Photo Cruise

As I am a huge fan of cruising I would like to invite you to join me on an Eyespiraton Photo Cruise.  

Get inspired by all that's around you. Feel and absorb the energy of all things, See details you'd normally miss. No more anxiety or stress.  Even on the busiest ship or in the busiest city, Eyespiration can be found.

Eyespiration is the cure to stop you feeling lost. I am able to travel to any part of the world to teach you to See with Fresh, Pure Eyes: Eyespiration.

I can teach you to find your calm using your smartphone or camera. If you do not want to take photos, feel free to take what I call 'mind pictures'.

Being a Life Coach, Photographer and Visual Consultant I will guide you trough the process of Eyespiration. Eyespiration - being inspired by what you See - is found anywhere in the world.

By choosing a cruise you'll combine business with pleasure, a vacation with daily consultancy and coaching workshops. Write off your vacation by hiring photographer and life coach Melanie E. Rijkers.

Sunrise Eyespiration

See Life from a different perspective

Wouldn't it be cool if you are able to find innerpeace by'just looking' at life with Pure, Fresh Eyes? I will teach you how to focus on the present moment, and feel more connected to life than ever before. 

It's not mediation, though the outcome will be a very peaceful state of mind.

We will ground, connect with the place and the people around us. You will not feel alone again, no more anxiety, just Seeing and experiencing Pure (Self) Love. Join me on this Journey of Hope, Healing & Health.

If you feel lost and are grieving the loss of a loved one, plz join our seminar at sea: the Bereavement Cruise 19-26 April 2020. I will be presenter and will lead Eyespiration Photo Walks onboard and a beachwalk in Cococay.

I also often attend a spiritual cruise, and will happily lead you through that process of joining one. My first ever cruise was an Alaskan cruise and I still long to go back. 

Being in the moment 

Mindfulness is everywhere, but in Alaska... you cannot miss feeling the connection. I hope to be onboard the Beyond Words Cruise to Alaska June 2020.

If you'd like to join me, please shoot me an e-mail. 

Mind, Body, Spirit Coaching: Eyespiration workshop are 1 to 3 hours per day. We will watch the sunrise and sunset, and take a mindful  photography walk, even in a busy spot I'll teach you how to connect to the moment and experience stillness.

Stillness of the heart.

Join me at any cruise. Or retreat. Based in Amsterdam area I can also guide your trip to Ibiza, Mediterranean Sea, Greece, Italy or Bruges, Belgium. London and Paris are my backyard, here I lead heaps of Eyespiration photo walks.

Experience the Simple Life. Learn to See Pure. As a business owner you can write off the entire trip, even a cruise or retreat.

© Melanie E. Rijkers 2019

www.Eyespiration.com

Dutch: PuurZien.nl 

The Book of Eyespiration

At this moment I am writing the Book of Eyespiration. My story about How to Meditate with Eyes Open will be published as an e-book first, later it will also become available as a printed book. Eyespiration: Let the world inspire you to take better pictures without a fancy camera. 

Looking for some Eyespiration? Look up!

The Book of Eyespiration - An introduction

Chapter 5. Photo Walk
You can find inspiration by solo walking. Go for a photo walk by yourself whenever possible. Lunch Walk. Early-Morning-Dropped-Kids-at-School Walk. Just Walk. I never feel lonely when I do and next to meeting nice people, you’ll find great innerpeace. When walking alone, sooner or later you’ll get to the point that you feel you are Meditating with Eyes Open.

Try to walk without thoughts distracting you. Try not to judge what you see, just walk. Look for nice details and intriguing visuals on your way. When you stop listening to your Monkey Mind you’ll start to use the Fresh, Pure eye. This is called Miksang in Tibetan. Buddhists know the moment you no longer judge or think about what you see, the Beauty of Life will appear. Miksang is also called mind stopping perception.

Eyespiration requires a silent mind. Therefore I prefer the word Mind-Emtpy-Ness to MindFullNess. If you can silence your jabbering Monkey Brain, you will open up the mind, body and soul to receive positive, calming energy just by Seeing the Beauty of Life. The moment you See a beautiful composition, you will Be in the Moment. The Eyespiration Moment or E-moment. When you are in this state, you See. 

You have learned how to create a beautiful composition with your camera in the previous chapters. If you do not want to take photograps, you can also take a mind picture. Now let’s go outside to create an E-moment!

San Francisco Bay Trail, a great track from Golden Gate Bridge to Fort Mason

When walking I passed the white houses and noticed the sky, palm trees and people. But: I also noticed the shadow of the palm tree on the wall. To create the photo on the right I picked the best point of view and cropped all unnecessary elements from the final image. E-Moment!

If I like a place, I like to hang out for a bit, letting it all in. I try not to judge what I see, just let emotions guide me. Like when you are waiting in line, try not to judge what’s happening. [Why isn’t this queue moving] Everywhere you go there’s something worthwile to See. But you have to make sure you silence your brain. Try to Meditate with Eyes Open. Be in the Moment, See.

Remember, you don’t always have to take a photo. If you are at a place and you See something but can’t reach for your camera quick enough, make a mind picture. Just experience the beauty of that Moment. Enjoy Life.


Eyespiration Prompt: Use Shadow

A shadow always adds something mysterious to your photo. Use the light. Not only the sun creates shadows, also an indoor lamp can. Look around you, up and down. Play with shapes.

• Best time of day: early morning or late afternoon

• Isolating a shadow too much can be boring

• Use lamp light

• Often a photo with a shadow tells a story in one image

• Don’t forget to look behind you

The Book of Eyespiration can be pre ordered via Eyespiration.com. First 1000 downloads will be free! Sign up for the newsletter and stay tuned for the release date. Eye See You!

Cranky Old Man

Via Facebook I read a poem 'Cranky Old Man' and wanted to share it.

Looking for the original poem, I stumbled upon the following:

Message circulating via social media and email claims that a touching poem about growing old called "Cranky Old Man" was found in the possessions of an old man who died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town.

This is an Australian version of several older stories that have circulated in the United States and the UK for many years. The stories attached to this version of the poem are fictional. The scenario described in the message did not happen and the poem was not found in the belongings of an old man in a nursing home as claimed. The poem itself has a long and somewhat obscure history. The original version featured an old woman rather than an old man and is sometimes attributed to English nurse Phyllis McCormack who reportedly penned it in the 1960's. The "old man" version of the poem was apparently adapted from the original by David L. Griffith of Texas and can be seen in its original context on the poet's website.

What a great poem still! And so very suitable to publish on SPIRITUS. "The poem may actually have been written by Phyllis McCormack in 1966, who at the time was working as a nurse in a Scottish hospital."

It's about to SEE another human being. To SEE is all it takes.
Well, being a ZIENer (zien is to see in Dutch), I couldn't agree more!

Crabbit Old Woman

What do you see, nurses what do you see

Are you thinking when you are looking at me

A crabbit old woman, not very wise,

Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes,

Who dribbles her food and makes no reply

When you say in a loud voice --I do wish you'd try

Who seems not to notice the things that you do

And for ever is losing a stocking or shoe,

Who unresisting or not, lets you do as you will

With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill

Is that what you are thinking, is that what you see,

Then open your eyes, nurses, you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still,

As I used at your bidding, as I eat at your will,

I am a small child of ten with a father and mother,

Brothers and sisters who love one another,

A young girl of 16 with wings on her feet

Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet;

A bride at 20 -- my heart gives a leap,

Remembering the vows that I promised to keep

At 25 now I have young of my own

Who need me to build a secure, happy home;

A women of 30 my young now grow fast,

Bound to each other with ties that should last,

At 40 my young sons have grown and are gone;

But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn;

At 50, once more babies play around my knee.

Again we know children, my loved one me

Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,

I look at the future, I shudder with dread,

For my young are all rearing young of their own

And I think of the years and the love that I've known.

I'm an old woman now and nature is cruel

'tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.

The body it crumbles, grace and vigor depart,

There is now a stone where once was a heart

But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells

And now and again my battered heart swells

I remember the joys I remember the pain,

And I'm loving and living life over again.

I think of the years all too few - gone too fast,

And accept the stark fact that nothing can last.

So open your eyes, nurses open and see

Not a crabbit old women look closer - see me.

My grandmother and me - 19 October 1997, nursinghome - telling her Hans and I got married

Yes my sweet grandmother, I SEE you. I see you, hear you, am you. ♥ Everdina Driessen-van Bon, RIP. (she died not long after this photo)