Friends

My friend posing by a canal boat

I went for a walk by the canal with a friend of mine. We are both walk leaders for a meetup group called "Manchester Hiking." It was a sunny day and a pleasant stroll by the canal allowed us to have time to relax and unwind. Casual conversation with my friend allowed me to feel at ease. The pace of the walk changed with our mood. It started with a slow pace when we strolled through Dunham Park where there was wildlife to see and photograph. The deer are quite tame on the whole and they can come quite close to you. It increased as we moved onto the canal. We had a chance to sit by Lymm Damn and chat while we ate. Sharing problems allows us to feel heard. In Chinese Medicine the Fire element is what allows us to open up to other people and form relationships. We should open up appropriately. We shouldn't share the same personal information with the Postman as we would with a close friend.

Deer in Dunham Park

Fear and the Water Element

Fear is an emotion that is related to the Water Element in Chinese Medicine. The related channels are Kidney and Bladder. A normal amount of fear is good in that it stops us walking off cliffs or putting our hands in the fire. When fear is in excess we may feel anxiety and suffer from phobias. It can stop us from leading a normal productive life. We may see danger everywhere. It could be of an advantage in risk analysis. When fear is deficient we take crazy risks. These might involve driving at high speeds and being involved in extreme sports. It may manifest as adrenaline seeking behaviour and the failure to assess risks. We can overcome our fears by taking well thought out risks. This could involve scrambling in the mountains in fair weather.

Scrambling up Sharp Edge in the Lake District

Sharp Edge

Scrambling up to Crib Goch

Getting out into the Countryside

I like to get out into the countryside as much as possible. I lead walks for 3 meetup groups in the North West of England. You get to see the countryside, get some fresh air and have a chat. As one of the hikers on last nights walk "Macclesfield Forest & Shutlinsloe" said "Occasionally, rarely, everything conspires together to create a perfect walk. Like this one. Terrain, weather, people, scenery, interest, sunset, pub. One to remember." The are we visited was once part of the Royal Forest of Macclesfield – where wild boar, deer and wolves were hunted in medieval times.

I got some help on the walk from a local who knew some local history and points of interest. Since we both knew the route I was able to lead or back mark the walk. This allowed me to chat to my fellow hikers and not worry about the pace or whether people were keeping up. The midges and flies plagued us at the start but once we got onto the moorland where there was some wind they disappeared. These shared walks and experiences help to ground us and bring us closer to nature.

Pictures were taken by myself and other members of the meetup groups I was leading.

Impromptu Headstand on Shutlinsloe

Heading up the Hill

Sunset over the Reservoir

Panorama