Yeah,
Hi,
Welcome to this week's session practice where I will be,
Yeah,
Going to be talking a little bit about an excerpt from a poem by the famous English poet William Wordsworth a very long poem called the Prelude.
Growth of a Poet's Mind is an autobiographical poem,
A very long book.
That was actually published after Wordsworth's death in 1850 but he started working on it when he was 28.
In 1798.
And it's an interesting poem because it is really It's about his life and a great part about his relationship with nature.
He was from and a lot of his work is focused on.
An area of England of the United Kingdom called the Lake District,
Which is a very beautiful part of the country,
Mountainous lakes.
Hence the name in the northwest part of the United Kingdom.
Yeah,
And I would like to just,
You know,
Quickly talk,
Share really a few lines from the poem,
As I often do in these sessions.
The way that words,
Especially words that are written in a poetic form,
In verse form,
Can help.
Us connect differently with the world around us and with ourselves.
And you know in a way that perhaps you know reading a newspaper or reading a manual reading a textbook.
You academic book won't necessarily trigger the same kinds of possibilities for connection.
Yeah,
And so these are the words.
From the Prelude.
I look about.
And should the chosen guide be nothing better than a wandering cloud?
I cannot miss my way.
I look about.
And should the chosen guide be nothing better than a wandering cloud,
I cannot miss my way.
And this can really mean anything we want it to.
To ourselves.
Important to us.
Wordsworth wrote these lines on returning to the Lake District having been away in France for a while.
And had a sense that he was kind of disconnected from.
Nature and from his ability to write.
And to connect to himself really.
He has this moment of this kind of enlightenment,
If you like,
Where he he goes back to his natural environment and he sees looks up at the sky,
Sees this cloud,
And finds it beautiful.
Albeit it's an everyday thing.
Occurrence that finds it inspirational.
It is policy.
I look about.
And should the chosen guide be nothing better than a wandering cloud,
I cannot miss my way.
But also,
You know,
For those of us who aren't poets or those who are assuming that perhaps aren't as creative or,
You know,
Are looking to connect with ourselves and the world around us.
In a more regular and more everyday sense,
If you like,
You know,
This is these clouds are a great example.
Especially with the weather we have here in the UK where there are plenty of light fluffy clouds.
And blue sky behind.
A great opportunity for us to pause,
To notice the clouds,
What it looks like,
How it's moving,
Where it's moving from too.
And it can,
These guides that we look for in our life that allow us to see things more dearly,
More clearly,
Can just be as simple as a wandering cloud.
And I think that's rather nourishing.
In amongst the busyness of everything that we can find something that is so simple and so proximate.
And so accessible.
To enable us to find them.
Ourselves back on the right track.
As it were.
So yeah,
Just a few words really about those lines and hopefully you'll find those helpful and just Yeah,
For a few months,
Guiding a short practice,
Encouraging.
The opportunity to pause.
Yeah,
Two.
Consider a guide,
You know,
Whether it is a cloud,
But of course,
You know,
When we're meditating,
It can be a physical sensation,
The breath moving in the body.
Anchor points,
Feet on the floor,
Bum on the seat,
Hands resting.
All of these are guides that can help us get back on track.
Try and help us not miss our way or if we have,
As we often do,
To find that space to reconnect.
Yeah.
So just taking a few moments and closing your eyes so that it feels comfortable.
Softening the gaze or lowering the gaze if not.
It may help to take a few breaths,
A couple of deep breaths.
Noticing if you can where your mind wanders and if it's possible to bring your attention awareness back to the present moment.
Yeah using a physicality of this a guide that we've been talking about yeah where's the breath or physical connection.
And let's see how those words,
Those words from Wordsworth have landed.
Anything coming up.
In terms of any thoughts,
Feelings.
Noticing anything in your body.
Relating to,
Reacting to those words and thoughts.
Your response.
And there's nothing really.
If you're not noticing anything really,
That's fine too.
Just noticing that Noticing not noticing.
As always we are looking to be as okay with whatever we are aware of what we notice,
Whatever.
And proceed.
Not a time being this short.
Practice to a close,
Any movements that may feel Good for comfortable.
Yes,
I hope you found that helpful,
Found that supportive.
And um.
.
.
Wishing you very best and look forward to seeing you catching up again soon.
Bye for now.
