RSOP and Tweed present Waypoints & Flow
Attendees go into Butterfly Position surrounded by Klipper's artwork. Photo By Delaney Shipman.
On Wednesday, March 19 RSOP collaborated with the Tweed Museum of Art to put on Waypoints & Flow: Navigating the Spaces Between Breath and Movement, a yoga class inspired by photographs by Stuart Klipper, which are currently on display in the Tweed. Ruby Engel, a student group fitness instructor at UMD, and Sara Weidemann, RSOP Operations & Fitness Coordinator, led the session.
The collection of Klipper photographs were nature panoramas, with the idea that each photo represents a moment in time, one between destinations or as the destination.
As attendees entered the space, they were invited by Engel and Weidemann to walk around the room and look at each Klipper photograph, while considering questions regarding their own personal journey and how they move through transitions.
At the top of class, Weidemann began by reading a quote from Klipper, which also hung on the back wall of the room.
Stuart Klipper's quote on how he sees waypoints as part of a journey. Photo by Delaney Shipman.
“There’s a fractal element to making a journey. A journey can be made at any scale; and be comprised of iterative tangents-- small or larger detours that are part and parcel of the journey as a whole. I can get out of my car, cross the street and land on your doorstep-- that's easily a journey. Transecting an ocean or a continent, well that clearly is another sort of journey. Still and all, the intrinsic dynamics remain the same. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on seagoing vessels and observed the process of navigation. Lines on charts; lines from one way point to the next-- it's the lines that are important; what's in between the points, what happens during the passage that determines how things will be at the next point along the way. It's passing through the world that holds meaning, whatever the scale. To flush out the metaphor here, the waypoints can be the photographs you make; what transpires beforehand can determine what they will be.”
The main portion of class was a slow flow, with each sequence inspired by a photograph in the collection. There was a series of cat-cow and child’s positions to reflect the curves in the water in “Cuerno Corcovado & Golfo de Corcovado, Chile.” There was a series of warrior positions to reflect the waves and rainbow in “The Pipeline, Oahu, Hawaii.”
Stuart Klipper's Photograph "The Pipeline," Oahu, Hawaii. Photo by Delaneyy Shipman.
Throughout the practice, Engel and Weidemann noted the strength of nature, and how it might inspire others to remain strong during times of change or grief.
“As you flow through the movements, remember this: even the lowest places on earth are capable of holding great beauty. Even the most powerful waves eventually return to stillness,” Weidemann said.
The class ended with a meditation, also inspired by Klippers photographs. Attendees were encouraged to lay down and close their eyes, imagining a beautiful garden made of all their life’s moments.
“Caring for yourself regularly gives you freedom and peace, the more time you spend in awareness of your body, emotions and thoughts let you know when you need to tend your garden the most,” Engel said.
At the end of class, attendees slowly got up and filtered out of the room.
“I liked how they incorporated the pictures and everything. It was just a really cool experience, I feel stretched out and calm,” said student attendee Caroline Scheid.
Though this was the first one in the Tweed Museum of Art, RSOP puts together many yoga and fitness events for students and RSOP members. More information can be found on umdrsop.d.umn.edu