The ice disc that formed in the Great Eddy of the Kennebec River along U.S. Route 2 in Skowhegan drew plenty of attention while it lasted, but also provided inspiration for a yoga instructor and her students from their perch overlooking the scene.
The disc formed when frigid conditions settled in mid January and the water’s current helped shape it. Local resident Mark Nickerson who, with his wife Lidi Jiang, lives on Parkman Hill Road in a house overlooking the river, said he hadn’t seen an ice disc in the 25 years he had been living there. The disc disappeared around Jan. 29, according to Jiang and another local resident.
Jiang and her students at the River View Yoga Shala studio observed the disc daily. It was the backdrop for classes that practiced yoga in the studio that overlooks the river. For Jiang, the ice disc became part of her daily meditation and exercise.
“Even though it was still, beneath the surface there was always movement,” she said. “Like humans, we all have rhythm. We’re all alive. We’re all connected. Humans, animals, nature.”
Jiang said that last week’s warm temperatures and rainfall caused the ice disc to slowly slide away from its original location. She said it began moving downstream around Jan. 29, and floated about 100 yards before the current pushed it into the bank where it melted.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.