April 27 - May 3 2019 The tree of breath, Hiking retreat in Salento

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With brothers Phap Luu and Dao Luc (Plum Village Community)

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Walking towards the finibus terrae, on the south-eastern border of the Italian peninsula, we meet a world lying in the very middle of the Mediterranean and revealing multiple faces of an ancient landscape: from the Messapians who settled here, to the first monks who came from the East to live as hermits in caves, from thousand year old olive trees, to the winds constantly blowing. In May the Mediterranean bush is abloom, wild orchids meet our eyes like stars amidst the dry stone walls and the rocky paths carved by the sea. The Tree crowns this earth: the Tree of Life, mirror of a culture of encounter, a great book of symbols sealed in the mosaic of the Basilica of Otranto and the Olive Tree, messenger of peace. In this journey, we are the Tree. Our roots are filled with vital force and sink into inner silence.

A hiking retreat is a time dedicated to rediscovering stability, calm, clarity, lightness of heart, mind and body. The day flows in the spirit of a retreat. We anchor ourselves to the present moment, to our breathing, when we sit, eat, rest, walk accompanied by exercises that amplify perception and focus attention. Nourished by the beauty of nature we feel admiration and gratitude. We also enrich ourselves with the practice of the group and we make the experience of being distinct and at the same time "one body".

We can all feel a sense of deep admiration and love when we see the great harmony, elegance and beauty of the Earth. When we really can see and understand the Earth, love is born in our hearts. We feel connected. This is the meaning of love: to be one.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Accompanied by:Brother Phap Luu, Dharma teacher from Plum Village Monastic Community (https://plumvillage.org/about/dharma-teachers/br-phap-luu/) e Brother Dao Luc.

Anita Constantini mother, sculptress and environmental hiking guide, in love with the beauty of nature and mindful walking. She bas met Thich Nhat Hanh in1992 and in 2005 she conceived and realized the first hiking retreat with the sisters of the monastic community of Plum Village.