Nature watching?

[yat_chum]

I recently read a book where as part of the training program the student had to spend large time watching nature. Is there any place for this kind of training in the modern world?

[SunTzu]

Yeah there is ...

Long ago ,a (martial) friend of mine and I once in a while went out to town.
We went to a bar and just observed people, how they move, act and start to be increasingly rediculous (ie. drunk)
How they start talking, and embarrasingly try to find an excuse to get the hell out of there.

It's quite interesting to observe really, you can learn a lot by just take a step back and look at the rest of the world.

The same you can do while sitting on a terrace looking at people shopping, how they behave in traffic and public transportation etc.
Or go to the park and watch animals go through their day.
Observe weather patterns, the forces of nature.

[Dvivid]

Find a wooded area, and go there. Walk around. Sit. Relax. Inhale the fresh air the plants exhale. Listen.

[Inga]

Jo, I spend lots of time doing this. Indoors and out. Initially it's just becoming still and aware of your environment. Feeling it, if you will, with your senses other than touch. After a while, especially outdoors, I look for patterns, connections..they can be as simple as colour or texture or more complex like relationships between things, symbiotic situations. The clouds are the best. Trees are pretty good, and sometimes I slip into leaf counting. Here in New England we have stone walls, also good subjects. I'm not sure we are answering your question other than it seems that some modern YMAA students do undertake a form of it.

[yat_chum]

I was thinking more along the lines of Mantis watching. In the book I read the student was required to actually study a real live tiger as part of his training. As I'm a white crane player should I devote time to studying Cranes in the wild?

[Inga]

Would you ever have the opportunity to do so? I am not sure you can devote yourself to such a task, as your primary track in life is your job and family, not becoming a martial arts player. The martial arts are a big part of who you are tho, so if you have chance to do so, I would take it! It is probably not worth exhausting yourself over it. I think nature watching, candle watching, general training will improve your skills more efficiently and quickly.

[Gh0st1]

In the book I read the student was required to actually study a real live tiger as part of his training. As I'm a white crane player should I devote time to studying Cranes in the wild?

I think the point is that it takes some freaking balls and skills to be able to "spy" on a tiger and watch it lives. That training would take courage and stealthy skills for sure.
Watching a mantis could take a lot of patience, as they do not move much...

Just to say that sometimes there is point in doing that kind of training, it require and/or develop some skills, but some other time I think it can be just a way for the master to see if you will do it or not. To see your loyalty, and if you will try to make something up of what you found.
Some people tend to make things up to feel on par sometimes. Like you can see in meditation class, most of the time there is that guy who feels connected to God or the universe instantly... Yeah right buddy...
Or when a master ask you how did you feel watching a rock, and you answer, "I felt cosmic energy, and I understood the meaning of life". Could be, don't get me wrong. But most of the time it'll be BS. And you will just look not having a critical mind and not hard to convince. You can also look like a lyer or someone not worth trust, because you BS people. When you didn't felt something special, you didn't. Nothing wrong in that.

So just be careful with those things, or kind of training. I can tell to watch something, and keep telling you still did not understand. Still doesn't make a real master of me...

I think it sliped on me talking about the kind of "rock star" students, although I think you can learn a great deal by having to deal with nature, just be outside and experience nature. Just try to not fall in the "I've seen God on a tree's bark!!" too easily.