i like to follow daoist practice for contemplation, rather than meditation, sages may indeed empty their minds, the rest of us have a troop of monkeys that start chattering the minute they get the chance…no, better for me is to make meditation pieces, as my hands make art, my mind stills and becomes quiet in a very simple way, i feel very aligned to the natural world again when i use elements salvaged from walks on beaches (my favourite! so looking forward to being on a beach again in 3 weeks!) or through woods…though if you keep your eyes and mind open, anywhere will do, i once walked through a backstreet in truro and a handful of white feathers floated down out of a clear blue sky, no sign of birds, no sound of pillows being shaken, just feathers reminding me to take life lightly…
another quietener is to sky-watch, sit comfortably and watch the clouds shift, the sun come and go, the stars move, it’s all happening and most of our troubles are better faced with a quiet centre, attuned to the conditions around us, starting macro and returning to a our personal space refreshed by knowing we are 1/7,000,000,000 of human life on earth, most mistakes we make can really only be quite small against that scale….
cassia bark smells lovely and makes beautiful shapes, it’s available at any large asian foodstores, and much cheaper than cinnamon, a cousin…star anise and cloves are aromatic and very pleasing to use, the piece to the left is a strengthener for winter, the piece to the right for missing the sea…i work mindfully as i assemble the pieces, but by following intuition, not intellect…afterwards i use the pieces as gifts or for further reflection – but usually people cross my path who i realise they are meant for, so they make their way into the world by serendipity, hopefully carrying a little of the peace i found while making them…
3 responses to “busy hands, quiet mind”
Emily Townsend (@artyem)
February 23rd, 2012 at 18:05
thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such an encouraging comment. Mary Oliver is the best, I love the singing bird quote. JoY is the key, even in our hard times, is it not? happy blogging! -Em
Cherise
March 31st, 2012 at 20:37
These are beautiful! I love stargazing =) and making is deffo another great mind shusher =P
Deborah,French
February 1st, 2013 at 11:22
Good site you have got here.. It’s difficult to find high quality writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate people like you! Take care!!