Walking groups, Mindful Walking | Fresno Mindfulness Walks

  • Home
  • Videos and Podcast
  • Contact
  • Resources
  • Previous Walks
  • Privacy Policy
  • Prev
  • Next

Reflection Walk 6, Yr 2 Tower District to Roeding Park, 11/7/15

October 16, 2016 By fmw

Reflection from Walk #6, Saturday morning, November 7, 8:30 a.m — Three FMWalkers began in the Tower District, on Olive, at the Mia Cuppa Cafe. The ivy-covered cafe was already busy inside and out, with regulars, and Bee readers, and dogs leashed to patio chairs, enjoying the sunlight on a cool morning. This walk included busy Olive Avenue, neighborhoods surrounding John Muir Elementary School,Golden State Boulevard, railroad tracks, Roeding Park, Storyland, Chaffee Zoo, the roundabout and underpass on Belmont, and older Fresno neighborhoods and alleys.

The veteran walkers described this walk as full of life and activity, vibrant, open and inviting. They felt fortunate to experience so many unique and creative elements within a 4-mile walk in Fresno.

Sights: lots of people, unique retail shops along Olive, bicycles, dog walkers, homeless people, John Muir Elementary School, volunteers and kids at Saturday Sports, Ethiopian Christian Church and gathering, Adventure Church, large ornate Church of Christ, large mature shade trees, unkept alleys, bus stops with people, railroad tracks, majestic trees and sprawling Roeding Park, busy tennis courts, Storyland workers getting ready, line of customers at Chaffee Zoo, Belmont road construction, Hmong funeral, Spirit of Women campus with women and children, underpass at Belmont, homeless encampment with tents and belongings, older single family homes with porches, front yard seating, old motel used for housing, dry or brown front yards, cats, short or decorative front yard fences, many dogs, 1 or 2 stray dogs.

Sounds: clarinet, Coptic Christian Church service chanting, Hmong songs at funeral, dogs barking, car rap music, person singing in house with music, train, traffic, kids playing, people, tennis, construction, birds.

Smells: incense, marijuana, food cooking, fresh cut grass, urine under bridge, dog/cat poop.

Stories:
Just crossing Palm, FMWalkers came upon people in white flowing clothes. They were unloading items and food from a car and carrying them into the Archangel Church. They immediately greeted us and told us they were Ethiopian Coptic Christians, and that this was a special annual celebration of Saint Gabriel. They invited us in to see the service that was going on. There was chanting and incense. Everyone was in white flowing clothes. Shoes were piled by the front door. The sanctuary was ornate with a prominent altar and people leading chanting songs from the altar. They invited us to come in to the service and wanted us to stay for their meal at 11 am. The children were laughing and playing in a single-wide mobile classroom at the back, and they gladly gathered and smiled so we could take some pictures.

Walkers met Shannon, who was standing on the corner of Golden State Hwy and Olive. Within a 10 minute conversation, Shannon told us she’d burned all her bridges and had done rehab and shelters. She didn’t know where to go from this corner, but told us she was ok and didn’t need help. She was rather agitated and fidgety as we stood and breathed together. We explained that the Spirit of Women shelter was just down the road and pointed her in that direction. During the reflection, Walkers talked about Shannon. In a free society, what can we do for someone like Shannon?

Walkers were happy to find the gates open to the playgrounds at John Muir Elementary. A lively group was gathered at a picnic table. This was Saturday Sports as advertised on the sign at the school. From 10 – noon, there are organized sports, crafts, and snacks. Two volunteers told us they were from Adventure Church, located just around the corner. The showed us their binder of instructions, a bin of supplies, and a bag of sports equipment. This is coordinated by Every Neighborhood Partnership, or ENP, an organization that helps churches engage with their own neighborhoods. One of the kids was practicing her clarinet, which looked new. She said it was brand new, and that she attends Cooper Academy, a special school of Fresno Unified. She performed “Go Tell Aunt Rhody” for us, and as we were walking away, she played “Joyful Joyful We Adore Thee.” Her song followed us out of the playground and floated like a leaf until the final notes landed softly on the ground. It was a magical moment.

Back at Mia Cuppa Cafe, FMWalkers were introduced to Barry Scultz, a local violin maker and instrument repair craftsman. Barry says he’s a regular here. Mia Cuppa was hosting their monthly “Art In,” where artists come together to create in the public setting of a coffee shop. The place was busy with singles, couples, and groups gathering on a Saturday morning.

These are our brothers and sisters in Fresno. All of our lives and futures are tied together.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized

Related Posts

  • Discover or rediscover Fresno by walking mindfully

    September 5, 2019January 16, 2022
  • Fresno Mindfulness Walk — September 21, 2019, 10 a.m.

    August 16, 2019September 7, 2019
  • The Design Cycle – everything begins with empathy.

    September 23, 2018September 25, 2018

Post navigation

  Reflection Walk 5, Yr 2, West Fresno Food Maxx, 10/31/15
Reflection Walk 7, Yr 2, Blackstone and Herndon, 11/14/15  

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

UPCOMING WALK: Saturday, January 29, 2022, 10 a.m.

Fresno Mindfulness Walks will lead a Saturday morning walk on January 29, 2022, beginning at 10 am. at 271 N. Glenn Ave., Fresno, CA 93701 (the home of Craig Scharton).  
 
The walk will be about 3 miles, at a stroll to medium pace, occasionally on uneven ground, and take about an hour and a half. By walking mindfully and without talking, we will experience the Lowell neighborhood in new ways. At the conclusion of the walk, we’ll gather back at Craig’s yard and spend a few minutes talking about what we discovered about ourselves and the neighborhood. 
Walks are free and require no RSVP. Look for the Facebook event to share with your friends. For email notifications, sign up in the yellow bar at the top.
Lori Clanton
Lucky Leader to Fresno Mindfulness Walks

How FMW works —

Fresno Mindfulness Walks are weekly opportunities for people to walk together for a 4 mile route through a different Fresno neighborhood each week. Walkers practice active mindfulness by attending to the sights, sounds, smells, feelings.  Walkers do not talk to each other on walks, but we do greet people we meet along the way.  The walk location and exact start time are posted just a few days in advance. All walks are free, require no RSVP, and anyone is welcome to join one walk or many. To learn about upcoming walks, you can sign up for a weekly email in the yellow bar at the top of this website and/or LIKE and follow the FMW Facebook page.

 

To learn about the routine that begins each walk and read some of the resources that have inspired FMW, check out the resources page.

 

Weekly walks are about 4 miles and take about an hour and a half. Walks are at a medium pace, often on uneven ground, and sometimes take longer than expected because walkers see themselves as curious travelers lingering to observe or going around a different way.

Check out our Facebook page

Newsletter Signup

Archives

  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • October 2015
  • August 2015

Recent Posts

  • Discover or rediscover Fresno by walking mindfully
  • Fresno Mindfulness Walk — September 21, 2019, 10 a.m.
  • The Design Cycle – everything begins with empathy.
  • Better than Zuckerberg’s virtual reality – ‘real reality’
  • The FMW Story

© Fresno Mindfulness Walks "Breathe - Walk - Observe" Privacy Policy