Thursday, October 18, 2012

The Cairns of Sedona

Thursday, October 18, 2012
On my trip to Sedona, we hiked through a field of Cairns.
Cairns are a pile of stones set up as a landmark or monument.
My friend and fellow hiker, Christine, says they are little "heaps of intention".
I think she's right.

Each cairn marks a moment in time where a person stopped what they were doing
and intentionally set stones atop one another, sometimes creating a seemingly impossible
feat of balance.  



We walked through fields of cairns!
It was breathtaking!  
Each of us quieted down, stepped more lightly and breathed more deeply.
There was a palpable reverence about them.
I'd have been sick if I'd toppled one while tiptoeing about to photograph their beauty.




Last year I didn't notice the ones set in water . . . I think they were new.


And others that I remember, now were gone.


The impermanence of them is part of the beauty.
Nothing lasts forever.
Cairns are reminders to stay present and to notice what's around us. 


This pile was particularly impressive.
You cannot really gage the size of these three stones below,
but they are large boulders. 
Definitely the largest we'd seen....many of us talked about them
even after leaving the site. 


They inspired this painting below.


I call it "Sedona Glow".




To me, they look like little worlds piled upon one another.

I'm framing it today and will hang it in our home to remind me of
those small intentional moments - which I want more of in my life.

4 comments:

Kate Robertson said...

Lovely post, it had me walking by the cairns again in my mind. I love how your painting turned out. Such fond memories. Is one of these pics of the cairn we made together?

Cat said...

beautiful!

your images always make me feel so warm

love and light

ilchi lee brain wave vibration said...

However, Ilchi Lee has other remarkable books aside from The Call of Sedona. Ilchi Lee’s book, Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life also left a trademark to several individuals, especially those who want to change their way of living.

ilchi lee brain wave vibration said...

However, Ilchi Lee has other remarkable books aside from The Call of Sedona. Ilchi Lee’s book, Brain Wave Vibration: Getting Back into the Rhythm of a Happy, Healthy Life also left a trademark to several individuals, especially those who want to change their way of living.