Excerpt from Into the World, by Leila Lees
Each landscape has its own gesture and essence. The heart relates to earth, to land, and to landscape.
The heart is the organ with which we connect to the Essence of Landscape and it is through our emotions and our sensory body that we perceive that essence.
I learnt the language of Piripai. The language was in the way the wind cultured the dunes and the power of the river and the plants that grew there. The language was also found in the past, the burial grounds, the farming and the introduction of boxthorn and macrocarpa trees. To discover the language of landscape we must first observe it. Start by looking, then soften your gaze. Allow yourself to let your body sense. From physical observation move to sensing the energy of the place. Your body can act as a divining rod.