Philosophy ~ Visual Meditation ~ Notes
Artistic Philosophy
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Although viewing artwork digitally can never replicate the experience of viewing the original works, we can still receive greatly when we allow ourselves to open and receive what is available to us.
I notice people often look at art, even abstract art, and quickly begin defining what it is. "I see a person, a dog, a chair etc.". Subtle as it may be, defining is a way of seeking control of our experience. What I welcome is freedom. I often invite art viewers to notice how they feel in response to a piece instead of what they think. This takes their experience from an externalized analysis (seeking an absolute definition or completion) to an experience of relational and interconnected curiosity. From this curiosity, awareness and sensing we gather the notes of our own unique sensory experience; a thought, memory, emotion, a moment of tension or sweet excitement in the body. And what else? These are the self-sourced raw materials you can use to create your next moments and beyond with intention. Presence in creation requires presence in the moments approaching creation. Presence is both attention and sensuality, receptivity to what is, a willingness to make space for your authentic, raw, honest, uncensored, longing-for-ease Truth. This quality of attention and sensory presence is the pleasure we often ask for from others. It takes diligent practice to sustain presence, and we practice with ourselves so we might offer ourselves that which we've been outsourcing to others since birth, since conception. We rest in fulfillment as we practice sensual presence. Integrating the Masculine will to take form and space, and the feminine yearning to open and let in the wild tenderness that is life writhing as itself in full bloom and decay all at once. When we can hold presence in and as the glory, beauty, pain and suffering inherent to life, we can hold greater space for that within others. We can show up self-sourcing our energy, not asking or needing anything to be different. We can hold space for the truths of life many are not yet ready to forgive, permit, or offer compassion to. We can show up free from obligation, centered within the self. We know how to sense within for what is right, what is not aligned, and when we're complete with an experience, a person, a pattern. We evolved to look externally for patterns. Today I'm interested in how we look and sense internally for our own patterns, patterns we can take ownership of and mold into something delicious and perhaps more useful. We generate our life experiences from an internal ground, whether by responding (following) or creating (leading and co-leading). This is the internal space I encourage you to go. To lead and to co-lead, it is helpful to meet the internal ground from which you push off from to lead yourself. From here you can more effectively lead others. We begin within. |
Visual Meditation
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Here is one way of creating an easy visual meditation practice. You can adapt this, making the practice larger or smaller, for use on and beyond this website.
May the wisdom of your being know just how to open, to welcome, to be, and to share as beauty. ~ Anna |
Notes of Vision
Your perceived reality is immediately turned over by your mind to construct an understanding of the context your body currently exists within. As we turn over objective vision, the things we see, we begin rolling them into potential meanings, associations and stories. Therefore vision is always perception: fact + association + anticipation = story. These can be helpful and they can also disallow us from presence and ease with a candle that may just be a candle.
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Your vision travels all the way to the back of your brain to reach your visual cortex. This means that your vision holds the container for the entire brain/mind, from front to back. Practicing visual meditation brings greater awareness to what you're welcoming into your visual field. It reveals how you have historically responded to these visual stimuli and cues, whether they are specific scenes, people, or places, or general shapes , textures or colors. Visual Meditation is a practice of rewiring your brain and reclaiming your nervous system's response to vision.
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