EcoArt at the Labyrinth Tuesday mornings 8:30 am to 11 am

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EcoArt at the Labyrinth Tuesday mornings 8:30 am to 11 am (in addition to meditation and discussion!)    We have long been wanting to add more art to the labyrinth, and now is our chance when we have more time and space in our lives, and an urgent need to focus our lives on gratitude and celebration. We are going to experiment Tuesday morning with adding an artistic component to our 8:30 to about 11 am labyrinth walk, meditation and discussion on 'Celebrating the Last Chapter of our Lives'.   It will be an adventure to .see how it can all fit together, and let those who come be part of as many or as few activities as they want!!!   Our first priority will be to maintain adequate social distancing and respect for each other so everyone can feel safe together.  It will be good if you can bring your own chair (or something so you can comfortably sit on the ground) so we can move around with the moving shade, maintain social distancing, and be in different parts of the labyrinth if  we wish.   For  Ecoart, you can find lots of inspiration online (Richard Schiller and Andy Goldsworthy are good artists to start with).  You can make your art as ephemeral or as long lasting as you wish.  We are especially interested in items that are both attractive and make interesting sounds, either naturally with the wind or when struck or shaken as we walk the labyrinth.  (We have some virus-free materials to start you off on making these if you wish.)  In addition, we would like to add colour to some of the bricks and pavers along the labyrinth path to make the path more interesting and visible.  It would be great if these path markings could be bright, playful, and tell a story.  If you have any suggestions for this, but lack the time, flexibility to paint them yourself - or would like to share the project with others, we would love to explore your ideas  with you.  Another possibility would be to make the rock piles in the labyrinth more interesting - or to start your own...  For our art work, it will be important to bring or find your own materials - or for things which must be shared to bring materials to clean them well to minumise the chance of cross-infection.  There are plenty of natural materials onsite (leaves, branches and rocks etc), so bring some containers if you want to collect anything.  If you would like, and if your project is suitable, please come early enough that you can organise your working space that will let you join in the discussion while you work. This week's discussion will focus on how to maintain quality of life in the face of the grave situations we as as individuals and as a community are facing.  I hope we can move the discussion beyond rehashing the details of the challenges ahead (e.g.how the virus is progressing, and the economy suffering), and how we might like others to change themselves or our current policies, to focusing on what we personally can do NOW to enrich and celebrate our lives, and to perhaps share this celebration with others.   I hope you can join us Tues morning for the next step in our adventures together. Joyce  0439 329 334

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Fall Equinox Meditation Sat 21 March at the Labyrinth   Most of you would be aware that the Art Centre and Cafe 191 are both closed indefinitely in response to the Corona Virus Pandemic.  However, the Labyrinth is still accessible and open for those seeking a quiet and peaceful outdoor spot.  The outdoor setting  and low usage of the area should ensure that there is minimal risk of it being a potential site of transmission of the virus.  Please do not use the area if you are ill or have had direct contact with anyone diagnosed with the virus, and maintain social distancing protocols in the unlikely event that someone else is there when you are. To continue our tradition, and to honour this very special area and its healing energies, we will be holding our Fall Equinox Labyrinth walk and Meditation as planned, followed by a short discussion of the impact of the Pandemic on our lives, and our futures, and on how we can continue such socially important events as our meditations in the Labyrinth safely.  If it is convenient, please bring a chair to help us maintain appropriate social distancing. Our Tuesday morning meditations. now at 8:30 am, are followed by a discussion on the general theme of 'Celebrating the  Last Chapters of our Lives' - a topic which is presently very pertinent to us all.   Please join us if you can. We are working to make if possible for people to take part in our Labyrinth Meditations and discussions remotely online via Zoom.  Please let me know if you are interested in being part of this, and I will let you know when we have it organised and working. I hope you can join our meditations in these challenging times, Joyce   0439 329 334 PS  The photo above is of the right hand side of our mural in the Art Centre courtyard.  It can be  interpreted to depict the last chapter of our life journeys in a final period of both darkness, and a developing sense of Hallelujah at the mysteries of life and the privilege of being alive now - and seems very appropriate for these times.  We hope that our meditations and the Labyrinth can help you keep aware of this celebratory side of our journeys through this challenging period.

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Celebrate the Autumn Equinox at the Labyrinth Join us at 10 am on Saturday 21 March at the Art Centre Labyrinth to celebrate the changing of the seasons, and the coming of winter.  We will walk the Labyrinth, and spend 10 to 15 minutes together in contemplation/meditation.  Those who want can join us at the Art Centre's Cafe 191 for coffee afterwards. Our Tuesday morning meditation is now at 8:30 am, and is followed by a half hour discussion on a topic related to 'Celebrating the Last Chapter of our Lives'.  Please join us in exploring ways we can face our coming challenges together with a sense of celebration of the amazing world we live in. Joyce Newell  0439 329 334

Celebrating the Last Chapter of our Lives

Celebrating the Last Chapter of Our Lives Increasing age, and increasing turbulence in all aspects of the wider world are making me more and more aware that I am in the last (and possibly most exciting and most beautiful) chapter of my life, and that the time of my death, and possibly the death of most if not all of humanity is coming rapidly closer. I am therefore inviting you to join me in a facilitated discussion group so we can support each other in celebrating and finding meaning in our lives and our deaths in our remaining days, months or years. WHERE: Bribie Art Centre Labyrinth and Cafe 191 (meeting at the Labyrinth) WHEN: Tuesdays from 8:30 am to 10 am starting Tuesday March 10. WHAT: A focal point for contemplation and meditation will be emailed each Friday (or perhaps agreed on each week for the following week), and read at the beginning of the gathering, perhaps along with a short relevant reading. We will then have a slow walk through the labyrinth, followed by a silent 10 minute contemplation/meditation. This will be followed by a discussion of the day’s focal point in a shady place. Those who want can then adjourn to Cafe 191 (the Art Centre’s new cafe) for coffee and further discussion of whatever topics arise. WHO: This discussion should interest those who are seeking to live with awe and wonder at the mystery of it all, and with a recognition of a greater reality beyond our physical world – or are curious about why I would want to organise this group, and what we are discussing. We will all need to agree that this will NOT be a place for exploring solutions to the many challenges facing us whether politically, economically or environmentally, or to bemoan the lack of available solutions. It will Instead it will be a time to use our collective experiences and energies to explore ways to live this final chapter of our lives with gratitude, and a sense of celebration. Possible focal points for discussion include: 1 Why do we find discussion of death morbid (and even avoid the word ‘death’)? 2. Moving from pettiness to expansion (or in other words, a material focus to a community/environmental/spiritual focus in our lives). 3 What do we tell the children? We may find we want more time than just one week on some points – and hopefully group members will also contribute suggestions for topics. We will let the group evolve to suit our needs. Please let me know if you are interested in being part of the group, or on the mailing list for the group. If you know of anyone who might be interested in joining our discussions, please pass this email on to them. I would also be glad to answer any questions you might have about the group. Lets celebrate together!! Joyce Newell 0439 329 334 Joyce.Newell@bigpond.com