Padakun Pages

Monday 29 December 2014

WALKING INTO 2015

WALKING INTO 2015

The journey known as Padakun has taken us down many surprising side trails this past year, and looks to do the same for the coming year. The year included a major presentation on contemplative walking at a mindfulness conference in Fredericton, the acquisition of certification for Nordic poling, the founding of the Kick and Push Pedestrian Society [KAPPS], Renfrew County’s newest walking group, and numerous wonderful walks throughout the County. All through the year, I have been pleased with a number of enthusiastic walkers of all ages and all interests. I have made the acquaintance of a few sympathetic walking authors and am convinced that interest in walking, for recreational and spiritual purposes, will only continue to grow.

We had a unexpectedly pleasant [for December] final KAPPS walk for the year. Having wrapped up the route from Renfrew to Calabogie in November, we concluded our double-route adventure, with a relaxed walk into Arnprior, and equally relaxed circuit through Gillies Grove. Although the last section of entering Arnprior was little more than bare fields, the walk in the Grove, with its old-growth trees and friendly fellow walkers, more than made up for the early part of the walk.

Having concluded these two routes we now have the delightful obligation of planning our progress for the coming year. I will be circulating a short questionnaire to all our interested walkers. Please take the time to complete this so we can have the most satisfying monthly walks for 2015.

As the Walker knows, we cannot predict what the trail will look like further along. The path does unfold as we walk it.

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn

Sunday 21 December 2014

TWO NEW WALKING BOOKS

NEW BOOKS - THE LOST ART AND WALKING

A couple more new books arrived in the mail this week. The first is The Lost Art of Walking: The History, Science, and Literature of Pedestrianism, by Geoff Nicholson and the other is Walking Meditation, a collection of three essays by Thervada Buddhist monks. The pair are entirely different, but valuable additions to my walker’s bookshelf.

Nicholson is a sharp-tongued veteran walker of streets and paths. He is at much at home on a mountain trail as he is on the celebrated streets of Los Angeles. I was fascinated by his efforts to re-walk the streets of some famous LA detective stories. His is a readable and light style. A great companion for any walker.
The Theravada collection is quite different. It is three separate essays each by an experienced and committed contemplative walker. The first, Walking Meditation in the Thai Forest Tradition is a straightforward and simple exposition of walking meditation in that tradition. The middle piece, Walking Meditation is Wonderful, captures the enthusiasm of a contemplative walker. I so much appreciated his advice that we “don’t consider walking as second class meditation”. This is one of the primary themes of my own Walk Like A Mountain. The third and longest essay, Walking Meditation Practices. This is a solid practical guide and contains plenty of insight on insight. 

The Nicholson book is available at major booksellers. The Walking Meditation book is only available through Source Vipassana. My local contact is Source Vipassana, c/o Judith Fox-Lee, 100 Seaborn Lane RR.4, Perth, ON K7H 3C6, 613-267-3973, infoATsourcevipassana.ca, www.sourcevipassana.ca .

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn

Friday 5 December 2014

WILD OPENS THIS WEEK

WILD OPENS THIS WEEK
I’ve been reading about a new film, Wild, for a few weeks now and it looks like it will be the top walkers’ film for 2014. It tells the story of a young woman with a number of problems who undertakes the arduous Pacific Crest Trail for all those reasons we walkers approach any pilgrimage. This is described as one of the finest and most demanding trail walks in the world, passing through every environment between Mexico and British Columbia. 


Wild (2014) PosterThe film is based on the memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail written by Cheryl Strayed. Talk about people whose names predict their lives!
The book jacket says:
At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State—and she would do it alone.

Critics are raving about the performance of Reese Witherspoon as the author. Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée, fresh from The Dallas Buyers Club success has apparently done an extraordinary job. Lots of Oscar buzz around this 2 hour epic.
For the trailer - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2305051/
For Cheryl Strayed’s website - http://www.cherylstrayed.com/wild_108676.htm

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn 
                      

Monday 1 December 2014

EVERYBODYWALKS

EVERYBODYWALKS
There is a wonderful YouTube channel and website called EveryBodyWalks and its worth regular checking for us walking folks. It has articles and numerous videos which include health videos, travel guides to great city walks in North America (mostly the US) and some “toolkits” that help you develop walk-and-talk meetings for your workplace or make presentations in any setting.
There is a doc available called The Walking Revolution. It was produced by Every Body Walk! And is a 30-minute documentary film that's guaranteed to get you walking. The Walking Revolution explores the tremendous changes a regular walking routine can make in your life and community.

EveryBodyWalks is found at http://everybodywalk.org/

One I watched recently featured the benefits of walking your dog - the benefits for them and you. Probably the weirdest thing about this video is that it has a few minutes of conversation with Wil Wheaton, the actor who played Wesley Crusher, the Star Trek Ensign everyone loved to hate. He’s a committed dog-walker now, which fully redeems him in my mind.

http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsW/tve18239-19871003-322.jpg 

Yours , on the journey,                           
Ray
Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet
Thich Nhat Hahn