Centering Peace Through Nature + Photography

This nature-based photography meditation guides you in centering peace, especially when you feel pulled in different directions by the demands in your life. I'll guide you in using your camera as a mindful companion. You will need an element from nature (ex. pinecone, plant, stick, rock, etc.) for this practice.

Transcript

Hello,

My name is Tanya and I am the founder of the Zen Camera Club.

Thank you for being here and for meditating with me today.

For this particular meditation,

You will need a camera.

Any camera will do.

It can be a smartphone or a DSLR.

It's totally up to you.

Whatever you have available and whatever you're comfortable using will be just fine for this meditation.

You will also need something from nature.

That could be a plant,

A flower,

A pine cone,

A couple of leaves,

A seashell,

A stick,

Anything from nature.

It can even be a cup of coffee.

Coffee is from nature,

Right?

So whatever you have access to that's from nature,

Bring that into this meditation.

You can be sitting or standing,

Whatever is comfortable for you.

Put your camera beside you.

We're not ready for it just yet.

We want to get grounded first and we want to get to know our nature element a little bit before we begin photographing it.

So let's center ourselves by being still and just noticing our thoughts.

I'm sure there's a lot going on in your mind with thoughts just dancing around like confetti.

Use the confetti and in a visualization,

I want you to envision using your hands to scoop some of that confetti that's dancing around in your mind as random racing thoughts and using your hands to scoop some of that confetti and centering it in your body,

Beginning in your throat.

So scoop up some of that confetti and visualize yourself placing it near your throat.

Breathe as you engage with this exercise.

Now let's go back up to your mind and scoop up a little bit more of the confetti and place it on your shoulders and you're visualizing yourself do this and it's okay if you even put your hands actually on your shoulders as you're doing it,

But just feel your brain calming down as you're removing some of the mind confetti and centering it in your body.

So the center is right now on our shoulders.

Scoop up more confetti from your mind and now place it on your chest.

You should feel some energy in your chest as you're placing some of that mind confetti there.

Go back and scoop a little bit more from your mind and place that confetti in your abdomen.

Just let it rest there.

Go back and scoop up more mind confetti and place it on your hips or in your lap.

You should feel your mind feeling more settled and more calm as you transfer those thoughts,

What we call mind confetti,

And distribute them throughout your body.

Let's scoop up some more of those remaining racing thoughts and center the confetti on your knees.

Just let it rest there.

Let's go back and scoop up more mind confetti and let's place it in our ankles,

Clearing our mind,

Calming our thoughts,

Getting prepared for our photography meditation.

Let's go back to our mind one more time.

Using our hands to sweep around and scoop up those remaining particles of mind confetti that are lingering in our mental space.

Let's scoop it all up,

Opening our mind for meditation.

Let's put that last residual confetti on our toes.

With mind clear,

Let's direct our attention to our element from nature.

So with your full awareness,

I want you to just observe your nature element.

And for this portion of the meditation,

Your camera should be close by.

You don't have to have it in your hand.

Let's focus all of your awareness,

Your attention,

And your senses on your natural element.

Look at it clearly,

Without judgment,

Without anticipation,

To see it for what it is.

Its color,

Its shape.

Use your fingers to really notice its texture.

Move your body around if possible to see your natural element from different angles and different perspectives.

There's more than one way to see something.

And I want you to see your natural element from as many different angles and perspectives as possible.

If your mind wanders and you sense more confetti entering your mind space,

Just repeat the exercise we did earlier and just use your hands,

Your mental hands,

To gather up that confetti and center it in your body wherever you want to place it.

The key is to be mindful and to notice when this confetti creeps back in and to scoop it up and center it within your body.

As you are looking,

Seeing,

And observing your natural element,

I want you to notice if there's any portion of it,

Any aspect of it,

That really seems to call out to you.

If it seems to be connecting with you in a very special way.

If you sense that,

That means that the subject has found you.

Even though you may have a plant for this meditation,

It's not the whole plant that will be the subject of the photograph you will create.

Just that one little petal,

That one angle,

That one spot where the light is hitting your plant that just really seems to be reaching out to you.

That will be the subject of your photograph.

So spend a few moments just noticing and let the subject find you.

Now let's begin to appreciate your subject.

Frame your subject in your mind's eye or either just use your hands to resemble a picture frame.

But frame your subject,

Trying to position it or position yourself so that your subject is expressed in its best light.

When we frame something,

We bring attention to it.

We bring our focus to it.

And that's what you're doing for your subject.

By framing your subject,

You're honoring it.

You're letting the subject know that you see it,

That you appreciate it.

And as you are framing,

Think about why this subject found you.

What is it about this particular subject that resonates with you?

Remember no judgment.

Just appreciate and just listen.

Feel the energy.

Feel the connection that you are having with this particular subject and just be with it.

What is it that this subject is trying to reveal to you?

What is the lesson?

What is the message in the connection,

In the relationship that you have with this subject,

With this aspect of nature in this very moment?

Now let's begin to photograph.

So raise your camera slowly and gently.

And when it feels right,

Begin creating images of your subject,

Keeping in mind the reason you think this subject found you,

Paying attention to where you feel energy in your body when you look at this subject.

When you raise your camera to photograph this subject,

What do you feel?

Where do you feel it?

What are you thinking and why?

If any other thoughts into your mind,

Scoop them up,

Center them in your body and return your full focus,

Your full awareness back to nature,

Back to your subject.

Create images for as long as it feels right.

Don't critique your images.

Just keep creating,

Staying in the flow,

Feeling the energy and just being right here,

Right now,

Nowhere else.

You can continue with creating for as long as it feels right.

That is the magic of Zen photography.

You can get lost in the moment.

So continue creating your images and whenever you're done,

Express gratitude to your subject.

Say thank you.

Thank you for finding me.

Thank you for making your presence known to me.

I see you and the divine in me sees and honors the divine in you.

Thank you for this practice.

I hope it helps you find more mindful moments throughout your day and that it opens your eyes to the peace and the beauty that surrounds us all.