Bengal Forest

Welcome to Sukna Forests, nestled into the Himalayan foothills. The path is unpaved, hence the softness of the sound of our footsteps. The path is never a straight line. For what is ever a straight line in the natural world? It runs along like the letter S, a stream of soil. The streaks of damp soil, veins along the forest path, are a leftover over the rainy season, the monsoons that nourish the soil for four months here. The unpaved path, like the tea gardens nearby, are a reminder of the presence of humans. Those who have come to visit the forest before you. Trees grow thicker as the path cuts deeper into the forest. The forest is ripe for exploration, but before we begin, let's take a moment for a calming wind-down. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get yourself comfortable. Now just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it. In the noes, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You are nice and relaxed. We're gonna be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Now breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now, returning the breath to normal. Over there is an old Asuka tree, a tree without suka, without grief. How old could it be? It is the only one of its kind here. There were many Asuka trees in the central and Eastern Himalayas once. Not far from here, in Nepal, The Buddha is said to have been born under and Asuka tree. It will flower in a few months and it's orange, red flowers are immortalized in gates in Hindu and Buddhist art. The gates Shaw Yakshi a spirit calming to Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist mythology, holding a branch of the Asuka tree. The dance around these trees are a kind of carbon dating. They have visited this forest long before we have. In contrast to the Asuka trees aloneness is the group of Campari trees that stand a little further away. These beets wood trees up pale yellow now like irregular lines in a painting. The Gombari deems with their sharp ends and look restless always as if revealing their humble for light in these terrains. Every few meters, there is a Plumeria, the jumper flower. It's wild perfume is a favorite of the Hindu God Krishna, here they lie below the tree that is beginning to lose...