Qi Gong Reflection

On Friday our class underwent the Qi Gong meditation. It was led by a Chinese meditation master who was taped over by someone explaining the directions in English. At first, I was really into the meditation. I closed my eyes, raised my hands, and participated. With time, however, it got harder. I began to look out the corners of my eyes to see if others were struggling; they were. It was very difficult. I was very impressed by a couple of people, especially Mr. Summers and Alex. They were able, I think, to truly enter the Qi Gong meditative state. I admire them for that. So much of me wanted to succeed, but I just couldn't do it this time. Maybe it takes practice. I was however, able to find peace in the silence, broken only by the voice of the meditation master, telling me to take deep breaths. I did.

Poesia Eres Tu

¿Qué Es Poesía?

¿Qué es poesía?, dices mientras clavas
En mi pupila tu pupila azul.

¡Qué es poesía! ¿Y tú me lo preguntas?
Poesía eres tú.

The Sublime

After days and days of discussion in class of various philosophers and their views of the sublime, I have finally come to my own realization of what the sublime is.

For Edmund Burke, it is the "aim of art." He discusses the astonishment that sublimity in art supplies without fear. Kant reiterates this, saying that the sublime "allows us to remain without fear in a state of security." Kant splits the sublime into mathematical and dynamical categories, the first affecting our perception and the other the power we have in relation to that piece of art.

I was unsure about what art piece to use from the field trip, but after rereading the information on Kant and Burke I decided that I needed to write about something from The Evolving Universe exhibit at the Natural History Museum. Those pieces, pictures of our galaxies and galaxies light years away, are art in its most raw and powerful form: the beautiful and sublime universe.