This thoughtful offering has been created by Brenda Vynalek, weaver and artist, to help you reconnect with your imagination and experience serenity through nature and art. Rock wrapping is an art form rooted in the Japanese tradition of wrapping rocks in natural cane, using Japanese basketry and knotting techniques. They are often used in Japan to direct traffic within a tea garden (as in boundary stones called tome ishi). It is an art form that invites quiet contemplation, peace, and serenity.
We will gather on 300+ acres of private land in Lyme to enjoy a peaceful forest bathing walk meandering our way down to a serene river where we will thoughtfully choose a river rock from the riverbed for our project. The grounded energy these smooth stones provide is soothing, calming, and healing on deep physical and emotional levels.
Native Americans have long honored river rocks because they contain the energy of both water and land—two elements collaborating to create something beautiful and auspicious. River Rocks are considered to have the medicine of both these elements. We will take time to reflect on the spirituality of the river and connect with its life force. Each river has a spirit, a way of meandering and flowing, a personality partly determined by its landscape and place. Rivers can be a companion, spiritual guide, a friend if we have hearts to feel and ears to hear.
Brenda will offer instructions and guidance on creating your serenity stone through various wrapping techniques using natural materials. This offering provides a deep grounding experience because of the sensory aspects—you have the weight and texture of the stone in your hands, the contrasting soft feel of the fibers, and the meditative, calming effect of wrapping the rock in a pattern. The aim is to make them very neat and (usually) symmetrical.
Once completed, we will offer our gratitude to the river for its gifts and call upon the river's spirit to infuse our creations with healing river medicine. We will close our time together in Circle, sharing our creations and any thoughts on the experience while sharing an herbal tea and light snack.
NOTES:
The address will be provided to you the week of the event via an email from Eventbrite
Please bring bug/tick spray
Please wear long pants and closed-toe shoes
Please feel free to bring any talismans, items you hold special to include in your creation