Sheila Scott came for the first time to the Feathered Pipe Ranch in 2023 for our Mindful Unplug retreat. She penned this poem following the “nightfall meditation practice.” It’s a contemplative evening/nighttime meditative sensory activity that takes place in an open area of the woods at the south boundary of the Ranch, with a largely unimpeded view to the sky. After arriving, guests pick their chair, get seated comfortably, and seek quiet company with the approaching twilight and eventual darkness.
Night Sky Meditation: The World Transformed
Soon, they notice what is transforming around their particular patch of ground as darkness — sounds, colors, smells, and textures. As night spreads across the sky, attention turns upward. What they often find is that as darkness progresses, there’s a discovery of comfort and relaxation with the absence of light.
We can’t help but be reminded of the words of Robert Louis Stevenson: “Night is a dead monotonous period under a roof, but in the open world it passes lightly, with its stars and dews and perfumes, and the hours are marked by changes in the face of Nature.”
Our thanks to Sheila for her poetic night meditation which was certainly inspired at Feathered Pipe!