The First Few Suns

To see deep like Owl and stalk silent as Cat fourpic
To swim easy as Otter and run agile as Fox
To move in sync like a pack of Wolves
Silent and swift, with no words… 

Two suns (days) after first arriving at Nadmadiwining (support camp), the six trainees rose at dawn and walked the trail to their first camp to begin their immersion experience in the Wilderness. For the next 80 suns, they will learn to move as one organism, with each member being an integral part of an interdependent whole. They will learn orienteering, to find their own way through the wilderness, without following roads or even trails. Other than with the guides, they will have no other human contact.

The first few suns took some adjuP1150820sting. In addition to getting to know one another in person, they needed to begin the process of learning how to live in the wilds as a clan, with minimal equipment. The guides began their training in wilderness first aid, backcountry hygiene, lost-proofing, making tarp shelters without the aid of cordage, building smokeless fires, and primitive cooking without pots or utensils. Along with that, they are in the process of acclimating to drinking wild water directly from the pristine streams and lakes.

By the end of the first sun, it became clear that, due to a pre-existing medical condition, one pack-mate would not be able to sustain the rigors of the experience. After consulting with the guides and her doctor, she realized that even with a modified experience, it would be too much for her. In the wilderness, the loss of a pack member is always felt deeply by those remaining. Even though they had only been together in the woods for one sun, they had already built relationship through eighty suns together around the virtual hearth. Farewell, Red-Haired One.

Each sun, the trainees rise together at dawn and go on a training run. They are learning intuitive running, where everyone takes a turn leading as they wind through open areas, crawl under fallen branches, and balance over logs. The goal is to move silently through the dense forest, as one organism, without leaving a trace. Intuitive running isn’t just about exercise; it is also about learning to feel one another’s presence, to communicate effectively without words, and to become the Forest. Every early sun (morning) a Zen story is shared to accompany them through their sun (day).

When the trainees entered the wilderness, they released all that was known to them, in order to discover the unseen. They left everything behind but the gear they carried on their backs. They even abandoned their names. Now they are known to each other only by the traits they possess. At first, they referred to one another by their physical characteristics. There was Tall Man, Long-haired Woman, and Blonde Beard. Soon they began to call each other by their more intrinsic qualities, such as Heartvoice, Goes His Way, and Caretaking Woman.  The names will continue to change as they learn more about themselves and each other. Eventually, their names will reflect the gifts they carry for their circle.

To hear more about the Guardian experience from the trainees themselves, we invite you to listen to the audio recording below.

Stay tuned for more adventures…

 

 

 

Into the Wild

10353097_771408022916454_8840502468519910695_nWe recently welcomed another group of Guardian Intensive trainees to Nadmadiwining, our support center here at Teaching Drum Outdoor School, for their 80 day wilderness immersion experience in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. They had just completed the two-and-a-half month At-home Training, which included physical conditioning and sensory-awareness exercises to help prepare them for living together in the wilds. The At-home Training required that they come together each day around the virtual hearth (in this case, an e-group forum) where they summarized their experiences and what they gained from the exercises. Each morning when they awoke, a Zen story awaited to walk their day with them. They reflected on it during the day and shared what they gained that evening on the forum. In these ways, they came to know each other and to grow in relationship.

As soon as the six trainees arrived at Nadmadiwining, the guides gave an orientation and introduction for the wilderness segment of their training. Each trainee had his/her weight, blood pressure, pulse, and body fat content taken. These vital signs will be monitored throughout the Training.

Their first exercise in circle consciousness was to choose a pack frame that not only fit them best, but did not deprive someone else of the best-fitting pack frame. The approach to the experience is minimalist: they will carry all their gear on their backs. Essentials include a knife, a tarp, mosquito netting, a couple changes of clothes, sleeping bag, bowl, toothbrush, floss, and comb or brush. The group shares the use of a tomahawk, a small sewing kit, a first-aid kit, and one box of matches. The matches are temporary. Once they leave for the wilderness, they will need to have already learned how to make a friction fire using a bow drill.

The Guardian Intensive Training is built upon the tenets of the Guardian archetype, as found in hunter-gatherer cultures. The Guardian serves his/her people as scout, lookout, message carrier, guide through new territory, hunter, craftsperson, and mentor for youth. Characteristics of the Guardian are high sensitivity, alertness, centeredness, empathy, and moving as quiet as a shadow.

The trainees are asked to come to this next leg of their journey into the wild as an empty bowl: to let go of their preconceived ideas of who they are and who the culture taught them to be. Only then can they reawaken to who they truly are. These 80 days are designed to be physically and mentally challenging—to take them out beyond their edge, where they will face their fears head-on. This is a time for them to learn how to live together in community, to fully understand what it means to be one integral part of the whole. As one graduate of the program said “We did everything as one. We learned how to flow together in sinuous, intuitive movement, like a pack of Wolves. Camaraderie bound everybody together into a finely-honed organism. Everybody was valued as a vital organ—nobody was expendable.

Over these next few months, we will continue to introduce you to the different aspects of the Guardian Intensive Training, so you will have a better understanding of what the trainees are experiencing. We will give you updates on their progP1150807ress, which will include their triumphs as well as their struggles and pitfalls. We welcome you to join them on their life-changing journey, as they make their way into the Northwoods wilderness.