Three years ago, while feeling spiritually at loose ends, I made a committment to a friend. I told her I would try yoga for the first time by attending her class. I'd seen the postures and knew a bit about the physical benefits. I'd also heard that yoga was a spiritual source for many.
My work day on the evening of that class was particularly hectic. I work in the mental health field. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, I will leave work with my ego spread like so much dust on the facility floor. This,in turn, begins the physical energy drain, leaving me washed out and vulnerable to the magnified stresses of daily duties. I called my friend and left a message explaining I could picture myself doing nothing but getting home and staying there. I apologized and promised to "try yoga" at her next class time. She replied by email stating "Dave, you were doing yoga but not coming! You were listening to your body and your mind. They were telling you you've reached your edge."
Encouraged and curious, I made it to the next class. After class, the words of an ancient, overused bumper sticker were running through my head, "I Found It!" Yoga allowed me to grow physically and spiritually at a pace that only I and my intuition decide on. No judgements, only discernment. Such a relief for all of us who grew up experiencing an overload of judgements being thrust upon us.
Two years and countless classes later I was speaking to Karen Barbarick in the parking lot of the gym where she teaches. I was "showing and telling" some of my photographs that had recently won awards. She asked me if I would like to take pictures of her for a calendar. Before deciding, I asked if they were intended to be instructional photos where one could reference a specific posture with her demonstrating. She replied, "No. It's not about me." I was in. Karen then explained to me her concept of Dreamtime Yoga and how she would like the photos to express that vision. Our partnership was sealed when we both confessed that we had no idea how to pull this off.
What we did have was energy, curiousity, a good sense of fun and a profound belief that by integrating the teachings of yoga into our project, we would be successful at creation. In one instance, Karen reminded me to "breath into" a photo I felt stuck on creatively. It worked. The months that followed were not without disparity in our individual vision of each photo, but there was never a sense of strain on the friendship that sprung from this collaboration. Personally, I was able to begin work on what was an issue with my ego as opposed to the spirit within me that was trying to express itself. That remains a "work in progress" by the way.
I cannot say what I want you to experience when you view these photos. They are complete and not mine anymore. Just take enough time for one breath to see if they leave an impression.
There goes that "work in progress" again.
Thank you,
David L. Brown