The Labyrinth at Ghost Ranch

For the past few years, on Christmas Day, I have made a pilgrimage to Ghost Ranch, just a little north of Abiquiu, NM to the outdoor labyrinth.

Ghost Ranch is very quiet this time of year, and we usually have the labyrinth to ourselves. Walking the labyrinth (this one a replica of the one on the floor or Chartres Cathedral in France) is a walking meditation.  It's a time for quiet reflection - a time to listen to ones heart and just like other meditations, a time to just be aware of your self on all levels.

And, just like other kinds of meditation practices, the benefits are not always obvious.  With the labyrinth I generally come out of it with a phrase of a message, this year it was to keep opening my heart, and a great sense of calm.

I was fortunate to make this pilgrimage two days in a row - the second day sharing the experience with my good friend and fellow photographer, Julia.  After walking the labyrinth, we each quietly took out our cameras and went to work, noticing the landscape on a very intimate level, both of us excited to be photographing again.

Here are a few images of mine, recently worked in the studio, with the source material of that special day.  I can only imagine what it would be like make this pilgrimage more often...this is, after all, Georgia O'Keefe country...