Ikebana

Saturday was a wonderful day. There was a contemplative arts class on Kalapa Ikebana, a style of Ikebana created by Shambhala's founder Chögyam Trungpa. Our teacher was Doria Cross. Normally when you have a lesson of Ikebana in Shambhala it is a weekend intensive but Doria knew that people often can not put aside a whole weekend and did her best to create a one day class to cover the basics of Ikebana and how it can relate into our everyday lives. We started out with about an hour lecture of the history of Ikebana and the basic meaning of the form we would be learning. Then we had a short 10 minute break before she did a demonstration for another hour. Afterwards we were free to make our first piece following the form she had given us with the same branches and flowers she had used. We did a critic of each piece after we 'gave them away'. In Kalapa Ikebana when you have finished with your arrangement you give it away, it is no longer yours. Then is was break for potluck lunch. Afterwards Doria did another demonstration with different branches and flowers but following the same form and then we made our own. It was very fun and then we took home the flowers we had used and some of the extra flowers too.