Reflections in the zen Garden (part 3)

Hey, Its me Evan!

I’m really excited about Paul’s upcoming zen-In-The-Garden day in just under 2 weeks, Feb 10!

My name is Evan Jerkunica and I am a student and friend of Paul’s. I have a number of web based businesses and am really excited our business activities can change people’s lives

— for the better!

zen In The Garden has helped me gain deep insights into how I was taking on too many entrepreneurial projects and how to bring my intimacy into my relationships.

And that stacking rocks in Paul’s garden really recharges my batteries!

So today I will take you through part 3/3 of my experience in the zen garden stacking rocks!! (my previous posts 1 & 2 were posted over the past few months on this blog)

Here I am carefully adjusting what I consider to be some large, heavy rocks (see below), especially compared to my first rock stack I ever made…

Ironically, this experience took place almost a year ago last Feb ’11.

I guess having my mom die when I was a kid, having a sick dad, harsh step mom, and a few co-dependent relationships can really take the courage out of you.

And here ís Vidya (below), making a rock stack taller than her in about 10 minutes flat.

Vidya told me that she just stacks the rocks up, and doesn’t care if they fall, since she isn’t “attached to them, like life, the next moment is a great opportunity to do something different and better!”

I am so thankful she ís my business (and life) coach!

Here is a cool collection of stacks by my buddy Paul L! I really have a great time with Paul every time we hang out in the garden:

Different rock types require different relationships – generally round river rocks will be much more difficult.

And in the spirit of doing more daring and impossible things, I choose to make a fairly tall stack of just river rocks. It was so fun because this stack just came together in just a few minutes!

I was so proud of myself to literally and metaphorically go for it!

Around this time we went and had a lunch and laid on the cool tile floors of Paul’s healing room. We chilled out, chanted a few OMs, and harmonized with the rocks a bit.

And Paul Chek told us some *crazy* stories about his days as a logger. Really amazing stuff that I won’t go into here, but if you come to ZIG next time, be sure to ask him about the spiders, sap, and logging. Hahahah. . .

It’s great breaking (gluten free ^^__) bread with everyone. I feel a bit naive saying it, but if everyone took a day each week to be with nature, we could enjoy more of the vitality of our ancestors.

After lunch it was back to the garden. At this point I was able to tune out most of my internal chatter and just enjoy the garden.

To stand among the rock beings we were creating and enjoy the day, our relationships, our comrades really felt like we were in a synchronized harmony.

Yes I was looking to learn more about intimacy, but was just as focused on having fun in our unbounded play!

I found my healthy child-like curiosity and imagination was quickly re-sparked with unbounded play like this.

How much more healthy would we be with more parents, couples and children playing outdoors together instead of trying of working to pay off shit we don’t need?

The day after a previous ZIG, I found myself to be much less intellectual and much more *feeling* what others were saying or explaining to me.

Being a trained physicist and having had many emotional needs meet through pleasing teachers and parents with good grades, it feels quite amazing to be switched into a more right brained state ^_^.

I also took the opportunity to enjoy some of Paul’s “night soil fertilized” tangerines – so tasty!!

It was just so fun stacking the rocks, even the small ones. See that big smile on my face!

And here is the man in his element!

And one last pose for the camera:

And one of Paul’s students at play, planking his ass off.

And a few more laughs to tears!!

Some last bits of debriefing from Master Chek!

And Lukas making love to the rocks!!

So all in all I had a day full of reflection, laughter, intimacy, meditation and nurturing energy.

Honestly though, words fail me. There was much more happening than what I was able to observe with my conscious mind.

Words fail to convey how nurturing it is for me to hang out with like-minded people in such a fun, playful and safe environment.

Although I am more comfortable in my skin than ever, it is nice to be even more myself, explore more of myself and to feel fully supported while doing it.

But if I must sum it up with words, I would say this:

Taisen Deshimaru (samurai master) said, “Learn to think with your whole body.”

And to me, learning thinking with my whole body is what zen in the Garden at Paul Chek’s house is all about.

If that is something in which you’re interested, I’ll catch you there next time!

W0000hooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! To life!@!@