I burst into tears while listening to Frederick narrate the forward of his new book Rites of Passage: Everyday Rituals of Healing And Transformation.

The passage was in the Foreword:

... if I share some of what I know, and do it in a good way, recognizing my teachers,
calling out their names as I stand wobbly on their shoulders to sing to the horizon
they have opened for me, I will fulfill some of what my own life has called me to do.
Maybe it is incumbent on me. These are the things I have to teach.

His words spoke to a deeply known, carefully hidden part of myself, a part of me who feels afraid to teach what I know!

Here is one thing I know. Humans are part of the natural world. Computers and email are in a different layer, removed from the natural world by the concrete jungle.

When was the last time you physically contacted the earth? Today? This week? This month?

If you are in the concrete jungle called Tokyo, join me to physically connect with the natural world this coming Saturday for a walking meditation in Ikuta Ryokuchi Park. (500 yen)

While writing this email, I went out into the rain to Lin’s garden plot. It’s summer but I felt comfortably cool, protected from the sun by clouds. The earth felt soft and welcomed my footprints. Grasshoppers, however, jumped away as I approached. I could feel rain drops on my back as I cut grass (with hedge shears). Picking up handfuls of cut grass, I felt smaller pieces adhere to my skin via rain…

With all my heart, I encourage you to go out and connect with the natural world. Take your shoes off and feel the grass as best you can. If there’s no grass, be creative! Hug a tree; caress leaves; smell flowers.

If you actually do it, please write me back to let me know how it went. With your permission, the best replies will appear in my future Tinyletter emails.

blessings always
- Rob