Category: Nature as Refuge

DIY : Rock Stacks (Cairns)

The act of balancing rocks may seem totally pointless, but it can be fun, challenging, and even meditative process. Rock stacks, also known as cairns, can serve practical, recreational, and spiritual purposes. Hikers may mark trails with cairns to find their way home; adventurers may stack stones to take a break from their activity; nature lovers and zen seekers may find refuge in the process of physically balancing stones. No matter the function of rock stacks, they are all consistently made only of rocks, without the use of glue or mud. As artist Michael Grab demonstrates in the video below, gravity is the glue.

Get Started!

Al you need is a stable surface, steady hands, a variety of rocks, and lots of patience!

Scout your location. I love stacking cairns in dry creek beds, where an abundance of rocks, stones, pebbles can be found. You don’t need to trek out into wilderness to stack rocks, however. Explore your backyard, the neighborhood park, or even a gravel pit by your school or work.

Collect rocks. You could choose a diverse range of stones that embody many shapes, sizes, and textures, or you could decide to select rocks that are all smooth and round, or chunky and textured. The types of rocks available will depend heavily on your location.

Begin stacking! It’s easiest to start with a large, stable foundation. Choose a wide rock with a flat top that will give you lots of room to build onto, and also provide a steady center of gravity. Keep in mind that as you add each rock, pressure is added to the rocks beneath it, which may shift their center of gravity.

Work slowly. Instead of simply stacking rocks haphazardly, carefully and thoughtfully place each one. Gradually let the weight of a rock rest on the stack, testing the stability. If a rock is unstable, try placing it in a different orientation. Think about the game Jenga, except you are adding pieces rather than removing them.

Get creative! Experiment with rocks of unusual shapes and sizes. Try balancing larger rocks on top of smaller ones. Try turning stones on their different sides. Construct a rock stack city with your friends. Compete to see who can build the tallest stack or more ‘precarious’ stack. Collaborate to decorate your rock stack with leaves, twigs, flowers, grass, or even water droplets. Build a rock stack in all your favorite parks.

Photograph your rock stacks and post them in the comments below!

 

Get Inspired!

 

Watch Michael Grab’s bold balancing act in the middle of a rushing creek:

 

 

Featured Artist : Kathy Klein

Kathy Klein of Arizona might be my new favorite nature artist. Her incredible floral mandalas are both irresistible and inspiring. She calls her creations ‘Danmalas’ which is the combination of two sanskrit words: dan [the giver] and mala [garland of flowers]. Essentially, her pieces are intended to be “the giving of flower circles.” These elaborate designs are gifts indeed; their color, symmetry, and precision are so pleasing to the eye, they lend themselves perfectly to a meditation practice.

        

Klein in fact creates her flower circles in a ceremonious state of  meditation, arranging flower petals, stems, leaves, seeds, pine cones, stones, and even seashells into intricate geometric designs. Her inspiration comes directly from a her love of plants, animals, people, “and the divine presence within all” and manifests in an array of site specific mandalas. Klein explains, “Mandalas are deeply imbedded in our collective consciousness. They can be used to describe all of creation and are a reflection of the Sacred, which is inherently present in nature’s perfect geometry.”

Klein’s first mandala happened in 2010 on her family’s farm, coined endearingly, “Beloved Gardens.” Exalted by a vibrant summer harvest of peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes, Kathy “envisioned it in mediation, and it seems completely natural to arrange all of the beautiful vegetables we had grown in a sacred circle. It was like writing a big Thank You note to the Divine and to Mother Earth.”

We can all learn a lesson of gratitude fro Kathy Klein. Her sensitivity to and appreciation of the beauty of the natural world is no doubt the soil that feeds her tranquility of mind. Kathy hopes her Danmalas inspire people to “keep looking within, through the eyes and ears of soul, at the eternal mystery.” Perhaps others can take a cue from her reflective practice, a conscious engagement which leads to fulfillment. “My  mind is completely at rest. My heart is full of love and my hands are happily busy in the process… perfect peace.”

Check out Kathy’s website and this great article about her work. She also has an amazing interactive 2014 calendar to adorn your wall(s). Go forth and make your own Danmalas!