Morning Awakening Journal
When I lived in Thailand, my meditation practice took a new direction, and photography became a vehicle for my inner transformation. This process helped me develop a deep inner focus, allowing me to connect more profoundly with myself and the world around me.
I began noticing plants and flowers everywhere on the city streets. Strikingly aware of their presence and drawn to their aliveness, I couldn’t stop photographing them for hours, days, and months. The intensity of this process absorbed me completely, unexpectedly triggering a Kundalini awakening, an experience that felt both unbelievable and terrifying, like the birth of something entirely new within me.
My perception and experience of life shifted further, and my photographic practice deepened through an ever more altered state of consciousness.
After another night of insomnia, I desperately needed to step outside, to get some fresh air and shift my focus away from the flow of negative thoughts that had accumulated during those long hours. With determination, I reached for my camera and ventured into the small streets near my apartment in Chiang Mai.
As I set out, my attention gradually shifted from the turmoil within to the world around me. Each step, camera in hand, helped me become more present, and the intensity of my focus increased with every passing moment. Without thinking, and guided by instinct, I stumbled upon an amazing street plant that captivated my attention. I could feel it radiating life and strength with its spiky yet vibrant green beauty. I gave it my full attention and immersed myself in its splendour as I took this picture.
In that very moment, a serene sense of peace and joy washed over me. That struggling morning was transmuted into an amazing day that I will never forget! Chiang Mai, Thailand
During my Photography with Awareness walk, I came across these magnificent green leaves defiantly sticking out through a metal barrier onto the busy street. It felt as if they yearned to break free, which is a reflection of our human condition. Offering themselves gracefully, shining, and resplendent on the bustling sidewalk, they awakened my consciousness to the beauty of nature in this ever man-made world which is losing its essence. I could see them, feel them, and communicate on a different level. In that instinctive moment, I captured this picture. Chiang Mai, Thailand
That day, I took the train from Chiang Mai to the old city of Lamphun, a charming part of northern Thailand just an hour away. As usual, I walked with my camera in hand, looking for things that I recognise. Lately, I’ve developed a deep connection — almost an obsession — with plants and flowers in urban settings.
As always, I don’t need to think; in fact, the less I think, the better. I let my intuition guide me through the streets, capturing the essence of city life through my lens. Living in the city, we are, in some ways, akin to the flora that thrives amidst the urban landscape.
During my walk, I paused on a bench to rest, closing my eyes for a moment of peaceful stillness. When I opened them, I continued my journey and stumbled upon a stunning waterlily, with a plastic bottle peeking out from beneath its leaves. This striking juxtaposition of the man-made and the natural became my picture — a glimpse of street nature. Found beauty in an imperfect world.
Once more, a Photography with Awareness walk filled with love and intensity!
Lamphun, Thailand
Thailand 2017–2018