Curve Ball

Let’s talk about curve balls and meditation.

Have you ever had the rug ripped right out from under you? As you find yourself flat on your back, wind knocked out of your chest, seeing stars, you wonder what the (blankety- blank) just happened?!? Honestly, I prefer to use an f bomb but I’m trying to keep it clean around here.

That’s how I felt last week. Truly, I wouldn’t wish that day on anyone. It was the kind of side swipe that is so finite there is literally nothing to do but get up, dust yourself off and go home.

Art brings me such peace. Being in a state of flow is the most blissful feeling, a moment of respite from the chaos of life. The only way to get to the other side of the mucky mud is to trudge through it, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take breaks from the pain and discomfort.

There are many types of meditation. My favorites are walking meditation, active meditation, and still guided meditation. In walking meditation, you slooooooooowly put one foot in front of the other feeling your connection to the ground with each step. Barefoot, you take the time to feel the way each part of your foot makes contact with the ground, how you shift your weight from one side of the body to the other and repeat on the other side. It’s painstakingly slow, but can be a great way to make you soften your stride while walking with small children when you just want to get where you need to go.

In an active meditation, like painting, you are in a deep state of flow. Your thoughts are able to process as you work your way around a canvas, choosing colors intuitively and placing them on a canvas in an ever so theraputic way. Sometimes the energy builds up and you need to dump the medium on the surface, or splash it, maybe you need to run your hands through the paint… or maybe the application needs to be slow, deliberate and quiet. This can depend on the type of release of control you need at that moment.

Still meditation whether guided by audio or guided by the breath is perceived to be the hardest by most people intimidated by being still with their thoughts. This method takes practice and is best to start by taking the pressure off of yourself to quiet your mind or control your thoughts. Start with 1 minute and work your way up.

Typically in a guided meditation you’ll be asked to imagine a place where you are safe, comfortable and calm. What do you feel when you are in this place? This week I transported myself to Santa Rosa Beach, Florida during my painting meditation. The fine sugary sand between my toes, the warm sun on my shoulders and the waves ever so gently rolling onto the beach no so surprisingly ended up in my paintings.

Here is a picture of a mini 4x4 painting that will be included in my Holiday Collection Release this Thursday, November 10th. Can you imagine being in this magical place?