SPIRITUALITY AND THE OUTBACK
Does travelling in the Outback deepen your spirituality?
In late August 2004 I travelled with a group of 6 people for
3000 kilometers from Darwin to Alice to Uluru and back to Alice over 10 days
with The Spirit Doctor, Dr. Daniel Houtman, healer, Qi Gong teacher and
counsellor.
We were taught the Qi Gong form of The Unification of Heaven
and (Hu)man, which through its sensitising to the Qi energy in land, air and
ourselves, helped us experience the energetic presence of the great rocks of
the outback: Uluru, The Olgas, Kings Canyon, the Devils Marbles and Katherine
Gorge.
I also did three additional one-day side trips to the West
MacDonnell Ranges, Palm Valley and Kakadu.
If spirituality is defined as experiencing the energy of the
earth, then this was a spiritual trip. Especially the walk around Uluru: that
huge dense powerful presence. (Some wise spiritual people say it is a contact
point for aliens and for aliens to meet with aborigines.)
Interestingly, The Olgas are a more sacred site for
aborigines than Uluru. They are so sacred that the aborigines do not tell us of
its Dreaming and don’t allow it to be climbed, whereas there is a option to
climb Uluru (although the aborigines prefer you don’t, and we didn’t).
Spirituality also comes from the experience of awe of other
of nature’s wonders found in this semi-desert country, such as Simpson Gap,
Standley Chasm, Palm Valley, the Kakadu Wetlands and the stars at night.
We meditated in various places including in a cave at Cutta
Cutta, whilst in contact with Uluru and also after doing Qi Gong.
Our contact with aborigines was limited. It can be difficult
to make binding arrangements due to the precedence they give to family, tribal
or spiritual business. An aboriginal guide took us out to learn about bush
tucker and bush medicines.
Daniel’s knowledge of aboriginal spirituality and
spirituality in general, is great, and all our questions were answered,
although there was some uncertainty about whether aborigines had a concept of
individual liberation (he thought not).
In addition there was the “spiritual development” resulting
from our daily activities:
- passing the time
as a group in the 4WD. We developed and did car yoga, car Qi Gong, car
meditation, and car swimming-with-the-dolphins. We did contemplation of the Tao
Te Ching and had innumerable spiritual discussions
- the bonding
process for the group itself and ensuring each member had equal status and
regard for the other
- watching
thousands of kilometers of fairly similar scenery unfold - a vast emptiness -
and learning to appreciate the subtle differences in trees, bushes, mountain
horizons and sky colours
- dealing with
accommodation differences from hotels to tents with beds and sheets to swags on
tent floors
- dealing with
camp cooking from croissants with cheese and ham to salad and tuna sandwiches;
from Kellog's cereals to yoghurt and tinned fruit; from vegetarian rolls to BBQ
fried chicken. (There were reasonable vegetarian and non-dairy alternatives available
and in fact the non –vegetarians sought our vegetarian food).
- dealing with the
lower level of food hygiene that seems to come with the bush
- dealing with
separation from loved ones for 10 days, learning to live without them and their
loving communications
- dealing with the
Frontier mentality, which could be anti-black, anti-government, anti-law and
anti-feminist. The Territory can be a place for men who want to live in the
world of 50 years ago.
- dealing with 10
days of (soft) country & western music in the car. (Apparently this was
necessary to keep the driver alert).
- dealing with
aboriginals coming to terms with western society and westerners coming to terms
with aboriginal society:
o being waved down
on a highway for drink, food, petrol and cigarettes (although there was nothing
“wrong”)
o aware that
aborigines are not integrated fully into western society (do they want to be?)
and can’t or don’t move freely in it
o the subtle
discrimination (“entry only with thongs or other footwear”– i.e. no bare feet
which many aborigines prefer)
o the despair of
aborigines about their past and current treatment. Look for “Inside Black
Australia” (Penguin), a remarkable book of aboriginal poetry.
o dealing with
white arrogance at The Rock about the aborigines’ desire that we do not climb
it
o trying to
understand the mysteries of aboriginal culture
o experiencing
their need for a deep connection to the land via our own experience of
connection to the land.
Who were my companions:
- a country woman
in her 40’s, very sensitive to people, animals and Chi energy
- her sister, also
in her 40’s, a follower of Iyengar Yoga
- an Italian
Australian woman, 40ish, who is training to be an Iyengar yoga teacher
- the
driver/cook/camp-maker, early 20’s, true-blue, laconic, forever trying to get
us to believe his descriptions of events
- and Daniel
Houtman, the trip organiser and leader, mid 50s’, African-American, now
Australian, humorous, sensitive, caring, highly skilled in alternative
practices, healer and group facilitator at a subtle level.
Did I change spiritually? Yes, through a practical
experience of the spiritual power of the special areas in the Outback, enhanced
by the practice of Qi Gong.
Did I change in other ways? Yes, in a strengthening of my desire
to see more of Oz (watch out Kimberleys and the West, here I come).
And then there was the “travel effect” which for me was an
increased sense of personal freedom to be and to act.
This is certainly the way to see the Outback if you want the
security of a group and the interest of a spiritual focus towards the Outback,
but wish to avoid the banal commerciality and crowding of typical tourist
buses.
For further information about The Spirit Doctor, see
www.thespiritdoctor.com.au
(Note that the itinerary, trip numbers, food and
accommodation may vary from that described above).
Fred Tropp
Last updated by Webmaster Fred Tropp v.1 10/09/04 \outback