This january marked the 10 year anniversary of starting my tantric path, although I started my journey in hatha yoga in 2011.
What is tantra to me? It is easy to go into a textbook definition of it, and I will add one further down, but first I want to share what it means to me personally.
Tantra is transformation. It is working with energy in energy systems (of our mind and body).
Tantrics are usually laypeople – men and women with children, jobs, etc. We do not renounce the material and relative world but rather the opposite – using everyday life and challenges as fuel for the path, transforming impure energies into their pure state through specific yogic practices*.
Being a tantric means training and trusting oneโs own path and experiences, rather than just doing what is being told – to have disernment and critical thinking, yet stay open and humble.
Tantra can turn ignorance into wisdom, selfishness into compassion. Illuminating the dark corners of our minds, interrupting the cyclical habits, and learning how to read and work with energies; masculine and feminine, peaceful and wrathful alike. To find the center between extremes; letting hope and fear, aversion and attachment collaps into each other. With practice I believe it is possible to return ones mind and body from the samsaric state into its natural pristine state – which is the difference between ourselves and fully realised practitioners/masters of yoga/tantra. It only makes sense to me, for example, that if you can heal 10% of your traumas, you can heal 100%.
There is no tantric lineage without a head teacher (‘guru’ in sanskrit language, although I hesitate to use the word guru because it has been so misused and thus misleading). Tantra is based on passing empowerments from the teacher to the student. All empowerments I have received has been from Finnish tantric teacher Amrita Baba, and I am part of his sangha (community of practitioners), called AmritaMandala. I feel fortunate to have found what I deem to be an authentic Teacher of Dharma, who is able to transmit high teachings to his students, so that we actually feel the shifts and benefits. In this pragmatic lineage we work closely with non-physical tantric masters (mahasiddhas), mainly Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Ishanath (aka Jesus Christ), Babaji, Mataji, Krishna, Radha, Lao Tzu, Bodhidharma, among many others. See full list here.
Personally, I feel a very close relationship with Ishanath, he has for instance healed some of my serious physical ailments spontaneously on more than one occasion since 2021 in meditation, and he is – in my eyes – a true tantric yogi beyond of any religious establishment – pure Christ consciousness.
Impermanence is also a central topic in tantra. It is well believed that a practitioner (tantric yogi/ni) should be able to know what happens at the time of death (our two subtle bodies leaving the physical body), and there are practices for this specifically. Meditation and contemplation on illness, death and the impermanent nature of the relative world is essential.
I vaguely remember a few past lives, and that my soul chose this incarnation; I chose being a girl/woman, my parents, my place of birth, and the immense health challenges to fuel my practice. The deeper the suffering, the wider the perspectives, the greater the lessons and the brighter the light at the end of the tunnel.
I am also a Mother, and both of our boys’ souls came to ‘visit’ me before they decided to be born through me. I feel very honored that they chose us as parents, and I cannot wait to see what their plans are for their lives.
Another important cornerstone of tantra is bodhicitta; the genuine wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. This wish can carry you through some of the darkest moments – it really has for me.
Vajrayana is the tantric interpretation of mahayana. The goal is the same in mahayana but the methods are different.
The biggest practical different, as theyโre doctrinally the same, are empowerments and transmissions given by a tantric preceptor who traditionally are called gurus (tib. lit. lama). In tantric empowerments the guru transmits the experience of buddhanature that all beings inherently possess that can be afterwards returned and cultivated by the student. This cultivation is done through the repetition of mantras, visualizations and mudras or physical gestures that are direct expressions of the enlightened speech, mind and body. Mantras are specific verbal formulas of various deities or enlightened archetypes of buddhas and bodhisattvas that embody different aspects of our inherent enlightened nature. Manjushri is an archetype of wisdom and discrimination, Avalokiteshvara that of compassion and Vajrasattva that of selfless clarity. The tantric system is an esoteric method of healing and awakening which under certain circumstances leads to buddhahood ie supreme enlightenment (skt. anuttara samyak sambodhi) in a single lifetime.
It is good to mention that the mentioned enlightenment is not something of the distant past and cultures. Vajrayana which is a yogic training system for normal laypeople, enables full enlightenment for anyone who dedicates to pursue the path to enlightenment for the purpose of helping others, is willing to keep bringing accepting awareness to oneโs most painful and unpleasant thoughts, emotions and memories and who is willing to continue to the end of the process regardless.
In terms of doctrines vajrayana, like mahayana, is based on the so called Second and Third Turnings of the wheel of Dharma by Buddha Shakyamuni. Interpretations of these doctrines, especially the buddhanature (skt. tathagatagarbha) teaching of the Third Turning vary slightly. However, all vajrayana, also called tantrayana or mantrayana, is based on the doctrine of emptiness or better, selflessness of all things of the mind (skt. shunyata) and bodhicitta which means revealing the natural loving, compassionate and kind nature of ours towards all beings.
Amrita Baba
My tantric tattoo. A portrait from May 2024, with second baby ๐งก๐น๐๐ผIshanath
A painting I started a while ago, didnโt know how to finish it, until today. I really like it now. ๐ I used acrylic paint, gold -and glitter pens. It is 15 x 15 cm, the title is “Myk” – meaning soft. It is for sale on my art page. ๐ซถ๐ป
If you knew that one day someone would be helped and inspired by exactly the trial you are going through now, would it then be easier to bear? I believe that the knowledge/thought that another person can benefit from your story; your experiences and how you solved problems and trials makes the burden lighter in a way; because then you are doing something for something greater than yourself. There is a self-sacrifice in the picture that gives momentum, and you no longer think only of “me and mine,” but also of the well-being of others. I donโt know if this makes sense – I think itโs the autumn and the colourful death and devotion of the plants to the cycle of the seasons that made me write this ๐คญ๐๐
I painted this motive back in 2019, with the inspiration of a photo I took during the Polar night. And recently made this art print from it that I wish to sell โ๏ธ The price is 1800 NOK ๐ฉตThe print is 48 x 56,3 cm, printed on art paper by Fineartprint in Sandnes, Norway.I like to write the title on front, and the signature on the back of the print as the painting is already signed from when it was painted. In other words, not a huge fan of double signing ๐I also made small art prints/cards with envolope. 75 NOK for one, 140 NOK for two ๐Previoisly made business cards with the same motive. Here sending off 4 art cards along with 2 business cards to the South of Norway ๐๐ผ๐
If you are interested in any of these, please write to me in the comment section, or visit my art page on Facebook๐๐๐ฝ
In a world that teaches me first, me only, me always, prayer is a quiet rebellion. It begins with a bow, a loosening of the fist that clutches at control.
It dares to whisper: I am not the center. I am not the crown of all things. I am a thread in the tapestry, a note in the chorus, a servant of something vast. Something holy.
Prayer is an act of defiance against the tyranny of ego, against the hunger that never fills. It topples the empire of the small self and builds, stone by stone, a sanctuary for all beings.
In prayer, we betray the myth of isolation. We kneel not in defeat, but in devotion and love.
Prayer is rebellion, the most radical kind, for it wages war not on others, but on the walls within, until only openness remains.
Through the power of prayer, we can align ourselves with life and light itself. What a miracle.
We can call for the aid of both ancient and recent Masters, Beyond space and time. Their luminous wisdom and boundless compassion can touch our hearts as intimately as the Sun’s warmth opens flowers in the morning mist.
Prayer is not just mere words. It is the trembling of the soul reaching for our wholeness, a candle lit in the dark, a river bending toward the ocean. Prayer is tantra and transformation.
The Sacred Bear and “the Origin of the Sรกmi People”
In Sรกmi mythology, the bear is a divine ancestor, not just an animal.
One myth tells of a heavenly bear who descended to earth and married a human woman. Their children became the first Sรกmi people.
Because of this, bears were/are honored as ancestor spirits, and when a bear was killed (very rare and ritualised), its bones were carefully placed in a tree to allow its soul to return to the sky.
A ceremony called the Bear Feast included songs, dances, and apologizing to the bear spirit for the killing, inviting it to be reborn.
The Bear Who Fell From the Stars:
A Sรกmi Creation Song of the First Bear
In the hush before dawn, where no footprints fall, Where the wind hums secrets to the pine, A star broke loose from the roof of night And tumbled down through time.
He fell with a roar through clouds of gold, Bathed in *Beaiviโs light. He landed not dead, but dreaming still In the heart of the forestโs white.
The reindeer bowed their crowned heads low, The lynx stood still in her track. For this was the First of Bears, The Sky-Child, fallen back.
He walked like thunder on ancient snow, His breath, a wind of flame. Yet gentle were his dreaming eyes, And wise, and without shame.
A woman came from a northern vale, A weaver of skins and song. She found him sleeping in a ring of birch And stayed with him all night long.
They spoke without words by fire and frost, By the rhythm of blood and bone. She taught him the names of the winds and streams; He gave her dreams of home.
And so their children, wild and wise, Were neither beast nor man. They sang to trees, they hunted clean, They walked where few else can.
But then the bear, when spring had sung, Felt longing rise like steam: His fur grew light, his eyes grew wide He vanished into dream.
And so today, when the bear is seen, The Sรกmi bow and sing โChild of stars, our ancient kin, Return again in spring.โ
If ever a bear is taken in hunt, The people weep and pray. They dress his skull in flowers and moss And lift his bones away.
Bought a new diary, in hopes of finding time to write again; haven’t written anything in over a year. Initiated first page with this poem ๐๐๐ผ๐
This is the landscape nomadic peoples of the Arctic have travelled for decades and generations. Moving their herds and homes and children safely tucked onto sleds, across the tundra. This is still the case in some areas. If you’ve witnessed the ever-changing play of colours and atmosphere during the Arctic winter and Polar night, it looks something like this; pastel skies, crisp clear air, moon in daytime and the sun hiding behind the horizon, blessing us with a few rays here and there before leaving for a few months. I am in awe at how my ancestors have survived and even thrived here for so long; I feel moved to my core by their know-how of the elements, seasons and animals. “Way of Life” art print, 2400 NOK ๐ฉต๐๐ค๐งก 89 x 46,5 cm including white edges. The prints have the title written on the white part in front, and signature on the back.
Art card with envolope โ๏ธ 17 x 12 cm including white edges. 75 NOK (norwegian kroner) Can be shipped anywhere ๐ค๐
The prints are made from a painting I did back in 2021 when I first became a mother. Afterwards, I slightly edited it digitally, and thought it looked wonderful as printed art cards ๐ I have 3 cards available currently.
I simply never tire of seeing the auroras, no matter how often they appear. Here above our house ๐ My phone camera didnโt do them justice of course.. Also, did a small aurora painting in December that I gave away on my Christmas Giveaway on my art page. ๐ฉต
A zen tradition that doesnโt separate buddhanature from substrate consciousness (skt. alaya vijnana), doesnโt speak or teach kensho but then claims to be able to just sit (j. shikantaza), that doesnโt have one on one instruction (j. sanzen/dokusan), that has no emphasis of any type of dynamicity or physicality in training, where lineage blessings go unnoticed, where students and roshis spend sesshin after sesshin half asleep, has got to be the most decadent form of Zen to ever exist. These are the very problems that Bodhidharma corrected by teaching the weak, sleepy and ignorant meditation monks dynamic movement practices but also how to transform, stretch and strenghten tissues (c. yijinjing) and how to transform all three bodies from samsaric to nirvanic state (c. xisuijing, bone marrow washing). Itโs been long since Bodhidharmaโs time but the state of some systems that claim to be zen buddhism merely based on lineage transmission and mimicked external form, proves that the deluded mind is master in deluding itself, without much ability to learn from the mistakes done by others. It is indeed difficult to find practitioners who are able to analyze and extract the essential meaning of dharma thus demonstrating abundant merit (skt. punya).
Baba, Revitalized Zen 16 March 2025
Yes, this seems to be true; that the state of Zen lineages today is simply not producing Masters, as was the whole point of Zen training. The state of Dharma is seemingly in a bad shape all around. Therefore, I find it very refreshing and interesting to read such quotes as the one above. Here is the YouTube channel of Revitalized Zen, the facebook group and here is the blog. Excellent reading for any spiritual seeker ๐๐ผ๐ชท
“The ancient Masters were profound and subtle. Their wisdom was unfathomable. There is no way to describe it; all we can describe is their appearance.
They were careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream. Alert as a warrior in enemy territory. Courteous as a guest. Fluid as melting ice. Shapable as a block of wood. Receptive as a valley. Clear as a glass of water.
Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?
The Master doesn’t seek fulfillment. Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.”
Chatral Rinpoche (8. June 1913 – 30. December 2015). Yogi whom has helped me on my spiritual path ๐๐ฟ
You might spend your whole life pursuing only food and clothing, With great effort and without regard for suffering or harmful deeds, But when you die you cannot take even a single thing with you โ consider this well. The clothing and alms needed to keep you alive are all you need. You might dine on the finest meal of delicious meat and alcohol, But it all turns into something impure the very next morning, And there is nothing more to it all than that. So be content with life-sustaining provisions and simple clothes, And be a loser when it comes to food, clothing and conversation.
No matter where you stay, be it a busy place or a solitary retreat, The only things that you need to conquer are mindโs five poisons(jealousy, pride, anger, ignorance, attachment). And your own true enemies, the eight worldly concerns(hope for pleasure and fear of pain, hope for gain and fear of loss, hope for praise and fear of criticism, hope for good reputation and fear of bad reputation).
There is no better sign of accomplishment than a disciplined mind. This is true victory for the real warrior who carries no weapons. When you practise the teachings of the sลซtras and tantras, The altruistic bodhicitta of aspiration and application is crucial, Because it lies at the very root of the Mahฤyฤna. Just to have this is enough, but without it, all is lost.
It is far better to eliminate your doubts and misconceptions, By relying on the instructions of your own qualified teacher, Than to receive many different teachings and never take them any further.
If you lack the wealth of contentment in your mind, Youโll think you need all kinds of useless things, And end up even worse than just an ordinary person, Because you wonโt manage even a single session of practice. So set your mind on freedom from the need for anything at all. Wealth, success and status are all simply ways of attracting enemies and demons. Pleasure-seeking practitioners who fail to turn their minds from this lifeโs concerns Sever their connection to the authentic Dharma.
Limit yourself to just a few activities and undertake them all with diligence. Not allowing your mind to become fidgety and restless.
Har veldig ofte blitt fortalt at man ikke kan leve AV kunst, sรฅnn inntektsmessig. Jeg tenker like ofte at man kan leve FOR kunst. Men jeg skjรธnner hva de mener; det er veldig vanskelig, nesten umulig, spesielt med tanke pรฅ alt av ressurser man putter inn i et slikt tidsfordriv, gรฅr det ofte i minus. I tillegg lever vi i en verden der man fort kan oppleve plagiering om man deler sin kunst pรฅ nettet, man kan stรธte pรฅ en kreativ eller eksistensiell tรธrketid der man er ute av stand til รฅ lage noe som helst, man kan vรฆre i et stadie i livet der kunst fort blir siste prioritert (f.eks som smรฅbarnsforeldre), kanskje har man ikke rรฅd til รฅ kjรธpe mer materiale, eller man kan vรฆre sรฅ blyg og usikker at man ikke tรธr รฅ dele kunsten i det hele tatt, og ihvertfall ikke modig nok til รฅ spรธrre om noen er villig til รฅ betale for det. En annen ting, er at ens kunst aldri vil vรฆre for alle, det mรฅ man alltid huske pรฅ slik at man kanskje tar avvisning bedre. Med andre ord; the struggle is real ๐ Men nรฅ som 2025 er her, jeg nรฆrmer meg 33 รฅr nรฅ i januar og jeg blir bittelitt mer sikker pรฅ meg selv og min kunst, sรฅ GRUGLEDER jeg meg til รฅ tรธrre รฅ hive litt av mine penger inn i รฅ lage kunsttrykk og nye malerier, legge de for salg og bare se hva som skjer. Sรฅrbart, men verdt det, tror jeg. โจ๏ธ Godt nyttรฅr!! ๐
“Maintain the state of undistractedness, and distractions will fly away. Dwell alone, and you shall find the Friend. Take the lowest place, and you shall reach the highest. Hasten slowly, and you shall soon arrive. Renounce all worldly goals, and you shall reach the highest Goal. If you follow this unfrequented path, you will find the shortest way.” -Milarepa
October photos. Colourful sky, sunny days and snowy days.. It’s always shifting very fast here, you could almost say there is four seasons within one season ๐ ๐ฆโ๏ธPrayer flags in our garden โ๏ธ The weather was interesting that day; grey sky and sea, white landscape and a heavy kind of silence.
Humans are herd animals, we’re mammals. We are literally made to raise children in the company and with the support of other women.
This is something we have lost as a modern society.
I would go as far as to say that we have a pandemic of lonely Mothers. Home alone most of the time with their babies, doing their best, often without much mental, emotional or physical support or stimuli from other mums. It’s not natural. And it’s not healthy for the baby; having their start in life defined by this kind of isolation.
It’s not long ago in our human history that women and mums were much closer, and could rely on each other more. I often wish I could turn back time, and experience that closeness, that kind of Motherhood.
In rare small (indigenous) communities around the world, this is still the case, and used to be like that here too (in Troms and Finnmark).
Loneliness sucks a lot of the joy out of Motherhood. It sits like a gray veil over us and makes us even more isolated. Not to mention the shame and guilt many mums feel for even feeling lonely, bacause we have our babies, so we should feel more than content.
But the truth is that women need women. Mums need mums. Only other mums can truly understand the ordeal of birthing and raising children.
So, if you feel lonely in Motherhood, like me, please do not blame yourself, the fault is not with you. It is that we as a modern society have separated ourself too much and we don’t see the importance and value of a supported mum. It’s kind of obvious though; a healthy happy mum = healthy happy start of life for baby, and thus for the all humans and society at large. It all starts with mum.
A painting I did some years ago. “I will keep you safe and warm”.
Really enjoyed this 2 hour interview with “the smarteste man in the world”. Of course IQ isn’t everything, as he says himself, but I guess what I liked about this interview is how he early on in life decided to look for truth and meaning rather than using his brains to make money. They got into all sorts of topics, like beauty, reality, globalism, God, even aliens, cancel culture, etc. Very relevant atuff. Also, I found it funny how he said most buddhists nowadays don’t understand emptiness/sunyata, I think that is true.
My Traditional Sรกmi wives’ silver ring ๐๐๐ฅ It was a gift alongside actual wedding rings. Got married to my best friend and partner in September. Very small short wedding, no guests, just our kids and two witnesses. It was perfect:)
(Made in Kautokeino, Northern Sรกpmi)
Gold wedding ring inscribed with my now husbands dharma name inside, and he has mine. Never owned anything made from gold before ๐ Always wanted an inscribed gold ring ever since I saw LOTR as a child๐ My bouquet was something I put together from dried flowers and the band around it was same colour as my wedding dress; actually I cut the band (belt) from the dress itself because it was too long.
Being a parent means receiving a unique invitation back to the present moment by these small individuals who only asks for you to be yourself around them, to be fully in the moment and to see them for who they are. It’s so simple that even a child can understand it.
Our oldest son, who is almost 4, made these funny little “dolls” representing our little family ๐ Apparently, I am the grumpy one ๐ A hedgehog he also made from blue dough and a stick from the forest. An autumn bouquet I picked on that same trip into the forest ๐ Next to it is a small Sรกmi shamanic drum that our son received for his 3rd birthday.I drew this little boy recently ๐ฉต And gave birth to this little boy in August ๐๐ฉต Healthy and beautiful, 3250 g, ten fingers and ten toes. The birth went so well and quite fast, all due to how much I had prepared my mind and body for it. Days are a bit monotone at the moment, like postpartum days usually are; diapers and carrying baby around, but felt much more up for the task this time than when we had our first son back in 2021 when everything was new to us. I have to admit though it is a bit lonely sometimes due to not having any mum-friends nearby, and not much time for painting either, but found this flat rock one day me and him were out walking with the baby shawl, and so made this quick little autumn painting ๐
Oh, and I just have to show this gift our oldest made for his dad/my husband for his 35th birthday in October. It was a white statue that I bought, and then he decorated it with paint and gold flakes โจ๏ธ๐
“Pregnancy is a process that invites you to surrender to the unseen force behind all life.” ๐๐งก๐ค๐ฉต Photos taken by Gunhild Berg Johansen, I was ca 6 months pregnant here.
I highly recommend this very helpful and insightful podcast episode on breaking the fear-tension-pain cycle that most women go into when in labour, myself included. I am very close to giving birth to our second child, and feeling all the emotions that comes naturally leading up to that. This podcast episode really helped me, along with a hypnobirthing course I’ve been doing lately.
When we are small children, it comes natural for us to think of others. We don’t see much separation between ourselves and others, and so wanting to be kind, to help and be generous comes as naturally as dusk and dawn.
As we age and experiences shape us, we get hardened. We are no longer soft and supple like babies, now we have frozen places in our bodies and mind that makes us feel and act in certain negative ways, or it even makes us ill. We get prickly edges, we might be ‘difficult’ for others to be around and as much as we wish to feel soft, authentic and playful again, it just don’t seem to happen by will alone.
This is where yogic practices (dharma) can help, because it targets and addresses both the physical body, and the subtle energy bodies. Focusing only on one aspect, will not be a holistic solution, in my experience. And focusing only on my own healing, without regard to others who are also suffering, is not sufficient; it has to be for the benefit of others – it has to touch the heart (bodhichitta).
Prayer flags in our garden
Here is the youtube channel and the website of the Amrita Mandala dharma lineage which I practice and which has helped me the most in my life and healing ๐๐ผ
In my summer sea sรกmi gรกkti. And small baby “shoes” made by mother-in-law ๐๐ผShades of blue shellRusty coloursBlue and purple hues“Det er morgen igjen, vesle hรฅp og verden frotterer seg med nyvasket solskinn. Livets ansikt er aldri det samme selv om vi ser pรฅ det i all evighet.” – Kolbein Falkeid #home #kitchen #midnightsunCurious little guy on a short hike in the rain. โ๏ธSummer details in some of my older paintings. Just playing and experimenting with colours and techniques so that I will hopefully find the Joy of painting again ๐ I guess I have a little dry spell in my creative life at the moment.. Blue, orange and yellow are great together. A bouquet I picked by the side of the road.Details Beef tallow.Son and daddy ๐๐โค๏ธ๐My partner of 14 years meditating. #yogisondisplay Our shed with some new flowers.Curious little rabbit in our garden.
Yogi on display in nature for the birds, foxes and rabbits to see ๐ also i found a long-ish animal bone that was perfect to use for hitting on a rock to keep the rhythm while chanting and singing prayers. ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฆด
What is #YogisOnDisplay?
“Unlike in cultures long established in the dharma, spiritual practice is not visible in the everyday life of Western society. While many Westerners practice some form of spiritual practice, the actual practice is often kept private. This is a great pity. Not only does it speak volumes about the level of spiritual maturity of the West, but it also means that many people never encounter dharma in the first place. If spirituality is not publically displayed, the fact that there is an alternative to existential confusion and suffering does not reach the masses.
In an attempt to counter this, Amrita Baba has initiated the Yogis on Display project. The idea behind Yogis on Display is to encourage spiritual practitioners of the West to become living examples for others. Instead of hiding away in our modern city caves, we need to bring meditation, mantra singing, yoga practice, and so on, directly to where it matters; straight to the middle of the hamster wheel. Displaying the solution to existential confusion and suffering is a hands-on, time-tested way of practicing care and compassion for all beings.
To spread the message of Yogis on Display the hashtag #yogisondisplay has been created. Practitioners who chose to take part are encouraged to take a picture of themselves and share it on social media using this hashtag. This way more people can learn about the initiative and become inspired to light the torch of dharma in our public spheres.” (AmritaMandala.com)
Our true inner nature is the same as in the natural world; open, alive, grounded, expressive…๐งก๐๐๐ “Basic nature”, acrylic and oil pastel crayons, 31,7 x 23,6 cm
Food and how to get that food is a huge part of any culture. In the Arctic, that food culture has been mainly catching, hunting, fishing and herding, making the foundation of our food for thousands of years an animal based one. We don’t have a lot of local edible plants here, with a few exceptions like berries for example. With the influx of trading and new borders, new foods were introduced, but if you are like me, I don’t tolerate them well at all, especially grains, and a lot of carbs . So I stick to an ancestral Arctic diet that my stomach and body loves, and I feel extremely passionately about food culture, so I guess that is what I made this painting about. I also added 3 samoyed sled/herding dogs, as a little head nod to another Uralic Arctic people neighbouring Sรกpmi; the Nenets. (An obsolete name for them used to be the Samoyed people, a name not used by themselves). Acrylic on 80 x 80 cm canvas, details in silver and gold pen, oil pastel crayons. ๐ฉท๐ฉต๐๐ค๐
It is from Eastern Siberia that the word shaman comes from, which means to ‘heat up’. Where it originated before that, I do not know. The ‘new shananism’ people in the west speak of today can hardly be compared. Shamanism and animism has permeated most if not all of the nomadic and semi-nomadic cultures in this part of the world. The shamans have traditionally been both women and men, though the word ‘shaman’ is masculine form. The feminine word for a female shaman is ‘udugan’ in Tungusic language. In Northern Sรกmi a shaman is known as a Noaide. (Acrylic on mixed media paper, A4)Shaman’s drum to aid in the trance travel
Here is some pictures I used for inspiration for my painting.
I can also highly recommend these practices on youtube by a Uralic Tantric yoga teacher Amrita Baba; where he teaches tantric practices with ancient shamanic masters. Here is part 1 of 4, and the other parts linked below video.
I often think about how the two genders are put up against each other in todays’ society, and we forget how to cooperate. We forget that men and women are dependant on each others’ strengths and that we complement each others’ weaknesses. We tend to focus on “who has it worse and who does what is most important”, instead of focusing on “what can we accomplish together, and how can we best raise the next generation, and be there for one another in life’s traumas, challenges and victories”. We hear absurd statements like “what is a woman”, and “do we need men”. The feminine and the masculine are two wings of the same bird, we need both to soar. The feminine power represents creation and wisdom, while the masculine represents stability and action. The whole Universe – and thus you and me – are made of these, and we should not forget that.
(Acrylic and oil pastel drawing/painting size A4, on mixed media paper)
I am tempted to just answer my own question with “why not?”, but that is not satisfactory at all. Especially since there is a very good answer that comes to mind, although it is a cheesy one;
My soul needs it. It is who I am, and art helps bring out my authenticity. I feel ill when I have long periods of low motivation and inspiration, and thus don’t paint.
As probably many other children who loved art, growing up meant finding out how fragile art making can be. How vulnerable you make yourself. How other things in life seems to creep in and take over your time, to the point where there is not much time left for art making. All children are born with an innate sense of wanting to create and learn, and it can take a long time to find back to that once you have entered the hectic adult world of chores and time schedules. What a shame. But also, what a journey.
Like in all good stories, the main character loses herself at one point or many, and falls into some sort of despair and discontentment. She wants to find herself again and strives to get rid of the layers of inauthenticity she has adopted during adolescence and adulthood. Deep down, she knows herself, but too much junk has accumulated, and she feels frozen and trapped.
“Energy that is in motion, stays in motion”. In other words; just start something, and the momentuum will keep going by itself. The more we create, the more we want to create. Do 2 mintues of art making, and before you know it, time ceases and you enter the timeless realm of creativity, where it doesn’t matter how long you do it, all that matters is that you enjoy it and you feel yourself being in a flow state.
You may ask; why paint? Does the world really need another painting of a mediocre rose or the aurora borealis? The answer is No, it doesn’t. But the world needs your interpretation of a rose or the aurora borealis. Your superpower is and will always be that there is only one of you. When someone buys your artwork, takes it home and put it on their wall, they are bringing a piece of your soul home. They want that unique thing you made out of nothing to remind them of what they perhaps have forgotten themselves. Or, they wish to have a feeling or memory your artwork inhabits in their home through their eyes. This is a huge compliment for any artist.
You may also ask; but how do I find my own style? You don’t! It finds you. And you can’t get rid of it, even if you wanted to. Unique personal style is something that happens on its own. Don’t worry about it, it will reveal itself, if you just keep making stuff.
It’s hard being an artist. It can be lonely, it can be difficult to get into the desired state for creating, it can be challenging to make a studio/workspace, it can be close to impossible to find motivation some days and it can be a job in itself to make something out of thin air. But then again, it can also be the most rewarding soul nourishing work.
Winter is on our doorsteps, snow is here, polarnight is 2 weeks away, and it’s time for cosying up, hibernating, perserving our energy – and perhaps do some more icebaths. A small photo series from September, October and a few from November so far ๐ค Much love from Arctic Sรกpmi ๐๐ผ
Crips airHalf autumn, half winter Woman walking…Kitchen view 22.oct. The adults were watching over the white baby reindeer. Colours of autumnWe are 6-7 women doing ice bathing every week togetherHelps to have a fire when icebathingSรกlasvaggiFrost on seaweedFrosty boatWhen winter crept down the hill side12:30 lightIda swimmingKali on a reindeer peltLadies ice bathingMe ice bathingAfternoon light in autumn Reindeer heart…Cooked it with onion and full fat creamNorwegian, Sรกmi and Kveni flag next to each other Blue tones by the riverPastel hues
I haven’t painted in many months, due to moving, and a bit loss of inspiration and drive. Well, now that we have a new place to live, and a lot more space, I am happy to say that I feel the inspiration coming back, and excited to make a small ateliรฉr in one of our rooms ๐ I have been struggling a lot with neurological problems due to living in a place with (undetected) mold for a very long time. The brainfog is sometimes overbearing making it hard to do most things but hopefully it will heal in time with treatment, and painting will both be part of the healing and a motivation in itself ๐๐งก Here is a baby seal I made today ๐๐ฆญ
Been spending most days outside this past few months, especially since we discovered that we have mold in our house, that has been contributing to my health issues, and resulted in me being diagnosed with CIRS/mold illness. It’s a hell of a thing to live with, and we are currently looking for treatment and a new place to live. I hope and pray these things sorts out, so that we can focus on our daily lives as a family and not live in a state of emergency.
In other news, I am (still) working on my film on remaining and recently extinct Arctic Indigenous languages in Europe and Asia. It will hopefully be done sometime soon, and I am so looking forward to share it with the world. I hope that it will be interesting and valuable information for people to watch.
Wishing you all a great and bountiful autumn (or spring if you are on the other side of the planet๐ ) ๐๐ผ๐๐
Kunst -og fotoutstilling pรฅ SevenDesign Atelier fra 3.-31. mai, oppe i andre etasje, i rommet med de blรฅ vindus-og dรธrkarmene ๐ Rommet har ett kafรฉbord og stoler, og rommet fรธr har kaffe -og snackservering samt utstilling av andres kunst. ร pent alle ukedager 09:30 – 17:00 (18:00 pรฅ torsdager). Har ogsรฅ postkort, print og รธredobber til salgs. Jannicke pรฅ SevenDesign har utrolige mye annet spennende der, i begge etasjer og flere rom.
While the safe blanket of snow covers the landscape, and the crisp cold air cradle us to sleep under the starry sky, know that spring is waiting in hibernation just like you, ready to rejoice once more.
The following text is from Barbara Brennan’s book “Light Emerging”, page 337 – 343 ๐
“Once upon a time, aeons ago before time was known as it is today, there was a spark of light in the heart of the divine. That spark in the divine burst forth into millions of stars. Each star had a name that was written in the word of God. One of those stars is you. As a star, you grew and developed and sang across the heavens to the other stars. In this time before you were born as a human, you knew light, love, and wisdom. Being unborn, of course you had no body, so there was a great deal of freedom. You were completely aware of the essence of your being. You had great freedom to move about the universe at your will. You moved in the direction that you focused in. With your intention, you began creating things. If you had a wish, you automatically created it. You created stone and earth; tree and flower; star and planet; even cloud and wind.
Your essence moved easily, changing from one form to another. You experienced being a cloud, a moon, a sun, or a fish, or a cat. You continued to move as your pleasure led you. As you moved from one form to another, creating more forms, you slowly became identified with form, and shadow was born. You got so excited in the creating that memory slipped and you forgot who you were. You were so busy creating, you didnโt even notice that you began to think you were form.
Shadow grew darker, and pain was born out of forgetting that the true self is essence. The true self is the creator, that which is beyond form. That is how you created shadow and pain. You forgot who you are. You split yourself in two: the part that forgot and the whole that remembers.
Within every human being, there is the spark of the divine in every cell of your body. It is the essence of self. Within that true essence of who you are is the healer within you who has all of the creative power of the universe. The healer within you is named according to the word of God. That is who you truly are. Move your awareness now to your inner essence, your power and light that are completely unique. You are the word of God made manifest. Move your awareness to the total essence of your beingโthat is the healer within you. You have felt it your entire life. The golden threads of this power have been woven through the tapestry of your life since before you were born. You knew as a small child, as you know now, what this means. Feel the essence, the power, flowing through you. It is your uniqueness. It is your beauty. It is your love. It is the sweetness that you experienced life to be as a child.
Your power lies within the sweetness of who you are. It is within the sweet longings you have protected and shielded from others. You are like a flower unfolding in the sunlight. Feel the power and the nature of your divinity, unlike any other. Now ground that well in your body. That part of you is still free. That part of you can still move freely through space, time, and other realities. Feel yourself in this freedom now. As you are moving through time and space to different types of reality, in the far distance you hear a cry. That cry wells up and becomes more audible, and you say, โOh, what could that be?โ You hear the longing in the cry for help. Then you spot it and you see the beautiful blue and white shimmering planet in the sky. You are drawn closer to that beloved planet by the cries of need. As you get closer, you say, โWhat can I do to help? How can I answer this cry, this call? How can I help heal the pain that is upon the earth?โ Then you have a great idea. You decide to create a physical form by drawing it up out of the earth and drawing the pain with it. You intend to use the physical form to heal the pain. You descended into a tiny physical body.
After nine months or so, you were born into this world as a human being. The longer you remained attached to that body, the dimmer the memory of your original essence became. As a child, and perhaps way before that, you began taking on the pain. During the experience of the pain, you completely forgot who you were. When the pain would leave, you would remember. When the pain would come back, you would forget. The pain that you chose to heal grew inside of your body.
Look over your childhood. Find the deepest pain that you have carried in all those years. With that pain, you will find your deepest longing. What is it that you want to be? What is it that you longed to be as a child that you now and then thought you could never be? Did you want to move among the stars? Did you want to heal everyone on earth? Did you want to paint or to create beautiful music? Did you want to make everyone feel safe? What was it that you wanted more than anything? If you could be or could have anything you wished on earth, have any fantasy come true, what is that fantasy? How is the un-fulfillment of that related to your very deep pain?
Look backward over your life. As you moved through each moment of your life carrying that pain, there is one thread: a repeated cycle on the spiral of life, where that deepest pain from childhood has been repeated over and over and over again in the many different experiences that you have had. If you look at all of those experiences, you will find a common thread among them all. When you find that common thread, then allow yourself to begin feeling that pain. Allow your body to experience this pain. Where has it affected your body? When you feel it in your body, where does your body tense? Explore now throughout your body where that pain has affected your psychic, your spiritual, your mental, your psychological, and your physical being. That thread runs holographically through every portion of your being, and as it runs through your body it hits in particular places that eventually become experienced as physical pain. Find it in your body. If you are sensitive to the auric field, then find it in the auric field.
As you find that pain, on whatever level it has manifested most profoundlyโperhaps a fear, perhaps a problem with relationship, perhaps in a physical disorder, perhaps in your professionโthen ask yourself a question: โWhat has this to do with my deepest longing? How is this particular problem associated with my deepest longing of who I wish to be, what I want to do with my life, where I wish to live?โ The first job you have is to heal that pain within the body. For it is by the pain in your body and life that you will learn the personal skills that you need to fill your longing, no matter what it is. Find that pain within your body, and put your hands on it: that which you have carried for a lifetime, that darkest belief system that has the most profound forgetting, that one major, deepest pain, be it in your heart, your belly, or in your throat. Put your hand there now, and experience the consciousness there that believes in separation. It is the shadow. It believes it is separate and isolated from everything, isolated and separate with no hope. Find that pain that has been there from the earliest of days, and let that shadow begin to dissolve. Enter into the shadow. Accompany yourself into the dungeon within the self that needs healing. Do not deny the human experience of that real pain from the human perspective. It is not a new pain. It has been there ever since you can remember. It is not the kind of pain that goes away easily, for it is deeply, deeply ingrained. Spend some time with the pain. Then when you are ready, move your conscious awareness to the healer within you. Here is your wisdom. Here is your longing and your light with which you came here to heal the pain that is in your body. Move back to the pain and feel the pain. Then move to the longing and feel the longing. Move back to the pain and then to the longing again. Continue moving from one to the other until you find the association between the two, until you can answer the question, โWhat does this pain in my life mean to me? What is it trying to tell me? What is the message it brings to me?โ
While you are feeling that pain with your hands, from the human perspective, ask the essence of healer that you are what you need to do. What is the deepest cause of this pain? Ask for help to heal this pain. Ask the healer within for help to heal that which you have been unable to heal in yourself up until now. Truly ask, and it shall be answered. Ask very specifically what you can do. What is the cause? What is the belief system? What do you need to do every day? Allow the essence of the healer within you to work through your hands to heal your body. Be a channel to heal the self. Let the light flow through you. After you have received as much information as you can, reach for the highest spiritual reality you know; your higher self or your guides. Reach for the memory of who you are from that highest spiritual reality. You will find that the pain within you is precisely the pain that you were drawn to earth to heal, way back before you were born, when you were that wondrous spiritual being. That is who you truly are. So reach up to that part of the self that has incarnated in order to heal the very pain that you carry within yourself and that you have carried since your birth. For it is precisely the pain you have come to heal, and it is you who have chosen to take on this pain and in doing so you chose to incarnate with precisely the best combinations of energies and wisdom and love to heal that particular pain. That is what you have come to heal, and you are fully equipped to do so. You have fully equipped yourself to heal it. And that wondrous spiritual being that you were before your birth when you heard the cries and the longing from the earth and were drawn toward the earth is the healer within you.
You are the person who knows how to heal that pain more than anyone else. That is your healer within. Be the healer within you, and heal that thread of pain that you have carried throughout your whole life. Touch your body in places you feel pain. As you are working, move your consciousness back and forth between the healer within and the inner person who is in pain. As you continue to move back and forth, you begin to understand the relationship between the healer within you and the pain that it has come to heal. You have drawn this pain up from the earth to transform it. Give yourself plenty of time to complete this process. You are integrating the pain within, the longing that you carry within your heart, and the healer within that can heal you. Let the healer within you draw out that pain and return you to wholeness. Move back and forth between the human with the deep pain, and the healer with universal power. Move them closer and closer together as you move back and forth until they merge. Continue the process until you become completely merged. When you feel satisfied that the merging is complete and has stabilized, I would like you to remain silent for at least an hour. Remain silent, sit in meditation, or simply get up and go for a walk in the woods.”
The sky is always so colourful right before polarnight sets inEarly in NovemberAn important topic and film (“The silence in Sรกpmi”) Saw it in the cinema, I think it will be put online later.Made some Christmas decor with our son โค๏ธFrom high up! Propeller plane ride from Arctic to Southern Finland โ๏ธ๐ค๐His third plane ride, and he isn’t even two!Amrita Mandala yoga retreat 20+ people in person and online, practising yoga-dharma together for 4 days. In PorvooMe doing Dzogchen Metta practice with Jenna โจ๏ธPhoto of calender I printed with my own photos. These are for June, because they were taken in June at midnight. I chose this photo for March because that is when these little birdies return. 11 am ๐๐๐ค
Soon we enter December and thus the last month of 2022. Hope you are all staying warm and safe, and that Christmas is not a source of stress, but a time for relaxing and magic โจ๏ธโ๏ธ
Morning sunlight through the autumn leavesDew drops…Patch of neighbourhood bathing in morning lightA kind of autumn bouqet I pickedIt’s dark in the evenings now. Hello candles!The golden season
Can I just say, this is the best photo anyone has ever taken of me? Susann, thank you for capturing my essence. Here I am wearing a headdress and silk liidni I sewed myself, and the gรกkti summer dress is made by Nadezda Johnsen. Autumn wind…๐งก๐๐๐ผLife is a lot of chopping wood and carrying water… I think that is how the saying goes ๐
“Your healing journey will, of course, include a consideration and use of all the best tools modern medicine can offer you, as well as the best tools holistic healing can offer you. From a deeper perspective, illness is caused by unfulfilled longing. The deeper the illness, the deeper the longing. It is a message that somehow, somewhere, you have forgotten who you are and what your purpose is. You have forgotten and disconnected from the purpose of your creative energy from your core. Your illness is the symptom: The disease represents your unfulfilled longing. So above all else, use your illness to set yourself free to do what you have always wanted to do, to be who you have always wanted to be, to manifest and express who you already are from your deepest, broadest, and highest reality. If indeed you have discovered yourself to be ill, prepare yourself for change, expect your deepest longing to surface and to be brought to fruition. Prepare yourself to finally stop running and turn and face the tiger within you, whatever that means to you in a very personal way. I suggest the best place to start to find the meaning of your illness is to ask yourself: โWhat is it that I have longed for and not yet succeeded in creating in my life?โ’ (From Barbara Brennan’s book Emerging Light)
Yellow birch leaves bathing in the sunlight. Ramfjorden/Gรกranasvuotna.Calm sea….๐The yellow trees against the blue sky is a sight to behold. ๐๐Very happy with this shot, was thinking for many weeks that I wanted to take this photo and feel like I nailed it just how I wished ๐๐๐ปThis one is with phone camera, because I could not find my Panasonic camera (found it 2 days later, exactly where I put it!) Tinden / Sรกlaลกoaivi.Another phone shot, but feel like I really captured the mood of the weather, even though it is bad quality! โ๏ธ
Sunlight in the sea – the grey stuff is mudLate summer in AugustA foot bath in the sea mudA funny cloud that looked like skaller (nuvttohat/sรกmi pelt shoe)Kvalรธya seen from Tromsรธ islandA pale yellow flower from my mother’s gardenOur son being immersed in play
“Darkness, no matter how ominous and intimidating, is not a thing or force: it is merely the absence of light. So light need not combat and overpower darkness in order to displace it – where light is, darkness is not. A thimbleful of light will therefore banish a roomful of darkness. The same is true of good and evil: evil is not a thing or force, but merely the absence or concealment of good. One need not ‘defeat’ the evil in the world; one need only bring to light its inherent goodness.”
Vajra brocade jacket in green and gold I was lucky to find in local second hand store. It is handmade, too, wonder who made it and gave it away.
I wanted to make a post on the physical body. I have noticed in social media a trend called ‘body positivity’, and I wanted to share my own version of what that means to me:
Knowing that my body is made from the natural elements and is a result of thousands of generations
Reminding myself that all my cells are working hard to keep me alive every day
Eating traditional sustainable foods that my body easily turn into energy
Deep sleep and meditation to give body healing and vitality
Practice prayer and mantras to help body get rid of karmic traces stored inside the cells
Strength training to keep joints stable and posture straight
Keeping in mind how ancestors lived, and how they treated their bodies
Reminding myself to breathe with my belly, through nose and keeping my tongue in the roof of mouth, while jaw relaxed, as this feels most natural and it makes body relax
Tapping into body’s innate healing powers if I feel sick
Feeling how the body is an anchor that keeps us in the present moment
Maybe I could add more later. What would you add? Thanks for reading, have a lovely day. -M
My mum staring into the ocean ๐Little flowers in the sand at our hidden secret beach.Beach view.Our son got to see and play with the ocean waves. He was kind of scared, but also curious!Prestvannet / BรกhpajรกvriSome lotus like flowers at the Arctic Alpine botanic garden. In the forest ๐Some gorgeous tulips outside the Polar Museum in Tromsรธ.My beautiful coffee bag sewn by duojรกr Inga Nilsen Eira. It’s made from reindeer skin, wool and cotton bands, and braided reindeer skin string. Perfect to bring my coffee on walks and trips โค๏ธ
“From the perspective of a healer, illness is the result of imbalance. Imbalance is a result of forgetting who you are. Forgetting who you are creates thoughts and actions that lead to an unhealthy lifestyle and eventually to illness.” – Barbara Brennan, Hands of Light
Healing can occur spontaneously and over time. The spirit has an innate ability and longing for healing, health and happiness. We can all access this healing ability, we just sometimes need some help to tap into that. Never think that healing is not an option for you, or that it’s too late. We can always be reminded of who we are, where our strength lies and how strong our spirits are.
I’d like to recommend 2 books that helped me: Healing back pain: the mind-body connection by Dr. John Sarno, and Hands of Light by Barbara Brennan.
Much healing love to anyone and everyone who needs it. -M
Pictured: me at age 10 ca., on a hiking trip with my family. ๐ค
Me, our son and my friend and relative โค Lรกhppigรกkti. Coastal Sรกmi.๐๐โคHat and traditional shawl made by me โค๐Traditional knit by his father’s mother. Belt is supposed to be on hips, but not easy when he is moving like a little maggot ๐ชฑ๐
Today, we celebrated the Sรกmi National Day, Feb 6th.
I have Kven/Finnish, Norwegian and Sรกmi heritage, and love to celebrate what I can while I can. I am deeply thankful for my connection to my heritage and my own heart, and wish you all the best 2022 possible.
“Regardless of the emotion being experienced โ be it desire, anger, pride, jealousy, envy, greed, or whatever โ what is really going on is a shift in attention. The mind is expressing itself in a different way. Nothing implicitly requires one to presume that this emotion has any reality in and of itselfโฆ It is just that the mind is expressing itself in a different way than it was a moment ago.” – Kalu Rinpoche
Photos from late autumn when it was still a bit warm. Woke up today to the first snowfall of the year!
A heart opening guided meditation session led by Kim Rinpoche.
October night sky a few weeks ago ๐๐
If we know our hearts and our own natural state, we will also simultaneously know how to love and care. Not only for others but for ourselves and our difficult emotions. Life is so full of difficult emotions, as we know. Compassion and forgiveness is always with you, like a silent friend.
Thank you for reading and still following my blog. It is most appreciated. My posts are very sporadic, as time flies by with the new baby. Long days but short weeks. Not enough hours to get it all done, and not enough hours to just enjoy him – this new little person that runs our lives now. Motherhood is equally hard as it is wonderful. I hope to get more painting and other artsy projects into my days again.
Hรฅja and HillesรธyHรฅja mountain. We drove up and got the best view ever. Very happy with this photo!Arctic July.More furry neighbours.Rainy summer day.Ilo, a cute little dog we met at Reinรธya.Early morning at Reinรธya. Seal at Reinรธya. Summer swim.. Me and my boyfriend’s mother. 8-9ยฐc!Tromsรธ centrum, the pavillion.At the Arctic-Alpine Botanical garden in Tromsรธ. Blue Himalayan poppies. ๐ In the World’s Northernmost botanical garden.So many beautiful colours and shapes.Midsummer, 23rd of June.Tiny Arctic dolphins.Sunlight over Lyngsalpan. Rainy evening at Spรฅkenes. Kali ๐๐คPicked a small bouquet.
“I love the Arctic summer, it’s the best day of the year!” Short but sweet. How was your summer?
Yesterday was World Indigenous peoples day, so I share this wonderful portrait of my relative Johannes from 6 generations ago. Wearing a pesk/finnmudd. I think we have the same nose, and eyebrows. I look forward to teach our son about his ancestors. It was a black-white photo by S. Trombolt but Per I. Somby colorised it. #ArcticPeople #Uralic
Indigenous means ‘naturally occuring’. Someone or something that ‘belongs’ to a place, and who is living in harmony with the natural surroundings. A part of the local ecosystem. The natural world belongs to us ALL, we need to treat it with respect and appreciation to be able to continue living in it sustainably. Always give more than you take, even if it is “just” gratefulness.
Where was or is your ancestors indigenous to? Do you feel as a part of the natural surroundings?
Small tip on how to feel more connected to the natural world: consciously focus and feel into the knowing of being held and supported by the Earth and gravity. See if you can completely relax intothat knowing and if you can trust that you are safe and being held.
Allow yourself to be yourself. Close your eyes and feel the stable mountain-like presence of your own being. Indestructable, isn’t it? Your own light, your own intuition. Keep returning to yourself. To home, to where you are safe and where you belong. The same stillness that exists in nature, exists in you. There is no seperation, and it cannot be taken away or destroyed. Allow yourself to come home, over and over, until there is no doubt. xx Monica
A few snowy peaks shots from beginning of May. Spring is here! Camera used: Panasonic Lumix.
Our sweet little boy ๐ค My wool sweater knitted by grandma.
Being a mama has really opened my heart, not just for our child, but for all children. I have always loved the little new humans obviously, but being a parent takes it to another level somehow. Truly an automatic bodhicitta practice; infinite love and boundless compassion – our true nature.
Here are some beautiful motherhood art pieces I really like. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! ๐ฅฐ
Art by Germaine Arnaktauyok, “Quiet Time”, 2005Art by Mayoreak Ashoona, “Matching braids”, 1991
Not a painting or art print, but traditional Sรกmi komse (baby carrier). Truly an art piece in itself, with every woven band having a meaning. Art by Emily KewageshigArt by Alanah Jewell
How has motherhood changed you? Has it opened your heart (more)?
Mรฅrrakaffe og nydelig lilla tulipanKan ikke huske sist jeg laga pรฅskeris โค๐๐๐ค๐Ingen pรฅske uten gule (og noen lilla) tulipaner. Sola titter ogsรฅ oftere frem!
It’s the last day of a very eventful January, and I am spending it curled up on our big sleeping couch with our newborn baby boy who is about 2 weeks old now, in his little baby nest and my partner who is sitting on the other end writing away on the computer. Outside, it’s already dark again. Polar night is officially over here but I have not seen the Sun yet. I am not outside so much, hardly at all as all time and energy is spent adjusting and taking care of this new amazing creation. I did however manage our first little walk with the pram!
Life is new and different and surreal as parents. Giving birth was intense and hard work, and unfortunately not how I envisioned, but nontheless a very powerful experience. A rite of passage of sorts.. At one point during delivery I felt like I connected with all other Mothers giving birth naturally, experiencing the same pain at the exact same time. When he was born, there was an incredible silence and love that I have not experienced before ๐คฑ๐ป
January is also my birthday month, and this year I celebrated at home with my little family and my friend Katharina. 29; last year in my twenties, first year as a mama! ๐โจ
My favourite painting from last year ๐๐งก๐๐ Acrylic on canvas.
“An amateur (literally means ‘lover [of something]’) is generally considered a person who persues a particular activity or field of study independently from their source of income/does not persue it professionally or with an eye to gain.” ๐จ
My favourite shawl. Head dress I made by hand.A tantric Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal statue I helped repaint for a friend. The union of wisdom and compassion. Wish I had a similar one! Hopefully one day I will afford one ๐๐ป
You know how you need to pretend to sleep in order to fall asleep? And at some point it just happens. Maybe it’s the same with other areas of life. Fake it till you make it, kind of, not in a bad way – just a dedicated one. I have noticed at least that the same applies to yoga and meditation sometimes. If I feel stressed, anxious and restless, I force myself to do the practice anyway. And at some level it still does its magic, of that I am 100% sure. In between the sleepless thoughts and rough emotions – they become like clouds in the pastel coloured sky.
Wishing all a lovely calm Polar night, and remember that it’s in darkness you shine the brightest ๐โจ๐
“Just like water, snow and ice, life is always shifting, changing forms.” (This photo is from february 2017). Beautiful texture and shapes in the frozen water.
One of my paintings inspired by the icy landscape:
Click to see bigger versionsMy little pregnant polar bear. Wrote a post earlier about this painting ๐ Here she is framed.
Ask The Mountains 