meditation timelapse from Nathalie Moore on Vimeo.
As a test, I created a time lapse of myself meditating demonstrating a sense of time. In total I sat in a stationary crossed legged position for an hour and a half. I took a picture every minute, and this is what it looked like.
I don't think i'll be using it in my film, because it doesn't have the same fluidity as some of the other videos that I have been making.
red angry back stop frame from Nathalie Moore on Vimeo.
calm back stop frame from Nathalie Moore on Vimeo.
These are some stop frame tests I created using a stationary image of my back, then building up the image with water colour and expressive mark making
Multiple screens are used in a symmetrical layouts displaying film, animation, still image and text.
tree time laspe from Nathalie Moore on Vimeo.
Toy Museum - projector inspiration from Nathalie Moore on Vimeo.
I was inspired by the visual projection of patterned sequences. I think my intention to make an installation film will look quite effective if it is projected onto the wall to give it that grainy, slightly transparent look to create a sense of atmosphere. I took several sequential photos, and made them into a little movie.
For research purposes I recorded a session at the buddhist centre. Once I had recorded the session, I had the laborious task of writing down all the things that were said during the session, which you can read in the section below;
Few of us can claim that our emotions are in a continuous state of harmony, or that we understand why we feel as we do. The key is in our everyday mind. Our everyday mind is the survival mechanism we develop through the ups and downs of daily life. It is built up of behaviour, habits and strategies we have learnt over the years in response to people, events and situations.
It is clever, informed cunning, but the everyday mind knows very little about our self. It’s not bad, but ignorant. Although it has enabled us to survive, it does not always work in our best interests. Behind the everyday mind lies our inner wisdom. This is the foundation of all living creatures. It is pure consciousness. Is the lynch pin of health.
MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness in its totality has to do with the quality of awareness that a person brings to everyday living. Learning to control your mind, rather than letting it control you. Mindfulness as a practice directs your attention to only one thing, and that thing is the moment you are living in. When you recognise this moment, what it looks like, taste like, feels like sounds like, you are being mindful.
Further mindfulness is the process of observing, describing and participating in the reality in a non judgemental manor, in the moment and effectiveness. At the same time, mindfulness is the window to acceptance, freedom and wisdom.
A GUIDE FOR MEDITATION PRACTICE
Buddhist or not, the principals are the same…
Buddha recommended that the seven point posture as the best way to physically prepare the body for meditation.
Sit with a straight spine – stay relaxed. It is often said that the spine is as straight as an arrow. Or sit like a mountain, completely natural and at ease with oneself – legs crossed.
The spine has a natural curve, which should be relaxed, but upright. Usually a cushion is used directly under the spine. To enable this to happen, there is a slight tilt forward until a comfortable position is reached.
Shoulders open like wings – this enables the arms to be slightly away from the body and allows the breath to flow easier.
The chin is drawn in slightly. The head remains inline with the straight spine and balanced comfortably on the neck.
Hands in the mudra resting - The right hand is placed over the left, palms facing upwards thumbs touching and feeling no tension with the lower arms relaxed.
Eyes slightly open gazing downward along the tip of the nose to the floor. If you are disturbed by outside noise or anything when you begin to practice, it may be helpful to close your eyes for a while. Once you feel established in calm, gradually open your eyes and focus gazing down into space.
When assuming the seven point posture, you are imitating a Buddha. So begin to respect yourself as a potential Buddha. Feel the self esteem and aligning your own Buddha nature.
Be at ease; be as natural and spacious as possible. Think of your emotional thought ridden self as a block of ice melting in the sunlight of your meditation.
Begin from counting down from ten, one total breath being an inhalation and an exhalation keeping the breath as natural as possible. As you relax more, the exhalation may become longer. Each time when breathing out, let go relaxing and resting in the natural gap before inhaling again. No attempt should be made to control the breath.
When you are ready, stop counting and focus on the breath floating - entering and leaving the nostrils. When you are ready, turn your focus deeper inwards, and watch any thoughts that may arise. But not becoming involved in mental commentary, analysis or internal gossip. Let the thoughts come and go like waves on a calm ocean.
And with practise they will slow down.
For the narrative project, I have chosen to explore the theme of meditation, as it is something that I have been practising for several months, and has positively benefited my daily life as a result. Therefore, I would like to give people the opportunity to understand what meditation as a practice means to me.
In context to my illustration practice, I will visually explore the reasons in which I would choose meditate (i.e. to reflect on the anxieties caused by the stresses of everyday life), the physical processes and factors involved with the practice and the after effect that the process has on me.
I have a tendency to get quite stressed and anxious, especially when I have a lot to do and think about. So, sometimes it is easy to get lost within your own thoughts, and it is at this point where you feel that you need to take some sort of action to relieve the stress. I realise that I am stressed/worried when my heart feels like a fast beating drum lodged in my throat. It forces my breathing to become fast and shallow and you can see the worry in face and body seems to completely tense up, and almost retracting into itself.
Once I start to meditate, the mind goes into overdrive and thoughts rush around, here there and everywhere. After a while they seem to slow down and thoughts are acknowledged, but not explored. After a time thoughts merely trickle through the mind and it becomes easier to think clearly. After the meditation session has concluded, I feel calm, but alert and the worries of life don’t seem to bother me as much as they did previously.
Given that meditation occurs over a period of time and that it encompasses all of the senses, I think it is appropriate to use a time-based medium to illustrate the theme of meditation in an interactive way, in the form of a film installation. I hope that the installation will provide a visual and sensory journey for the viewer of my personal experience of meditational practice.
During the physical act of mediation, it is recommended that when you begin a meditation session that you start counting from one to ten continually until you feel that your thoughts have settled, as initially it is difficult to control the flow of thoughts, mental commentary, analysis and internal ‘gossip’ within the mind. The breath is used as a counting gauge, one inhalation and exhalation of the breath is equalled to one count. This aspect of the practice will help to portray TIME, which is one of the elements of a narrative.
The narrative intent
The film installation will take the form of a film montage to be screened in an interactive space that complements the elements of the film. The film montage will be compiled from a bank of images, film, drawings and sound recordings that I have collated relating to my meditation practice. In order for the installation to be successful, there needs to be an awareness of synchronisation of sound and image – timing is important!!!
What I’ve done so far…
I have worked with a film student to create snippets of film illustrating my meditation practice i.e. sensory acuity of the body, the environment (need to document this). As the project progresses I will decide if I need to create more snippets of film.
I will form the narrative of the film initially through entries from a meditation diary I have been writing for several weeks. I will explore the potential to explore this text and turning it into an internal commentary.
I have also recorded an entire meditation session (with permission) at a Buddhist centre, where I have made recordings of some of the verbal readings that are read before and during the meditational practice. I have also made recordings of distractions and other relative sounds such as a singing bowl, which is often used during meditation. I hope to use and edit some of these recordings and use them in the film installation.
I have also made some simple time lapses and have started experimenting with editing these images together.
I have a meditational blog that I post relevant research and tests.
