After yesterday's leisure it was back to the programme ... 6 am ceremonial presentation of the 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing ... founded by Thich Nhat Hanh ... a contemporary Zen school ... breakfast at 7.30 ... Total Relaxation or Body Scan in English and French from two Australian monks at 9.30, followed with three Touching the Earth practises. .. beautifully done with a light touch and Oz humour ... a tea break, then Mindful Walking ... one of Thay's specialities ... a line of thirty or so, silently walking along the woodland paths, a silent sit with the black buddhas ... returning in time for lunch, taken in silence ... if you like a good natter, maybe not the best venue for you ...
Working meditation in the afternoon enabled conversation with co-workers, as we lifted the weeds from the cracks in the slabs by the Dharma Hall ... others were picking figs for jam, making compost, raking leaves, helping at nearby Happy Farm ...
Plenty to learn here, though not tempted to extend the stay ... some walking south from St Foy la Grande is calling ... maybe some hitchhiking and bus trips too, since the marked route goes to St Jean Pied de Port and the Camino del Norte starts at Hendaye or Irun. ..
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