Mountain High
There are little floral crowns of occurrence, sweet and circular in nature. For some, they give goosebumps and summon descriptors like ‘serendipity’, ‘signs’, ‘fate’. For others they are simply coincidence, the random amalgam of opportunity meets repetition. Hang around Ojai long enough and you start to notice that these ‘coincidences’ begin to feel less like happenstance, their traits bordering on mythic. Even the most skeptical among you begins to acknowledge the goosebumps. Our jaunt this week isn’t of the minibreak getaway variety because the point of Ojai kept coming up exploratory stillness rather than jaunting for jaunt’s sake. And because sometimes spending a little more time in a single place tells you more than movement ever could.
Base Camp
Beyond downtown and up a steady hill lies Meditation Mount, a respite that’s as approachable or involved as you want it to be. Group and walking meditations are offered several times a week but you need only bring a comfy pair of shoes (and maybe a sense of wonder) to take it all in. Once you pass beneath the welcome pagoda’s wooden archway, the pace is up to you.
The Ascent
Wander, observe and explore; little messages along the way persuade you to behold the natural beauty in the greenery and contemplate the quiet. These are the moments for journaling, sketching, photographs or simply standing still.
The Peak
At the path’s end, you suddenly find yourself on the precipice of the world, the valley’s golden-lit green basin fanned out as proud plumage before you. Its vastness merits reflection and luckily, there’s a three-seater bench with your name on it.
The Return
The spirit of the Mount is ‘come as you are’ and ‘go as you please’ but the path brings out a kind of afterglow in most of the folks who have experienced it. We hope you enjoy the climb.
