ABUS CORITANI REVIEW 3 | Page 7

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In both cases you could take some photos to add to your notebook .
Now it is time for an imaginary journey with the element of water . Make sure you are sitting comfortably , relaxed and with your feet on the ground .
Imagine yourself walking by the side of a stream high up in the hills . The stream burbles as it moves rapidly over stones and around larger rocks .
You follow the path by the stream , stopping every so often to listen to the sound of the stream and the call of a few birds high in the sky . The stream goes round a bend and you follow on the twisting path .
Ahead of you , there is a wider part of the stream forming a large pool and cascading down over a rocky ledge into the pool is a waterfall . The waterfall is about 10 feet high and as the water flows over the rocky ledge , there is a lot of spray shimmering with all the colours of the rainbow .
You pause at the bottom of the waterfall and take off your shoes . You dip your toes into the water ; it is cold ! So you decide to explore and as you move forwards again you see a narrow path between the rocks and the waterfall .
You step onto this narrow path moving slowly and carefully . Looking out through the water you are amazed at the sparkles of light and rainbow colours changing rapidly as the water flows downwards . You feel refreshed and invigorated by this wonderful sight and stay there for a while .
Soon you realise that you must return to the path and return home but you know that you will remember this experience for many years .
You return down the path and when you are home you write about your experiences in your notebook .
Water in a river is always on the move flowing continuously towards the sea . How often do you hear the words ' Go with the flow ?' What do these words mean to you ?
I think it is now time to move on to the element of Fire . It may be harder to find 10 facts about Fire but do try to do this .
The main fact is that Fire consumes and transforms . If you burn anything like paper or coal you are left with ash afterwards . So you can see how fire transforms one thing into another . Fire both creates and consumes . It is also the force of life .
On a spiritual level , fire is the element of strength , of faith and personal power . It gives us courage and strength and enables us to recharge our energies through physical sensations . Like the phoenix which rises from the ashes of self transformation we too can be reborn and transform our lives through the element of Fire . Fire is the magic of the Ancients . Can you imagine how they felt when they first learned how to make fire ?
We also have an inner fire , the energy that moves through our body . It keeps us steady and strong and helps us to stand up against others when needed .
So your first exercise is to stand or sit still and with a straight back , try to sense the energy moving through your body . If you have done any martial arts you will find this quite easy . Otherwise it may take some time to feel the energy moving .
Another small exercise for you now .
Light a candle or sit by a fire and concentrate on the flames for a few minutes . Notice the movement of the flame and the colours in it . Sometimes you can see images in the flames .
As I write this , Bonfire Night is less than a month away . But this year , 2012 , has seen many beacons lit throughout our countryside . In ancient times , beacons were used to communicate , mainly as warnings . Why do you think we light beacons now ?
Now I am going to ask you to attempt a much harder imaginary journey .
See yourself sitting in a small room with a log fire . You are sitting on the floor in front of the fire . The logs are burning brightly and you watch the flames with interest . There are many colours and shapes within the flames .
You draw nearer to the fire and as you do so you see an image of an old man appear in the flames . He asks you to remember all the friends and family who are no longer with you and to