108 bows

i've decided that as of tomorrow, i am going to start bowing meditation every morning before work. i haven't done the full 108 bows since the end of my zen meditation class last fall. this spring, i would randomly bow but it was usually just somewhere between 10-20 times. i always had a hard time doing this meditation because of the physicality of it. i was so horribly out of shape that it was painful (and, frankly, i was a wimp).

but, the farm has taught me that intense physicality is actually exactly what i need to feel healthy and good. so i am going to resume the bowing. additionally, i think that the exercise involved in bowing will pale in comparison to the nonstop activity that i am involved in everyday.

but of course, the purpose of the bowing isn't to get in shape. rather, i'm trying to add a tangible element of spirituality back into my life. the bowing was always extremely helpful to me each week, though i hated actually doing it. i am getting so much out of farming because of what it is doing to my body and because of all that i am learning and experiencing, but i need to foster that link to the spirit. its there. its everywhere around me, in watching the plants reach for the sun, in the harvesting of fruit, and in the perfect snapshot images framed in my eye as i walk through this brilliant landscape. but i need a consistent practice everyday to keep me focused and connected.

i'm nervous that i'll fail at this. i hope i'm able to be disciplined enough to do it without a community of practitioners around me. i'll post an update at the end of the week to let you know how i do!