To see deep like Owl and stalk silent as Cat 
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 adjusting. 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…