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I Lost My Mind Down At The Mariner’s Lake
Understanding Mushin and the zen meaning of shiki no uta
Mushin is the mind without mind. It is a fluidity that flows without obstacles like fear, anger, or ego.
Kind of like this past weekend when my husband and I were invited for a 5-mile walk on the Noland Trail. The Noland Trail is popular and is a part of the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
It is free and open to the public and its award-winning trail wraps around the 167 acres of Mariner’s Lake.
But this time, I let the trail wrap around my mushin mind. A week before going, I complained that I get winded too fast and I am out of shape. I was wishing I never said yes to go and had a garden variety of anxiety just sprouting seeds of doom and doubt.
My sister-in-law invited us, and that morning was bright. Crisp. Perfect weather for walking. I inhaled as much fresh air as I could and thanked God I did not have to wear a mask.
After we hit the 2.5 mile mark , we came to a clearing where there appeared to be white shells on the ground. They were scattered like eggshells cracked, jazzed and different sizes.
I could smell the breeze. It had the scent of 10 in the morning with bright sunshine and nostalgia.
