This morning I took the route to Antwerpen instead of following the standard Jacobsroute for bikes, and passed the Dutch-Belgian border without any notice.
The weather was sunny and the landscape in the beginning was beautiful. Soon it became the standard lowlands landscape and I started to practice Vipassana while bicycling.
This is doable as it’s a method to be aware of what is there rather than to imagine something. Practicing the awareness inside (focus on the bodily sensations, mind is there for sure 😃) while also giving attention to the outside world requires some practicing. I did that while driving and during my last Camino also while walking. I guess that contributed to my last day’s distance of 60+ kilometers from Finisterra to Santiago.
At the beginning of practicing Vipassana while bicycling, it’s as if I am learning meditation again. My mind and body wandered off like that time I was first learning meditation. Moments of blackouts and mind that jumps from one idea to the another. No way to track. As I am aware of this now, it’s interesting to track back the first moment that the mind jumped or blackouted, as those are mostly the moments where vulnerability are seated or needs to be healed. However, it’s also our first instincts to get away from that.
With this insight, I often have pity (compassion) for those students whose guru tell them not being serious enough when they wandered off while meditating. It’s a natural process. What these practioners needed was live and compassion rather than gaslighting…
Before you try to do this, I would strongly advise you to learn the sitting meditation first. Also, one need a good understanding between the conscious and the unconscious regarding the physical safety. Especially when some emotionally strong stuffs come up, or blackout lasts longer…
After some 20 or 30 kilometers of straight line, I reached the center of Brasschaat (a suburb of Antwerpen I guess). Then an agglomeration of buildings of around 10-15 kilometers.
Here in Antwerpen I can stay at the pilgrims albergue, right in the city center. I always liked wandering in this city. Though every time, it seems to be another city for me…
