How to meditate in the woods

Every morning usually before dawn I go out to one of the local forests to meditate. There are several place 5-10 minutes away by car, and one within walking distance. I'm up at 4:30 AM, preparing. In the summer I bring charcoal tablets for frankincense, matches, insect repelant, a light prayer rug, a compass, my cell phone, a thermos of hot tea, leashes for my dogs (and sometimes for my goats) and my mountain bike.

We drive for a few minutes to our "put in" (usually a parking lot near the local college woods).  In the car we listen to Kirtan (I like Rasa, a Kirtan band that sings prayers from the Bhagavad Gita). It is usually still dark when we arrive. I unload the car, put the dogs on leashes, get my bike ready, put on my backpack, jump on the bike, and ride down the hill with the dogs on their leashes.

Once we get into the woods, the dogs come off their leashes, and I ride down to a place over looking local creek. Being near water facilitates meditation. I put out my prayer rug (something I picked up from a small store selling Pakistani imports- yes it is an Islamic Prayer rug, and so is the compass I use to know my cardinal points for my rituals- no I am not a follower of Islam). After putting on some insect repellant, I light my charcoal and get my incense smoking. Frankincense is a much better smoke repellant than cintronella, and it smells better too.

I do some Kundalini breathing exercises, a couple of mantras, sometimes call the four directions with a Druid prayer, and settle down to meditate for about 45 minutes. I sit Japanese style on my knees, which is intense for 45 minutes, so I usually shift position once.

Just sitting still, using the yogic breath (slowly in, hold, slowly out, hold) is usually enough to allow the vibrations from the amazing forest and earth beneath me to bring me into a state of bliss. God/nirvana/the sacred truly is all around us, pervading our beings at every moment. It only takes allowing our minds to become still to experience it. Meditating outside is much easier than meditating inside, as the strength of  cosmic vibrations is greater and they pervade your being more readily outdoors.

I meditate outside everyday, regardless of the weather. If it is raining, I have a gore-tex suit that keeps me dry. If it is cold, I have sufficient insulation to remain toasty- heavy mittens are great for extreme cold, as are felt lined moccasins.

Once my mediation is finished, I pack up, ride around on my bike for 20 minutes, up and down hills to give me and the dogs some aerobic exercise. Then in the summer I jump in the creek with my clothes on- too much trouble to change. I swim down the creek around 500 yards  then back up- it takes about 15 minutes, and is especially fun when the creek is swollen from a storm and moving fast. Then back up the hill and into my car.

When I get home, feed the goats, the dogs, and the husband, then, miraculously, somehow transform my appearance from wild woman to professional, and go to work at 8:30 AM.

My work is to connect people with themselves, with others, with nature. I am present with them, and we grow together. There is mostly joy in my day, some boredom, some frustration, some exhaustion too. I work three 11 hour days at the office. The rest of the time I do physical labor on my farm, Vrindavana, .45 acres in a high end suburb.