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FOREST-BODY-CHAIR at Mildred's Lane
Julia O. Bianco, Rachel Schmoker, Sara Smith
Acknowledgments of the Honorable Guest
Gina Siepel, Ainsley Steeves, Samiha Tasnim, Lotte Kliros Walworth
I Have Questions
Ruby Waldo
Untitled
FOREST-BODY-CHAIR is a project of RAY (the collaborative team of Gina Siepel and Sara Smith), using wooden chairs as an occasion to explore entwined ecological, embodied, and social questions connected to their construction and use. A three-week workshop version of FOREST-BODY-CHAIR at Mildred’s Lane in July 2021 brought together participant-fellows and guest artists for conversation and experimentation across somatic, greenwood construction, and fieldwork practices. Meditation Ocean was introduced into the session, allowing for additional associations to be made between forests and oceans, as well as contemplation of breath as an environmental process and metaphor. Participants were invited to develop meditation scripts collaboratively or on their own.
Gently flow into a seated position that is comfortable for you
Sit or lay in a way that helps you to breathe easy
Perhaps your head is towards the sky
Legs are crossed
Hands are resting on your knees
Palms facing the ground beneath you
Cast your gaze downward
Or slowly drift your eyelids together
[pause]
Notice the flow of your breath,
Inhale — Air is gently entering through your nose
Exhale — allow it to softly release
[pause]
Receive the breath into your belly
Release the breath, allowing tension to subside
Notice the rise and fall of your chest with every breath
[pause]
Allow your thoughts to come and go
Like waves kissing a sandy shore
Some thoughts may linger
Others may easily float away
Let them be and keep breathing
[pause]
You are fully supported by the ground beneath you
You are one body with many parts
Connected to the universe
and all that is around you
Just breathe
[pause]
With your lips resting together
And your tongue settled onto the floor of your mouth
Breathe into your throat
An oceanic breath
Inhale and exhale through the nose
Can you hear yourself breathe?
[pause]
Breathe into your heart
Filling your belly, then your chest
Expand into the present moment
Keep breathing
[pause]
Breathe into your belly
Carry the air just above the belly button
Hold the breath [pause]
And sigh it out
Breathe into your belly
Let the air flow below your belly button
Hold the breath [pause]
And sigh it out
Breathe into the belly
Let the air deep dive into the root of your being
Hold the breath [pause]
And sigh it out
How does it feel to breathe?
To float in the sea of your awareness?
Keep breathing
Take your awareness to the top of your head
And let it drift slowly and steadily down the body toward your eyes, your lips
Your neck
Your shoulders
Your arms
Notice your chest
Your belly
Your hips
Your thighs
Knees
Legs
Ankles
Feet
Toes
Feel yourself becoming more grounded
And more present on the land you sit upon
Breathe in
And float your arms above your head for a stretch
Slowly bringing your palms together
Exhale and let your palms sink down towards your heart
Thumbs touching your chest
You are ocean
Fluid and free flowing
You are made of micro-organisms, tissues, and organs
Comprised of trillions of cells working together to help you thrive
There is no separation between you and all creation
“You are not a drop in the ocean,
You are the entire ocean in a drop” —Rumi
Release your hands
And when you are ready
Slowly drift your eyelids apart
Welcoming the light
Return to the space you are in
Tifani Kendrick
Breath-Centered Meditation to Connect with Creation