Early morning pick
Written by Antonia on May 29th, 2011Zuzana
Written by Antonia on May 23rd, 2011The first time we met was in Ian’s garden in London. She was climbing a tree, working with the playful branches and helping them to stay healthy and beautiful in all that living in the city involves. I first looked at the tree and then at her. Once I was convinced the tree was safe I gave her full attention.
It was one of those „we’ve must have met before“ feelings that got stronger when I heard her singing and playing mbira.
What is a British girl of Czech descendants doing with a traditional instrument from Zimbabwe? Whatever your heart allows – would be an appropriate short answer. The longer one would be: proving that one’s soul is not bound to current geographical or historical boundaries.
After falling in love with mbira sound she spent some time in Zimbabwe learning from the masters of mbira playing, participating at their rituals, creating even stronger connection with that simple yet powerful instrument.
An instrument is just a tool, asleep piece of creation until taken into the right hands when its latent energies are awaken.
And Zuzana’s hands on mbira and her voice do exactly that – awaking listener’s with open hearts, reminding them of other realities of our multi dimensional living.
Surely, the latter can also be achieved just by standing by a tree, painting, dancing or in many other different ways – we are blessed with possibilities and a combination of friends ( i.e. family members we choose through life), a tree and music happens to be an excellent one.
Weekend in the countryside
Written by Antonia on April 18th, 2011Muscle fever or DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) is probably the only painful experience that makes me smile and triggers cheerful memories because all that sweet discomfort means I spent the previous days using more of my body than usual, living more of me.
All of that is especially precious if my feet walked more and my arms lifted more weight due to doing something useful, something that made other soul’s life smoother, more relaxed and we all got richer on various levels.
Such was this weekend. Our friends needed help in their huge garden in the countryside and we needed more fresh, sun bathed air and direct contact with springing soil.
Waking up into a green horizon glittering under the mighty Sun turns concrete cityborn cape of redundant mind loops into a dust that soon disperses with the gentle morning breeze.
Everything suddenly makes more sense especially when ingredients for lunch are picked directly from the nearby meadow where wild edibles grow undisturbed from any man’s directives.
We also visited their friends who live almost completely secluded from the nearest village, on a hill, surrounded with woods and fields.
All their food comes from only few meters away from their house, fresh and organic. One of their daughters is an excellent student who doesn’t mind commuting every day to the city because the energy she gets in these surroundings contributes to the clarity of her mind, the food she eats at this home makes her body strong and energized for all she undertakes.
Her mind is probably rarely „foggy“ and I imagine that anxiety and depression is something she reads about in the books and… muscle fever? Yes, it’s the same old story about the grass being greener somewhere else yet… Well, I doubt her arms are ever this achy like mine today when lifting only a cup of coffee. Even though I exercise every day, no body position and muscle training can replace working in a garden, using muscles while breathing fresh, scented air, walking on a soil abundant with life while gazing at the springing trees buzzing with bees.
Cooperation, harmony, enoughness.
Reality, meaningfulness, contentfulness.
So now, upon return to the city, how can I consider this muscle fever anything but joyful? Every time I lift my arm, so many resourceful anchors fire up and make me smile, bringing me into a state that disables the creation of a new concrete cape and helps to find the best way of dealing with what’s in front of me, right here and right now.
Reminder of Happiness
Written by Antonia on April 6th, 2011
If I was to describe today’s moments while walking by and through the abundance of… everything, abundance of Life in all forms and shapes, I would just pull out this image and remember the joyous buzz that was all around… I would… As I am, now.
Leaves of Grass
Written by Antonia on March 30th, 2011
All is here, just as I put my head closer to my knees while my feet sink into the soft morning soil.
All is here, crystal clear; no leaf of grass imagining it is a tree, no tree wishing to squeeze into a form of one juicy, green leaf.
Everything here is crystal clear.
It is…
Written by Antonia on March 29th, 2011
Babel Med 2011
Written by Antonia on March 29th, 2011
Dunja
Written by Antonia on March 19th, 2011
Decluttering
Written by Antonia on March 14th, 2011I saw a photograph today that served me as a tranquilizer in a havoc I put myself in. A black-and-white photo showing a film set and actors taking a break between scenes.
Time frame could be end of 1950’s or sometime in the 60’s.
What is it that provided such a sense of inner peace? They were sitting on folding chairs, resting, yet that’s was all they were doing! No talking on a mobile phone, no texting messages, no taking pictures of the set with a mobile and sending them to facebook friends (because information has to be sent on time – instant!), none browsing through piles of newspapers and magazines to check if there is something about them and their work in it, no PR person with a laptop replying to a bunch of emails…
No dispersion of focus and energy. All present and immersed in what’s in front of them at that moment. All focused on one current creation. One at a time.
They may have called a friend, wrote a letter, developed that film once they got home and watched the photograph emerge, slowly…
… There is a lot of talk about acceleration of time these days, but isn’t the real challenge what we actually do with any time we have. So far it seems we are just putting in more and more things to immerse ourselves in, to ponder upon, to do during a day and at the end the actual 24 hours seem so short.
Even though the previously mentioned photograph was made way before I was even born, it made me feel so cosy today and even though the larger percentage of my work is done with a help of electronic devices, internet and many modern gadgets that help us do our research, connect, learn, I still sometimes wonder would there be more peace in our minds and our surroundings if there was less noise. The information that reaches us and disturbs us and leaves us powerless because there is nothing we can do to make things better – that is also noise. Noise that keeps amygdala on alert and leaves little to imagination what happens to our mind and body when such a condition becomes regular.
Anyway… It comes to the same conclusion: some changes are favoured, some are not – for some. All is in a move and another change may be for the better and then maybe not – for some. For some and for some time.
Change or anything else for that matter means nothing until we personally give meaning to it and define how it affects our lives as the meaning I gave to that photograph served me as a reminder to slow down the flooding of thought processes and helped me in regaining balance today.
I wonder if the photographer who made it ever thought his work would be in that way precious for someone, someday…
Snowdrop
Written by Antonia on March 9th, 2011
It’s that time of the year…Tiny white umbrellas coming out of the dark, cold and moist soil…
Just by a mere glance, the hope is the word… Subtle…Almost shy yet firm.
The messenger of brighter days.
