Grounded, Revisited
the downward gaze & 'earthing' in snow
Ice Energy flows.
I settle with a downward gaze…
and find stability where I can…


because the ice broke this week.1
Typologies appeal.
I photograph my feet.2




I Create the same photograph from the same perspective…again and again…and when what I see through the lens changes faster than I am comfortable with, I hold my gaze, stay steady, and adjust to meet the moment.
And sometimes, I take off my boots, wiggle my toes and feel the earth beneath my feet, even through a layer of snow.
It is cold and wet.
My toes tingle.
And then, if lucky, I stand in melted ice, ‘earthing’ as best I can.3
This may be my last chance…before it melts and gets too warm.4


As long as we stay connected - - to the earth and to each other - - we may be chilled, but we won’t be numbed into silence and retreat.
So in the studio this morning, I took off my socks and put on ‘summer’ shoes.5
Lilly watches, inspiring me to smile, no matter the mood.
With gratitude for you showing up and being you,
Lyn


If you have any secret strategies for staying grounded when it feels like the earth beneath our feet is shifting too fast, please share them here!



War unsettles me when it is not something our elected representatives have discussed. Discussion is at the heart of a republic…for which it stands.
In my original Grounded post in November 2023, I share how a downward gaze connects me to place and to all those who have walked whatever path I may be on long before me.
In my November 2, 2023 post, Grounded, I wrote the following: Grounded is also another name for something called “earthing.” This idea feels particularly relevant now, as I’ve been exploring the elements this year as part of my Kinship Photography practice, and we have been focusing on Earth since the winter solstice in December. Between walking on Lava in Hawaii and running through the snow in Vermont last week, I feel as if I’ve had some glorious invitations ‘to earth.’
Here’s the definition for earthing from the Grounded website:
“Also known as “Earthing,” grounding is the process of connecting with Earth’s natural electromagnetic energy, which is a natural anti-inflammatory agent that helps balance our nervous system activity.”
In the midst of too high summer heat, I will long for this chilling sensation.
I would love to walk around barefoot in my studio, but with the uneven floors and potential for splinters and broken bits of this and that, it’s safer to wear my Birkenstock “summer shoes.”












feet feet feet! Oh the bliss and joy of getting to feel everything.
This week it was planting seeds for the garden. Touching the soil and beginning again... kept me in my body and paying attention to each tiny seed.