Over a decade ago, we had our very first encounter with Africa’s Big Five – we paid a return visit to see if the magic still remained As far as backdrops for a meditation session go, this one is particularly scenic: dawn has just begun to unravel over a vast grassy plain and in the distance, a mountain range reveals its silhouette under the opalescent glow of the rising sun. Leaves ripple in the breeze as I breathe in the pristine air, lulling myself towards transcendence. The silence is all-consuming, almost startling – until nervous whispers and the rhythmic staccato of camera shutters start piercing the Zen.
“Lion dynamics are fascinating. They’re ruthless,” a hushed voice jolts me back into the moment. “Their focus is survival.
” Oh yes, of course, the lions. There they are, a trio of strapping young males with manes gleaming in the early light, striding purposefully across the savannah and right into my meditative trance. Some of my best thinking unfolds during game drives.
There’s something so elemental about the raw, majestic wilderness, the serenity, the awareness of just how insignificant you are in a world where lions amble past. In fact, at this very moment, I can see their breath misting in the crisp, southern-hemisphere autumn air – without deigning to even sniff in your general direction; it just clears your mind and flings open your chakras. Sure, downloading the Calm app in the comfort of my home would probably be a significantly cheaper pat.