was no meditation involved. It was pure and simple "silence." I immediately felt in love with its spirit.
While pedaling, the body exerted energy to move the bike along the splendid canal, and my monkey mind was tamed by nature, the classic teacher. It was a complete paradox for me since I saw myself moving forward to the next mile, that my mind could be so still from the power of silence.
I am biking on the endless miles of bikepath and learning to embrace the spirit of silence, be at the moment and keep pedaling.
TAN
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