Meditation and Art

Our camp does a really cool thing. Once a week, there is a creative approach to prayer to get the kids connected to prayer in a way that resonates for them. There is yoga, creative writing, a class for G-d fleers, and I volunteered to try a new thing, meditation and art, based on my process painting workshops that I do with adults during the year.

I thought my class would attract about ten kids, and had a loose structure in mind. In camp, I have learned that it's difficult to plan too much in advance, as you almost never know what to expect. When the kids split into groups, I noticed that a crowd had quickly gathered around me. I smiled in anticipation of an eager audience, and led my group to the art room. About halfway there, I turned around and was in shock. About 65 kids were following me! I felt like the Pied Piper of Art and Meditation!

There were barely enough seats at the table, and certainly not enough room for each camper to paint, so I focused on the meditation instead. I dimmed the lights and they all closed their eyes while I guided them through a powerful visualization about how they see themselves. They "entered" a house with three rooms. In each room there was only a full length mirror. The first room is about seeing yourself through the eyes of judgement and evaluation. The second is for them to call upon an image or feeling of the divine, and they take that image into the third room to see themselves through the eyes of the divine. 

It is challenging enough to get teens to open up, and it was particularly difficult given the enormous amount of campers in the room. There was little time to develop the feeling of safety in the room, so very few kids shared their experience with the visualization. The few who did share were inspiring. 

After praying together, I left the kids with a positive perspective shift on the rain, which was still falling heavily while we sat in the art room. After almost two weeks straight of rain, it is easy to become depressed, but just like the three mirrors in the visualization were only mirrors seen through different eyes, so too with the rain. I asked them for four positive statements about what was good about the rain and here's what they said:

1) We get to miss swimming (many dislike the lake)

2) We get to wear cool rain boots (and they are so colorful and fun!)

3) The plants grow well

4) There might be a rainbow!

I love what they shared, and I hope that in spite of the fact that I didn't get to do anything artistic with them this time, they left with a perspective shift. Sometimes it's the subtle things that make the biggest impact. Camp has taught me to let go of so much. My expectations are shifting daily. I am able to focus on what is really important. Prayer is challenging for many of us. If these kids are more connected in some way to gratitude, then I have done my job well.

What are you letting go of and how is it impacting your life?