The Art of Yoga

My yoga practice has influenced every area of my life, including my other hobbies.  I think self-expression is an important meditative practice.  When you are writing in a journal, cooking, gardening, sketching, painting, decorating your home, sewing, knitting or doing any activity that makes you "lose time", then you are perfectly present in the moment.  And that's where you should be!  Here are a few of my art projects.  I just love making them and how I can immerse myself in the process.  What do you do that immerses you in the moment?  How do you express self?  How do you create?   

"Old Window":  my art is a mulitmedia journey that unfolds layer by layer -- I rarely know where it is going, but I just love the process.  Its therapeutic.  This started with acrylic paint and paper on canvas.  It ended with feathers, beads, rub on transfers, and ribbon.  

Practicing yoga made me brave enough to create art without the fear of judgement or the preoccupation of perfection.  As a child I set out thinking, I am going to draw a person and it will look exactly like a person.  Then I would be upset when it didn't and I would let judgement shut down my creative flow.  Now I start by choosing colors that call me to and inspire me to simply want to play with them.  I am also intrigued with textures and re-purposing  materials in my multimedia landscapes, which usually include a tree somehow.  This tree started on an old door.  The bird was originally a dragonfly.   It's still in process.  Who knows what else  will end up adorning this tree?  I am excited to see.

My husband has taught me that destruction is often times an important part of creation.  This is also a lesson in yoga.  In Hinduism, the trinity is the Creator, The Destroyer, and the Preserver.  The Destroyer seems a bit scary at first, but then you realize that he only wants to destroy illusions we have about ourselves and life that create suffering.  Hatha Yoga (the poses) is linked to The Destroyer for this reason.


My art journey has clearly illustrated to me how you must be able to let go of mistakes by embracing the Destroyer.  This allows the creative principle to flow through you unobstructed.  Of course, The Preserver is important in recognizing truth and knowing what to embrace and maintain throughout the process/journey.  


The first time my husband suggested "starting over" on a certain aspect of a painting; I was angry with him.  Even though I wasn't pleased with what was being expressed in the picture, I was attached to the outcome of my time.  I wanted a "product" to show for my investment.  Now I realize that suffocates the creative energy flow in me.  I think some of my art is just a chance to work out "stuff" and let go of it; not necessarily a work of art to behold and I am okay with that.  That acceptance is an important step in allowing yourself to fully engage in self-expression in a creative manner.    

I

"The Turquoise Forest" ; completed Spring 2011