I Get the E-Message

I love positive reinforcement and reminders. I appreciate irony. No sooner had I blogged about a return to my yoga mat, I received an email blast from the yoga studio where I practice. I have been going there for 5 years. I have acknowledged my sporadic, winter practice habits. Coincidence or not (not!), I got this:

Thank you for attending your first class at Moksha Yoga Center. We offer the highest quality yoga instruction in a safe and sacred space. We hope you will enjoy practicing, learning and growing (yoga sadhana) under the guidance of our experienced and inspiring teachers.

You will find that you become stronger, healthier and happier with a regular practice. Moksha offers incredible weekly classes with 30 unique teachers. Our friendly staff is always available to help you choose a class to develop your practice.

Note: There was a Moksha graphic here. Instead, I'll use this white space for visualization. Internally, here's a yoga mat calling for my return. Externally, a canvas wanting to be painted.

Moksha, I am coming back! I promise. I appreciate the reminder, irony, and positive reinforcement.

When you do receive emails, you don't always get what you want, but sometimes you just might find you get what you need. I get it!

P.S. Thank You to all who came to The Spring Walk!!

Ready for The Spring Walk

The Spring Walk Show at Architectural Artifacts**
Sunday April 19th 10am-5:00pm

I respect and understand the attributes of each season. Winter is a time for hibernation; going within; eating heavier, seasonal foods for warmth and comfort. Now I am ready to put the weight of winter behind me. The layers: coats, hats, sweaters and the five extra pounds I gained. Nothing comforting about that. Can't hide that under heavy clothes anymore. I am not heavy but on a petite frame, it feels AWFUL. Another repercussion of missing yoga classes!

I am ready to put more of a spring to my step. I am ready to bloom and blossom. I am ready to sell my handpainted functional creations: boxes, bracelets and wall art. And Sunday, April 19th seems like the perfect time to start.

I invite you to come take a Spring walk at The Spring Walk Show at Architectural Artifacts where I will be exhibiting at Booth 26. This is a juried one day event featuring an artisan collective of jewelry, mixed media, ceramics, paintings and more.

The Spring Show
Architectural Artifacts
4325 N. Ravenswood
Chicago, IL
773-348-0622
Booth location: 26

New season. New art. New me. Happy Spring!
**Mention this blog and you'll receive 10% off your purchase

Deep Inside the Bubble

"Balance"
4"x4" acrylic and stone on canvas

Just one more thought about Bubbles and I promise to move on. In the process of creating my personal bubble, I became aware that most of my aforementioned stimuli came from external sources- art venues, exhibits, books, television, paint supplies etc. I seem to have forgotten the creative process requires internal stimuli as well. Mea culpa. Where do find my internal stimuli for my creative bubble? On a yoga mat.

I recently revisited my yoga mat after taking a work and winter-related hiatus. It's so easy to do and I'm good at it . I really hate it when I miss classes for any stretch of time. So does my body, mind and ego. It can be humiliating, humbling, and sometimes the guilt is unbearable. Yet it keeps me present. I have to respect that a pose I now find myself stuck or used to be able to do with such ease takes time to rebuild after an hiatus. I could practice at home but it's just not the same.

Health, diet and preventative practices are numero uno in my life, with art a close second. I have been practicing and studying yoga for 9 years. The styles have varied -hatha, bikram, ashtanga, and mysore. Throughout this time, I was, and still am, excited to learn, be challenged and have options. Personally, I crave and need a deeper, richer practice beyond just the physical. I want to integrate philosophy, breathing, meditation, purification techniques and ayurveda into my life and practice; tools to help restore and balance the emotional ups and downs of the creative process and daily life. It also helps to Know Thyself.

Four years ago, I found what I needed. I now practice tantric-vinyasa and tantra hatha under the rich and inspiring tutelage of Jim Bennitt and most recently, James Tennant at a weekend Yoga and Ayurveda workshop. Both teach at Moksha Yoga, and other studios in the Chicago area. They also conduct workshops nationwide. If you are ever in the Chicago area, I encourage you to take their class or workshop. In an earlier blog entry, I mentioned I have artist heroes. Well, these are my yogi heroes.

"Om"
4"x4" acrylic on canvas

External stimuli is terrific. Just make some room and arrange time for the internal as well. Your creative bubble will thank you for it. Mine did.