Meditation Lounge

Images by: Jo Fay Duncan, Lisa Behan and Saisai Luo

It felt very natural to go with the flow of the weather, the conversation, the feelings expressed. Compassion expanded to create a safe container for those in the circle. It was a rich sharing of ideas, experiences, longings, confusion and connection. In the excitement of the flow I had to calm myself to remain steady to attentively listen so each of us felt recognised for our presence in the circle. It was joyful to respond to what came up with matching meditation practices and then discuss their effect upon us. It’s always both surprising and unsurprising how quickly safety is established and the values of generosity, kindness, openness, tolerance, respect and compassion emerge connecting us to our innate goodness. These inner strengths that are undervalued in a society “where competition, invidiousness, status-seeking and authoritarianism prevail.” In the face of these societal urgings meditation, over time, allows us to reconnect to ourselves, to gain self-knowledge, to be steady, to have our own back and to be true to ourselves. A meditation lounge reminds us that this is possible in any moment we choose.

BE HERE NOW.

It’s a way of clicking in to the present.

The Meditation Lounge was one of the offerings at the inaugural day retreat hosted by Retreats Stradbroke Island at the

Point Lookout Hall on 12 April 2025. The next wellbeing retreat is scheduled for 12 July, 2025.

• Quote from Philip Slater’s The Pursuit of Loneliness

Brook Book

My 2024 project is a tribute to Kedron Brook which has been my enduring connection to nature since moving to the Grange in 1992.

BrookBook will be a collection of writing, nature art, sketches, photography and community collaboration.

For more than 30 years I have been wondering up and down along the banks of Kedron Brook and the surrounding suburbs.

In that time I have seen the Grange Forest Park flourish, watched in awe when the Brook flooded and felt unsettled when the waterline diminished during drought.

So many poignant memories of adventures with my daughters - picnics, exploring the forest and waterways, catching gudgeons, and spying on nature.

Hours and hours of walking alone and with friends as a young uncertain woman wrestling with the societal expectations of the roles of mother and wife to now as a more confident older woman.

Kedron Brook has been a refuge, a teacher and a place of solace. It was a constant source of inspiration in my six years of attending the Brisbane Institute of Art . This inspiration led to the ideation of Mindsettle which was launched when I turned 50.

2024 may be the last year that I live in close proximity to the Brook so this Brook Book will be a reflection on the way it has enabled my connection to creative flow, calm, and my mental and physical fitness.

You can follow this work/play in progress on Instagram @BrookB00K

Thank You,

Lisa

Turtle Swamp

So happy to make it to the August Mudlines gathering on Canaipa, Russell Island. Travel on the ferry passed swiftly with Jo and I discussing strategies for the future of Lines in the Sand - reiterating the necessity of the slow and steady pace. On Canaipa we explored the Binging Trail which has stands of Banksia, Paperbark, Eucalyptus and a large stand of Casuarina. The idea behind the gatherings is to wander in nature and then use the wonders of nature to create.

Sharon talked about how much easier it was for her to be immediately inspired to make Nature Art than it is to contemplate new work in the studio. Watching her you can see it's true, Sharon found a gully full of potential - converting a discarded lawn mower into a shaggy sculpture with the addition of pine leaves, then creating a spiral on the forest floor by lumping the pines leaves and back-filling with gorgeous yellow ochre soil.

The rest of us painted, photographed and worked some sticks into sculptural forms hugging the landscape. I found a quiet place to study the casuarina forest floor strewn with needles, up to ten centimetres deep. The dashing of lines on the page settled into a meditative rhythm as I added layers of colour.

On the way back to the ferry we went to the Island Made exhibition. Trisha Dobson and Maria Cleary have put together this exhibition of exceptional things for ordinary use. Each artist is celebrated with a display of their work, handsomely highlighted with black and white portraits by Jo-Anne Driessens.

Mudlines helps us to articulate the offer of Nature Art Connect into an intimate, site specific discovery of nature art and the Southern Moreton Bay Islands.

Naturally inclined

Walking through the forest on the weekend, I stooped to gather maroon gum leaves admiring their colour variation. Yesterday I waxed the leaves as an experiment to see if that would preserve the colour. They feel smooth and have a slight sheen, but I'll have to wait to see if the colour remains. So now I'm thinking about what to do with the leaves, maybe something sculptural with wire - it will be fun to play around with.

Also gathered on my ramble were hardened blobs of exuded gum which has gorgeous amber hues of red or gold depending on the tree. I was hoping the process to melt down the blobs would be as simple as applying heat, but that was not the case. The gum is water soluble so I need to work out a hardener I can add, then I'll be able to make objects from the blobs.

It occurred to me that both Mindsettle and Nature Art Connect come from my love of nature. Should have been obvious I know!