Stopping to smell the flowers

{stopping to smell the flowers....hydrangeas are in full bloom right now!}

Over the weekend, I stopped to to smell the flowers with friends from college.
We caught up and talked and laughed and enjoyed all the loveliness Cape Cod has to offer in the summer time (i.e...beaches!).
It was wonderful to hang out with these four wonderful women and get a glimpse into all the amazing things they are doing with their lives.
I feel rejuvenated and revived from the splash of beauty and love that was this weekend.

Tonight, I'm getting ready to go on an another adventure:
my honeymoon!

{ready for the beach!}

Last August, my husband and I were married on a beautiful, sunny day.
We decided to wait a while to go on our honeymoon and now, almost a year later,
we are headed out.
I've got my flip-flops, sunscreen and sunglasses packed
and I'm ready to go!

Hawaii here we come!

While I'm hoping to pop in to post some pictures while we are there,
my stopping in to say hello will probably lessen over the next week, as I'm going to step away from the computer and spend
lots of quality time with the love of my life
(the hope is to do some hiking, snorkeling, swimming, checking out of some waterfalls, and making romantic dinners from farmer's markets finds and fresh fish)
I am so excited to step away from our normal lives for a few days and take some time to reflect on our first few months of being together as a married couple
and to dream BIG about our future together!

{me testing out my sunnies}

With that, I have a few Shop Updates:

Papernstitch 

My work will be in this month's papernstitch exhibit for the first time! I'm so excited!

Etsy

I will be keeping my shop open and be checking in on it periodically while I am away, however, anything purchased between June 29th-July 10th will be shipped on

Monday, July 12th.

Take care, all! 

om shanti (peace)

Stopping to smell the flowers

A Walk to the Beach

I totally get why people come to Cape Cod. It is pretty magical down here in the summertime.
It's been very warm these last few weeks and I have been so
thankful about my proximity to the water.
It's just a short walk away!

Another wonderful thing about Cape Cod is that my friends and family really enjoy coming down to visit myself and my husband.
This past weekend, my parents were visiting and we enjoyed beautiful weather,
beach roses,
kayaking,
and soaking up the waves and sun of
coastal New England.

This weekend, I am getting together with three friends from college.
It's been way too long since I've really seen and hung out with them
and I am excited to spend time with these lovely ladies!

Next weekend, I'll be off to new beaches on a different adventure,
but I'll let you know more about that on Monday...
For now,
How are you going to spend your weekend? Who are you spending quality time with?

I'll see you back here on Monday,
Have a wonderful weekend!

{me with crazy wind hair....and a crazy wind and wave loving smile!}
om shanti (peace)

A Walk to the Beach

Love-Energy Infusion

"Infusion Mandala" Print of Mixed Media Original
(available in my etsy shop) 


I was looking around for inspirational readings about Solstice and the light of this time of year for the yoga class I'm teaching tomorrow and remembered a book called The Radiance Sutras I'd seen for sale at my yoga teacher training and that my fellow teacher training friend had talked about on her blog, Dancing Yogini. I looked up the book and found the following excerpts on the author's website: http://lorinroche.com


"there is a current of Love-energy
that flows between earth below and the sun above"


The "Infusion Mandala" painting (above) feels like this to me, like this infusion of love-energy that happens from the sun to earth. The mandala reminded me of a sunset, of the way the sun drops down and infuses into the horizon and reminds us we are a part of it, infused with it, that we are always connected to the light through this
Love-Energy.
Even in the coming darkness of sunset.
We are always one part sunshine, one part shadow.


I think "Love-energy" might be my new favorite phrase.


 I was so inspired, so excited
 I ordered the book! 

Here is another part of the The Radiance Sutras by Lorin Roche, Ph.D  
that stuck out to me:

(Version of Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, Verse 26)

"The One Who is at Play Everywhere said,

there is a place in the heart where everything meets.

Go there if you want to find me.

Mind, senses, soul, eternity, all are there.

Are you there?"

"Once you know the way

the nature of attention will call you

to return, again and again,

and be saturated with knowing,

'I belong here, I am home here.'

Answer the call."

Am I there? Am I answering the call? 

Yes, sometimes. Sometimes, no.

Do I know the way?

Yes, somedays. Somedays, no.
Some times and days are full light,
some are more like sunset.

For now, I'll take another step forward either way

because I belong here, I am home here.


I am, you are, we are:
Love-energy.

Love-Energy Infusion

Five Random Things: Long Post

"Bindu" Print of Mixed Media Original Painting

(available in my etsy shop)

 I've been a little quiet here this week because 

I was offered an opportunity and I've been working on deciding if it's something I want or not. 

I'm one of those people who needs to have lots going on all the time (otherwise I get bored and depressed), but I am also a person who needs downtime and a solid routine (that includes lots of sleep and healthy habits) and can run myself ragged if I am not careful. So I have to think very carefully about adding more work to an already

 significant pile..

As the week wore on, I kept coming back to the idea of really listening to my heart.

What was it really guiding me to do with this situation?

And sure enough, it gave me a very clear answer. 

When I got right down to the very center of myself, I knew the answer, 

even if to the outside it might not have seemed like the logical one.

And, as soon as I came to my conclusion, several wonderful things happened,

to let me know that I am doing the right thing.

How do you know when you are doing the right thing? What happens to you when you know you are following your heart?

So it is Friday 
and I want to share Five Random things, 
which lately seem to be all about links, so here it goes!


1. The Joy of Yoga Blog
 Emma, of The Joy of  Yoga wrote a beautiful post on Monday about my artwork (thank you again, Emma)! I was so honored! She is a yoga teacher and has lots of inspiring stuff on her blog, including daily yoga sequences, which is fabulous. 


2. The Devil Wears Prana
This is another yoga blog I've started following recently. On saturday, she posted this parody of spirituality/buddhism video which in part said " I'm all crunked up on Kumbucha juice", because right at the moment as I watched it, I was in fact drinking kumbucha juice (for the first time). It was a good reminder to not always take myself so seriously and that Life is good. Life is fun. 

3.Thank you for everyone who has signed up for the Art Asana Newsletter! I am planning on sending it out at the beginning of next week (and around the middle of the month in coming months). The link is on the side bar if you would like to be included in receiving the newsletter!

4. I will be working on a new blog roll page and want to include the blogs of you all, the wonderful people who come to this blog space! I would like to include your blogs, so please leave them in the comments and let me know which category you would most like to fall under (Yoga, Art and Creativity, Inspiration, or Fun and Friends). 

5. 1,000 Hours of Yoga Project

I mentioned a week ago about posting in the 1,000 Hours of Yoga Project blog and I finally did! The countdown has begun! 

Have a Wonderful, Fabulous, and Terrific weekend!

{om shanti, peace}

Five Random Things: Long Post

Animating sources of numinous energy

I'm in the studio making mandalas again. They put me into a quiet, wordless state, despite all that seems to be going on in them.

     

According to Judith Cornell's book Mandala, "a mandala, the sanskrit word for 'circle,' is a concrete symbol of its creator's absorbtion into a sacred center. In it's most elevated for, the sacred circle mirrors an illumined state of consciousness through a symbolic pattern---making the invisible, visible. It is meant to draw both creator and viewer into an encounter with animating sources of numinous energy."
Wow. that is cool.
No wonder I can't stop making them.

I put up the original of the "Joy Mandala" up in the etsy shop today and I'll put the new mandala (above in the blue and orange) in the shop tomorrow!

Here's some exciting news:

I am going to be sending out my very first monthly newsletter soon!
Inspired by the "Flying Lessons" e-course I'm taking over with Kelly Rae Roberts (which has left me overflowing with ideas/inspiration, I must say) I'm going to send out my very first newsletter this month. I have some plans for chocking it full of creative inspiration, yogic philosophy, a yoga sequence of the month, sneak peeks at new artwork and news and updates about the Art Asana shop!

Click here to join in on the experimental fun!
Subscribe for the Art Asana Monthly Newsletter
(this link also is over on the sidebar!)

Looking forward to sending you all kinds of love and light!

om shanti

Animating sources of numinous energy

A Tuesday Quote

"Waking the global heart occurs on both a personal and collective level. 

Each of us are cells in the global heart"

 ~Anodea Judith in Waking the Global Heart

A Tuesday Quote

Five Random Things: Yoga Edition

1. "Sita Sings the Blues"

I watched part of this movie, which I found over at Daily Cup of Yoga (which is a great blog I just discovered with lots of yoga inspired information and posts). It's inspired by the Indian Epic Ramayana, and is an artsy take on the story of Hindu Gods Sita and Rama by director Nina Paley....thought it was a fun thing to pass on this Friday afternoon!

2. Bindu Wiles 21.5.800

I joined in on an yoga/writing challenge!
The challenge, posted by buddhist teacher Bindu Wiles is to write 800 words a day and practice yoga 5 out of 7 days of the week for 21 days total! I have been practicing yoga a lot lately anyway and write on this blog and in my daily morning pages pretty regularly, but its always helpful to have more intention about these practices! I also love the idea of joining together with a whole community of people for a challenge like this. I believe that when an individual becomes a part of something bigger and participates in the greater community, the whole group is uplifted and empowered!


3. 30 Day Yoga Challenge
Until I started writing this post, I didn't even realize how many challenges I was participating in! But this is another one! Luckily, this challenge over laps with the last one and the next one! This is a monthly facebook challenge hosted by Anusara teacher Amy Ippoliti. Each month there is a new pose that you can work on each day for a month. Sometimes they are timed poses, like this month is a timed (1-2 minutes) of pincha mayurasana.
I adapted the challenge to my level (pincha at the wall and working up to a minute) and have done a pincha almost every day since the beginning of June! My shoulders are feeling it for sure and maybe even becoming stronger!

4. 1,000 Hours of Yoga Project
So, you may have noticed in my profile that I started another blog and when you click on that other blog there is nothing there! I started the blog to keep track of/journal about my yoga practice and decided a few weeks ago to commit to 1,000 hours of Yoga and even created a contract with myself (which I plan to post on over on that blog when I get around to getting it going...it's on the "to-do" list for next week!)
as a way to intentionally practice yoga to evolve my connection to my heart.
Since I began keeping track on April 27th, I have practiced 33 hours.
I have a long way to go to get to 1,000 but I have my whole life time to get there.
There is just something about jumping on a challenge that keeps getting me back to the mat, especially on those days when I'd rather just blow it off.

What motivates you to keep up with your daily practices?

5. Practical Sanskrit
Finally, I thought I'd share a fun blog I discovered to learn/contemplate the language of yoga, sanskrit. It is a wonderful resource, so I thought I'd share it here with you today!

Have a wonderful weekend!

(plans for next week: create new artwork! What are your plans for next week?)

Five Random Things: Yoga Edition

A Shot at Dancing

"Flow" Mixed Media Original Painting

(available in my etsy shop)


Every once in a while, I get really bogged down by the events going on in our world today. I start thinking about wars, the environmental crisis, the climate of the economy, etc. and I start feeling little and low in the face of it all. So much of it feels out my control and yet at the same time, I also feel hugely guilty about not doing enough, about my helplessness in making the world a better place.
 My mind starts churning on this and I become almost paralyzed with fear. I begin to have thoughts like, "what's the point of chasing dreams in a crumbling world like this"
or
"what's the point of striving for a creative, happy living when everything about this life experience is so fragile, and sometimes so destructive?"
or
"Who am I to deserve happiness and abundance when there's so much suffering and collapse in this world?"
These are thoughts that come marching in, one right after another.
This is the kind of thinking that starts moving me on a one-way downward spiral.
Sometimes, despite my usually optimistic attitude and generally positive out look on life, these thoughts come creeping in.
I fall into a dark place.
(sometimes this is why I don't always write here)
But I realize that in that darkness, if I listen very carefully, I hear tiny, quiet voices arising to meet the
Fear and Doubt.
They are whispers from my heart,
from wise teachers and other individuals I respect.
They rise up to say things like:
"your happiness is your gift to the world"
or
"when you live and lead from your heart, others will also live and lead from their hearts"
or
"What you want most for yourself, others want most for your also."
or
"In a world of dark, be the light"

And it's these little voices that I try to hold on to. That I try to breathe into my body and mind, even when the negative voices are screaming and drowning them out.
Anne Lamott writes,


"We are given a shot at dancing with, or at least clapping along with, the absurdity of life, instead of being squashed by it over and over again. It's like singing on a boat during a terrible storm at sea. You can't stop the raging storm, but singing can change the hearts and spirits of the people who are together on that ship."


Tantric philosophy says that this experience of ours is the play of Shiva, that it's all a part of his dance. He whirls us into the darkness, so that we may find our own light. There is a joy in this forgetting ourselves in order to remember again. There is joy in the rediscovery of ourselves. When we sing from that knowing, we change the hearts of others. With our song, we can remind others of the joy in their own discovery.
So, I will continue to hold on to these teachings, this quiet knowing, especially as I embrace the weight of the world (because there is certainly no running from it).
I will do my best to dance with the full spectrum of life, of my experience during this time on the planet. I will do my best to sing my heart out, so that I can do my part to change the hearts and spirits of others on this great ship, even during the terrible storms.

I invite you to join me.

A Shot at Dancing

Triangular Light

"Triangular Light"

Mixed Media Original Painting

available here!

I've been asked a couple of times recently what the words were all about in the backgrounds of my paintings. A lot of the time, I cover up the words with the images without writing them down elsewhere, so only the record I have of what I wrote, are the few words that blink through paint and images covering them. It occurred to me recently to copy the writing in another place too, so that I can still access that part of the process. 

Mostly the words are inspired by the image itself. I just write from my heart, like I would in my personal journal. Sometimes (this always gives me chills to think about), I seem to receive a direct message from the image itself...I know this sounds a little out there, but I use the image dialouging process  used by one of Lesley University's Art therapy Professor, Shaun McNiff.

I created the above image of the figure in triangle (trikonasana) pose a while back and finally finished the painting above the week before last. I decided to put the painting up on etsy as an original piece. 

While I was working on the background words, the following message flowed through me and onto the paper. For me, it was speaking about the experience of the pose, of what happens when we engage with the body and the breath:

"I hinge forward from the waist to see myself from a new perspective, triangularly. I extend space through my torso to grow lighter on the inside. I feel strong and steady, steady and strong. On the inside I am different every day, different every day. I breathe into this difference and into sameness too. I breathe in to gently soften and blur my edges the way the sun blurs into the earth at dusk. Can I tell where I end and the rest of the world begins?

I lean back into this knowing and this not knowing because I can tell air versus skin, I can tell gravity versus bone. I remember this kind of embrace, this kind of love. For a moment, I delight in its sweetness, in its purity, clarity and fullness. From my core, I send this love back down to the roots from which it came. I extend through the center of myself, out a liquid crown of lengthened thought. I look up to see fingertips extending, sky bound, grasping the heavens. I dive in to shine my own light out. I move to make space for the new. I breathe to invite release, to initiate change, to unfold the light."

P.S thank you to all of those coming over to to visit my blog and leaving your kind thoughts and support! I really appreciate it, you are all so lovely! 

Triangular Light

Best Stuff

{me, working on courage, honesty and openness}

It's really late here. So late in fact, it's early Saturday. The birds are singing. I almost always sleep through the night, but for some reason tonight, I woke up after four hours in bed and was 

WIDE AWAKE. 

And I was thinking about this blog. and those who've I been connecting with out there in this blogosphere. A lot seems to be buzzing here in this online world for me and I feel as though I am barely keeping up. I have been inspired lately by so many wonderful, creative and lovely people out there and I long to bring the quality of courage and honesty and openness that is outpouring out there, in here to this blog. 

It's a work in progress. 

Sometimes I feel as though I am caught in wide net cast in the sea. Even though, I'm submerged by the water, I can't seem to find a way to freely swim about and connect with all the other fish. But I long to connect better. 

I long to get out of my own way and as Kristen Walker, says in her awesome post, 

"put my best stuff out there into the world". 

This week, Kristen also wrote this beautiful article on creative tithing, over at scoutiegirl.com. It was about an experiment she's doing where she purchases a handmade item from an artist/craftsperson once a month as a way to support her creative community. It was a beautifully written article, and she brings up so many good points, about how supporting others in their creativity, really supports you too! I was honored to be featured as one of the artists she interviewed as part of the post. She asked me the question "What effect do sales have on your life and creativity?" 

and I answered, "Sales help me as an artist to keep doing what I'm doing. Not only do sales allow me to pay for the materials I need to keep creating, but they also give me encouragement to keep going. For me they are concrete signs that what I am doing is what I am meant to do. I truly believe that when you do what you love and you offer it up to the world, the universe (through the support of other people) steps up to support you. I also like to think that sales of my work, help me to support others in their creative dreams and ideas. When I make money, I can then go out and support people/ideas/companies I believe in. For example I can buy local, organic food from the farmer working to support their dreams of keeping their farm. I can buy other hand made items, supporting the dreams of artisans and craftspeople. In this way, I can do my part to keep the circulation of money flowing towards 
ideas and people I believe in." 

Thank you Kristen for your thought provoking question, your inspiring post on creative tithing and for your warm, couragous posts on your blog. This girl totally rocks.

and so, I've done some creative tithing of my own. And Kristen was right. It feels amazing to support others as I want to be supported.

and found myself with a beautiful magnet from artsyville/Aimee . I am always so inspired by Aimee's colorful content, both the visual aspects of all her wonderful creations. Her blog is funny and honest and always brightens my day! Now I have this inspiring magnet to help remind me why it is I set forth on this teaching path. Thank you, Aimee.

I also am now loving two prints, "Our Love" and "Hope" from Faith over at Leaves and Feathers and They. Are. Beautiful.

Thank you, Faith.

Along with that, I have been super inspired this week by Lis and her posts over on dandelion seeds and dreams. Lis, you are so insightful and I so appreciate your reflective way of writing about your experience. It always feels like your touching on a well of deep truths that I can relate to too. Your support and thoughtful words here on my blog continue to urge me on in both my yoga practice and creative journey....Thank you, Lis.

So here's to all you wonderful, creative, lovely people out there.

Here's to getting out of the net, to connecting, to supporting others.

Here's to courage and honesty and openness.

Best Stuff

Home Again

{Tulsi in her glory}

Well hello! 

I'm back on the Cape after my time in Vermont! 

My dog is giving me hateful looks (which sort of hurts, coming from a loving lab).

 that say "How dare you take me away from a back yard where I can chew on bark mulch, 

swim in the pond,

 and run in cow pasture eat cow poop" (I know...gross...)
Yes, how dare I. 

Not to mention, her very best dog friend lives in Vermont.
I am certainly in the dog house.

But alas, we are back home.

At the Open Studio, I learned a lot about showing my work 

and it got me excited about finding other venues to share my work. 

I reflected on the list of all the things I needed (and will need next time!), 

that I never would have thought of on my own (thanks Dad!) and thought I would share them with you in case anyone out there is thinking about showing their work for the first time:

• a sales book (the kind with carbon copies to give to the customers)
• white address labels to write the names of the pieces, size and price on
• a level (to hang my work so it wasn't crooked) and tape (to keep it from falling out of place)
• a sharpie (to sign my pieces...why hadn't I thought to sign them before?)
• an Art Asana Monthly Newsletter sign-up sheet (yup! I'm going to start a newsletter soon!)
• baskets or something to display cards/prints in
• foam core signage
• an "About the Artist" sheet kind of thing
• business cards
• an open mind and good attitude (you never know what kinds of things people will say and you can't let it get you down)

Does anyone have other good advice about what you need to have at art/craft shows?

Anyway, 

It's good to be home. 

Everything is much greener then when I left and I am going to get our tomato plants planted.

I have big planters that are going on the porch and I'm going to fill them with

lettuce and rainbow swiss chard.

Summer is here and 

 I'm dreaming about how I am going to decorate our porch...

{the "before" picture of our porch...the table and chairs belong to our landlord, but I think we have use of them?}

Any DIY ideas?

Home Again