When I met with the board of The National League of the American Pen Women (whose members are professional artists, writers and composers), I volunteered to lead members on a meditation tour of various Hindu and Buddhist sculptures in the Honolulu Museums of Art. The Board members became enthused, positing ideas of which statues the group might view at a future date.
Focus on the breath underlays all meditation practices. I suggested that we start with our sketch books open and, as we relaxed more and more, allow our hands to move randomly in response to our lung activity.
When I’ve done this in the past, no two drawings were alike. Some consisted of jagged lines and others developed soft rounded swirls. I was stunned to discover this truth and delighted to discover something new about a phenomenon that had been with me for my entire life. By making inhalations and exhalations visible, I felt as though I made friends with the constant movement of my chest cavity. I wanted to share this experience with others.
The board members seemed amazed at this idea; that we could draw something that was not an object outside of ourselves, but instead, could find ample resources within.
One of the main Buddhist principles involves impermanence. Humans try to create stability and permanence, but basic reality consists of constant change. Drawings of breath illustrate this truth. I perceive differing shapes of air flow based on my mood, amount of exercise, or emotional changes. My inner reality never stays still. I enjoy deep satisfaction when I record this continual expansion and contraction in all its permutations.
Concentrating on my breath increases relaxation in body and mind, quieting both, leading to deeper meditation. In a state of heightened tranquility, with the American Pen Women, I planned to proceed to the Hindu and Buddhist statues that represent varieties of contemplation: seated, walking and yoga postures. In all those experiences, breathing will ground us.
