PAINTY FENCE
Re-learning simple tasks like walking or painting can be therapeutic and rewarding. We can see these actions for the simple movements that they are but if we study them closer, focussing on the flow of each movement, the engagement of our muscle motor neurons to produce delicate & intricate steps/strokes, we can see the true beauty in such basic motions that we are able to produce with our bodies.
Making each footstep slow and deliberate is a form of meditative yoga practice, as is the focus on breathing. If we think of movements as a way to connect with the air and earth, each movement has more significance in what we do.
Painting brush strokes can also be focussed on to quieten the busy mind and allow clarity to come through. Because when every stroke is applied carefully and deliberately, we can immerse ourselves in the 'now' moment. It's amazing to see that also practicing deliberate yoga breathing techniques while painting, a state of zen can be entered, equal to that felt while doing a martial art like Qi Gong. I don't think my painting partner was aware of these thoughts while singing along to a tune from Kiss FM....Still, I'm reminded of a great scene from an '80's film that relays these thoughts perfectly.
After having such a frantic work life in an office for many years where I was caught up in so many mindfully stressful situations, I've now managed to find working pleasurable again, at the end of a brush.
I've deliberately taken a very low-brow, low-stress, low-responsibility position in my current role - my only focus being on the painting. How rich and rewarding this position has been, seeing the immediate results of my work manifest in front of my eyes all the while leaving my mind to be free from noise.
While I am able to continue working this way, It's my aim to invest my full attention to this new painting task, just as the sushi apprentice does repeatedly, in perfecting the rice for their master over many years.
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