More thoughts on paying attention...

   On my first trip to the Burren region of County Clare in Ireland in 2007 I was in a very different place, photographically speaking, than I am now.  It was the landscape itself, specifically the limestone pavings of this place, that set me on a completely new way of relating to the world.

   I spent a day walking over the limestone and getting down on my stomach to explore the spaces in between.  I became fascinated by these little environments where life, seemingly miraculously in some cases, sprung up and thrived.

   I knew I had to record them in color and it was the first time I worked seriously on an image in this way.  It came about because I decided to pay attention to the small view rather than the large view, the later of which this region in famous for.

   Paying attention takes time.  A lot of time.   You can't be in a hurry and you can't worry about "wasting" your precious time in a place.  That is so easy to do when you are on holiday and have a limited amount of time to spend in a given area.  I suppose that's why returning, as I did to the Burren in 2009 and 2014, is so valuable.  You've done the "big" things and can now spend more time with the "little" things.

   So, it makes it all the more important to me that on that first trip, when there was so much to see and explore, that I took the day, the whole day, to look down instead of out.  With hindsight I can say that it has made all the difference...

You might also like to read this original post on Paying Attention from February 6, 2013 ...

Paying Attention

The Infinite Web of Relationship...

Where does the

 temple begin,

Where does it end?

- Mary Oliver

   Contemplative photography has led me to understand and stand in awe of the powerful web of relationship that exists in our world.  Nothing, not a solitary leaf or moss or lichen, is not connected to this web...each playing it's part in sustaining all of creation, including ourselves.

    Through the camera's lens we can focus our attention on the tiny elements of this web and embrace the intimate and mysterious relationship close up.

      The most beautiful thing we can experience

is the mysterious.  It is the source of all true art

and all science.  He to whom this emotion is a

stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder

and stand apt in awe, is as good as dead; his

eyes are close.   - Albert Einstein

    There is no better place to experience this mystery of relationship than the forest and living here in Maine I am surrounded by a wonderful temple of creation.  I have found an amazing video produced by the BBC that celebrates the inspiring web of relationship in the deciduous forests of North America...from Maine's immense woodlands to the dense rainy forests of the Pacific Northwest. It explores a phenomenon they call the Wood Wide Web.

    Tomorrow we celebrate Earth Day.  I hope this video will give you a whole new appreciation of our "Mother".   Prepare to be amazed and then take your camera for a contemplative stroll in a nearby forest!

The Magical Forest

by Wallace Koh

Another Labyrinth, Another Lesson...

   Every time I find a new labyrinth I find a new lesson to be learned, especially in the less formally created ones.  I think that may be part of the joy of discovering labyrinths.  Each seems to be unique to the location you find them in...each has a message to give us.

   At the Rolling Ridge conference center there was a double labyrinth, each a bit different.  But one thing I found interesting about them is their use of standing stones along the path.  They seemed to me to be silently watching sentinels guiding your journey.  (I tried not to think of them as gravestones but that might be another message!)

   It was early in the season of course so the paths were not raked of their autumn leaves but I actually liked walking on the fallen leaves; leaves that were returning to their source which we all must do in the end. There was quite a bit of moss as well...soft and inviting and I felt compelled to reach down and feel it.

   The biggest challenge to these labyrinths was the fact that they were built around trees.  You had to step over or around the roots and at some points it was a bit unclear where to go even though a labyrinth is usually a clear path.

   Perhaps when the paths are raked it will be more obvious.  This got me thinking about the challenges we face every day even if our path forward is clear.  Even when we are on a path that is well delineated we must remain vigilant...there are so many opportunities to stumble, so many obstacles that can trip us up!

   The following are the five parts of labyrinth walking as I define the process.  If you set out on this form of walking meditation you might like to try them.

Letting Go:  Spend a few minutes before you actually begin your walk shedding the concerns you might be carrying with you.   Symbolically wrap them up and let them stay to one side.  You can pick them up later when you return from your inner journey.  You might want to focus your walk on one idea, one thought that is weighing on your mind. Make it your intention.  Spend a moment imbedding it in your heart and try to quiet your mind to all other thoughts.

Concentrated walking:  Walk into the labyrinth, into its sacred space with reverence.  Set your own pace.  This is not a race to the center!  Walk slowly and with intention; feel the freedom to stop from time to time.  I keep my eyes on the path right in front of my feet.  I don't look at my "goal" and I take it one step at a time. I will sometimes repeat a phrase or word that is linked to my intention for the walk. Some people like to listen to music as they walk but I just like to hear my footsteps, the wind in the trees and any birdsong that might be there.  I try to welcome them all into my experience.

Centering Illumination:  When you do reach the center, spend some time centering yourself and opening your heart to hear any illumination you might receive.  Some people like to sit down and spend some time in the center...do what feels right for you. Do not be concerned if no grand insights are forth coming.  Labyrinth walking is like all forms of meditation.  You become more proficient at it the more you do it.

Journeying Back:   The journey back is, in some respects, as important as the journey to the center.  It is a time to integrate what you have come to know during your walk and process any feelings that might have arisen.  In pilgrimage, and a labyrinth can be seen as a pilgrimage, this stage is sometimes referred to as "bringing back the boon".  You want to incorporate any new thoughts you've gathered into your everyday life.

Crossing the Threshold:   The moment you step out of the sacred space of the labyrinth you must acknowledge this liminal moment.  I turn back and face the center and honor it in some way.  It might just be saying thank you...find a way to show your gratitude for the experience.  Pick up those concerns you left when you entered but you might, as I often do, simply leave them behind.  They sometimes don't feel all that important to me anymore.

   You can visit my labyrinth locator in the right side bar under links to find one near you.  Visit my my board on Pinterest for more labyrinth inspiration if you'd like...

Solvitur Ambulando...it is solved by walking

A Return to The Mount...

    The last time I visited Edith Wharton's home in Lennox, Massachuestts, The Mount, was in 1970.  I have always been a fan of Wharton's writings - The House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, and Ethan Frome ( The last, a book that was required reading in my high school literature class.)  When I visited in 1970, The Mount was a sadly neglected remnant of the Gilded Age,  a time of great wealth and privilege in America.  This era lasted from about 1870 to the start of the first World War.  It seemed as if The Mounts days were numbered and it would slowly slip into obscurity.

Late Afternoon Light at The Mount

   This was, thankfully, not to be.  With the help of a enterprising new director, the funds were found and The Mount was brought back from the brink.  I visited it recently to see the transformation for myself.  A friend, visiting from Utah suggested, on the spur of the moment, that we make the 2+ hour drive from Boston to the lovely Berkshire village of Lennox and I jumped at the chance.  My cousin declined to go, too far to drive, too late in the day but after all, this is the year I have tried to revisit special places near to my home in Maine so off we went.
  
   We got a late start and heavy traffic delayed our arrival to 4:15.  We missed the last tour but since it was close to the closing time of the house, we got in free.  There also was a jazz concert planned for 5:00 pm on the terrace, also free, so after a run through the beautifully restored house, we walked the exquisite gardens that were bathed in glorious late afternoon light.  With soft sounds of the jazz quartet playing on the terrace, it was a magical hour.    Had we left earlier we wouldn't have had this amazing experience.  The lesson here is, when the spirit moves you just GET UP AND GO!

   My friend told me about a book she was reading, Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Re-Read 50 Books You Haven't Touched Since High School by Kevin Smokler.   This certainly fit into the theme of this year's travel and I've already ordered Ethan Frome to re-read.  It isn't just a nostalgic return to some romanticized past but a way to reflect on your own personal growth and transformation during the ensuing years.  I saw the Mount with totally different eyes this time and the wisdom I glean from Ethan Frome will be different as well I'm sure.  We can reflect on the person we've become by looking at how we revisit our past experiences.  A worthwhile enterprise I think.