It’s interesting to me that people here at Buchinger take the Mind/Body/Spirit concept for granted. It seems like back home we struggle to integrate these concepts, and some people focus on one to the exclusion of the others. But that’s not the case here. I had an amazing trip on Monday to one of Germany’s most sacred places, and I experienced, first hand, how the concept of Mind/Body/Spirit plays out for the German people.
While taking an acupuncture treatment on Monday, the Chinese doctor asked if I would like to go to a nearby place where the energy was the best in Europe. What was I supposed to say? Yes, of course. Now for those of us who are Westerners, the idea of “energy” congers up all kinds of voodoo and suspicion. But the idea seems so normal here, that I decided to go along. We were traveling to a nearby town called Externstein.
Externstein is a site that is made of 5 gigantic stone pillars and sits next to a lake. It has probably been considered a sacred shrine since prehistoric times. Little is known about this site prior to Charlemagne’s abolishment of paganism in 782 AD, although it was likely used by many pagan groups for various rituals. After Charlemagne’s pronouncement, hermit monks settled in the caves at the base of the rocks. They carved a staircase and various reliefs into the walls. They used the top of the rocks as a place for sacred worship.
The Chinese doctor is Buddhist, so he had no ties to the Christian practice that took place here. But he said that a place gains energy for a number of reasons. These include the fact that many pilgrims have come here over thousands of years. And rituals have been performed. The rituals are acts of intention, and the idea of intention is universal in all spiritual practice. Also, nature plays a big role. This place is beautiful. It is located in the middle of a forest and is probably one of the most peaceful scenes I have ever witnessed.
We hiked around the lake, viewing the rock formation from all sides. It was probably about 2 miles all the way around. We found a place to sit under a canopy of trees changing their colors, and we spent about 30 minutes in meditation. No one said anything – we just sat. Actually, I had no trouble with this whatsoever. The “energy” of the place, as well as the deep stillness of nature made it easy. In fact, I really didn’t want to leave.
We passed a hill on the side of the formation where people were picnicking and playing music. Families were there with their dogs and children were running up and down. It seemed like we were a million miles away from the negative things in the world. The combination of hiking, meditating, and thinking about all the people who had come here before made this a true Mind/Body/Spirit experience. It is something I will remember for a long time.
Tags: Externstein, meditation, sacred places, travel
