Hello,
My name is Tanya Peel.
I am a photographer,
A mindfulness teacher,
And creator of the meditative photography practice Zen Behind the Lens.
If you are listening to this meditation,
I'm making the assumption that you're feeling pretty stressed right now.
And if you're not stressed at this moment,
You are at least open to exploring a natural and creative way to manage the chronic stress you do have in your life.
So I invite you to join me in this practice,
Which will help you create space between you and the thing or situation that you find stressful.
You will make the space you need for yourself by engaging in a photography meditation.
This meditation will focus on the process,
Not the technique of making an image and connecting with nature in a way that's peaceful and restorative.
Stress is a natural,
Mental and physical reaction to life events that we all experience from time to time.
But prolonged,
Uncontrolled stress can take a significant toll on our quality of life.
When I'm feeling stressed,
So many thoughts race through my mind.
My heart feels like it's beating out of my chest.
I breathe faster and all of a sudden I start to feel hot all over and also become very fidgety.
I start pulling on a twist of my hair or move my legs or rub my face.
I just can't be still.
What I'm experiencing is a stress response.
My body's physiological reaction to what my mind perceives as threatening or fearful.
My central nervous system has activated a fight or flight response,
Releasing stress hormones to prepare my body for an emergency situation.
When I'm feeling this way,
I turn to my photography practice,
Which has become a self-care tool to slow me down,
To slow my thoughts,
To slow my breath and to slow my movement and to also focus my attention on the present precious moment.
I hope this meditation will also serve you in a positive way.
For this practice,
I asked two things of you.
First,
Grab a camera,
Any camera you choose,
And second,
Retreat to a quiet place in nature.
Being outside in nature has been proven to boost mood and increase feelings of happiness and peace,
So we definitely want to welcome all of those chill vibes into our presence today.
Feel free to hit the pause button if you need to,
To allow yourself time to get your camera and head outside.
Go for a walk with your camera.
Ground yourself in this space by bringing your awareness to the earth under your feet.
As you walk,
Observe what you see,
But do not look for a photo.
Feel yourself becoming more and more present and focused on the here and now.
When you come upon a tree,
Pause,
Breathe,
And be still.
You've seen thousands of trees in your lifetime,
But explore this tree as if you're a young child seeing it for the very first time.
Consider the height,
The color,
The texture,
And the shape of the tree.
Silence your thinking mind and experience the tree as it is in this moment.
If your mind begins to wander,
And it probably will,
Or if it attempts to name the tree or raise questions such as,
Why did someone plant a tree here?
Why would someone prune the tree a certain way?
Or perhaps,
Why didn't they prune the tree?
Just notice the thoughts,
Whatever they are,
And let them go on their merry way.
Stay with your visual experience,
Noticing every detail of the tree as if seeing it for the first time.
Now,
It's time to raise your camera and create a series of photos of the tree.
I'll wait for you while you shoot.
Are you finished?
Did you get lost in the moment?
Did you experience a sense of ease,
Focus,
Clarity,
And peace?
That sweet space is what I refer to as the Zen zone.
Stress and overwhelm do not exist in the Zen zone.
As you leave this peaceful space,
Don't critique your images or think about if any of them will garner likes on social media.
This meditation was about the journey,
Not the destination.
I hope you continue to experience peace and Zen in this moment and the next,
And that you always remember to keep your camera close by.
Namaste.
