Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Experimental Snowtography and Dharma Tundra


So this afternoon I went out and hiked to the dunes with my eye on the prize of looking for bizarre and wonderful arrangements of snow and ice. I found some pretty cool things, meditated for the first time in a long time at the top of the dunes just repeating "I am Happy, I am Healthy, I am Free, I am Well" over and over again for about 15 minutes. I felt really good afterward and it was peaceful.

While I was humming my little montra to myself in a deep throaty chanting sort of thing I just made up on the spot I focused my energy on trying to vibrate all the negative aspects out of my life. I've had a little streak of negativity lately and I want it to be better so I just tried to vibrate it away on a snow capped sand dune on an frozen island in an arctic ocean.

There I was sitting cross-legged on the dune in my parka, snow pants, hat and goggles, hummin the blues away. I have to say it was a very Dharma Bum Zen moment, except I would call it Dharma Tundra.

The best part is that I got a whole bunch of crazy photos of snow drifts and snow melt. There was endless variations of snow and how it was blown around the ground, in between weeds and brown frozen grass. Crazy combinations of sand and terracing layers and odd angular lines and jagged edges. I always look at the snow for weird things like this but I don'tusually act on impulses to photograph them. Today my wandering daydreaming eye totally payed off!

I like the fact that meditating doesn't have to be some religious thing, or led by some guru, it can just be a time for you to sit down and remind yourself of good things, clear your mind, drop into the flow of nature. Of course out here I had a hard time getting started because all I could hear was snow machines, dogs barking, and the power plant generator. I was annoyed at first but then I thought all these things mechanical or human are part of it all and they are all natural in their own way. So, I relaxed, an became part of the noise. I started humming and chanting and basically saying whatever the hell popped in my head. It was a cool experiment of a day.

4 comments:

Jessie Anne said...

super cool pics and kudos for being able to meditate in the cold.

Anonymous said...

I hope you will teach me those meditation techniques when you get home. I think that would fit just right in with my new outlook on life, health and feeling good!
Those pictures are absolutely incredible. You have your grandpa's eye for beauty. Love, Mom

Anonymous said...

You look cute and happy in your goggles and sub zero weather. Hopefully you are. Keep up the photography I say.

positivelystephie said...

i love these! and thanks for giving me my mantra!! i will start using it now!! i am so excited about our new plans!!


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