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Oasis Art & Soul


Oasis Art & Soul

 

 

Process:

1. Focus your attention on the art object to the
right, and try to turn off the left side of your
brain (the part that functions to analyze things logically, verbally, rationally), and let the right side take over (the part that is governed by feelings, emotions, perceptions) for awhile.

2. I like to have some music playing softly in
the background. It isn't essential to the
experience but it may help to blot out some of
the constant noise clutter that seems to be everywhere these days. The music should not
be familiar in melody and, if there is anything
vocal, it should not be recognizable English
language. In short, nothing distracting, no
matter how beautiful in its own right.

3. I usually start with a "centering time" to let
go of everything that I'm carrying around
mentally and spiritually, and that's helped by a brief prayer inviting God's peace into my mind
and heart.

4. Unless I'm sharing this process with others,
I do not verbalize or vocalize what comes to
me as I look at the art piece. I let myself
move in and with the experience of light, color,
shape, mood, and seek to perceive and respond to God however God is revealed in that moment. The experience, for me, is one of
" togethering," a sharing or communion in
which I am led without any plan or effort on my part. What I am given to " see" or understand is not of my own initiative. It cannot be produced by an act of will. Sometimes it is very deep and involving; other times less so. Each occasion is unique.

5. It is a "stream of consciousness of free-association" sort of experience that is guided
only by my intention to seek God and, so, that is where God leads it and in which God participates. Experiment to see what works best for you. It does take a while to get comfortable with the whole concept and to discover how best to give yourself to it.

Vinyassa by Carol Buchman

Vinyassa, from the "Respiro" series by Carol Buchman
Copyright ©2004 Carol Buchman
www.carolbuchman.net
Used courtesy of the Perry Nicole Gallery

Click on painting to enlarge.


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