It is likely that at some point you came into contact with the art of balancing , whether on a trail, on the banks of a waterfall or in the Instagram and Pinterest feeds , and were surprised by the gravity-defying balance achieved by subtly overlapping stones or rocks. Since it is the essence of rock balancing or stone balancing , it is considerable that the understanding of the creative process is associated not only with a performance, but with Zen art and meditative practice.
The art of balancing stones has been present at many times in human history and its spiritual practice is not just about stacking stones, but about understanding natural processes (internal and external), through disconnection with the ego to connect with the whole, provided by meditation . By silencing the mind and being present in the moment, you automatically access your sensitivity and understand that everything is interconnected, with no inside or outside.
Balancing overlapping stones is a meditative practice that helps you access balance.
Just like the Japanese garden or Buddhist sand mandalas, rock balancing evokes Zen principles for a valuable exercise in detachment and awareness of the impermanence of everything that exists and the transience of nature's cycles. Holistic practice puts us in front of something that is built from choices and that, at any moment, can collapse, demanding detachment for a new beginning.
In this context, the stone is not your extension, but you yourself with your inner solidity added to the characteristics that are constantly transformed by external factors such as time itself. Therefore, in practice, the balance of the art is obtained as you conquer it along with patience, confidence and relaxation .
Rock balancing is a Zen art that leads to meditation on the impermanence of life.
The way stones are laid out drives them into categories such as rock stacking , characterized by stacking stones focused on height; line balancing, carried out by defining a central axis for the arrangement of stones; counterbalance , whose stones are arranged based on weight distribution with balance points in different places; bow, with maneuvers that draw curved shapes and freestyle with the combination of two or more techniques.
The simple stacking of stones with the function of finding stability between them and the rock globe, the joining of a large number of stones forming volume and creating a design with the smallest possible support point, are other styles practiced with the intention that you wish, whether as prayer , meditation , trail marking or artistic performance.
Stone balancing plays with gravity. Photo: Creative Commons CC0 | reproduction
Many artists have found themselves in the therapeutic process of gravity meditation . Names like Bill Dan, Kokei Mukini, Michael Grab, John Felice Ceprano and Travis Ruskus understood the laws of physics in practice and developed complex sculptures that contrast the power of the structure with the fragility of the moment that can make it collapse.
The spread of rock balancing around the world has encouraged the creation of championships such as the World Rockstacking Championship , which takes place at the Llano Earth Art Fest in Texas, for anyone who feels attuned to this Zen art or skilled at competing in any of the categories. such as height, balance, arcs, quantity and artistic.
Balancing is for those seeking balance. Photo: Janith Chanaka | reproduction
Although it is an enriching experience, stone balancing in nature causes environmental concern due to human interference in the ecosystem such as displacement of insect habitat or interruption of river flow. As the practice is aimed at well-being as a whole, it is necessary to be aware of the impact on the environment, requiring the return of the stones to their original space.
Another conscious alternative (and the most accessible) to carry out meditation with the stacking of stones is the use of external environments that favor continuous dedication to the construction and reconstruction of oneself, at the same time that sculpture brings elevated purposes to the decoration of the garden .
Let yourself be led by rock balancing and be present. Select stones carefully, feeling their characteristics, and explore the many ways to balance them while achieving inner peace.
Namaste!
Milene Sousa - Art & Tune
2 comments
Gosto muito disso, acho bonito
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