Let’s Stretch our limits 16×40 Oil
“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”~Buddha
If you have been practicing yoga at Moksha Yoga Calgary North, you may have noticed the changing art on the walls. I am the Artist and also a fellow yogini. Since the studio opened I have been doing an energy exchange- art for yoga. The perfect trade!
My love of art and yoga has always had a way of overlapping in my life. I knew from the first day of my 200 hour yoga teacher training that even though both activities are very different, they have many similar philosophies.
Coming from a fitness background… somewhere along the line I decided that teaching yoga would be more sustainable to teach while I continued to pursue my art career. I thought I would not be so tired. WOW- I was in for a rude awakening. I had only a few downward dogs under my belt and barely knew what a sun salutation was…let alone teach it to someone else. My poor teacher, he had his work cut out for him and truth be known, so did I!
I remember very clearly that exact moment in time, sitting on my mat, writing in my journal…it was my big “AHA” moment. I realized why I was in the training. It was not about the perfect downward dog. It was not to save the world, heal others, share my dimming light…it was to save me, heal me and make my light shine brighter.
In my heart, I felt like I was home.…The practice has a perfect way of meeting us where we are at…
A year later, I finished my training and that day I began my practice. I practiced everyday for 40 days. It changed my world. I surrounded myself in community and was blessed to have many great teachers. There was never a day that I did not walk out of a yoga class feeling lighter and more whole. Over 10 years later, many trainings and a lifelong commitment, I still feel the same way.
I admit that many times I fall off the train. But just like falling out of a tree pose, or being too busy to paint, I remember why I made the commitment and that I can make the choice to step back on the train at any time.
I began my yoga practice with intention to help others. I now realize that finding the practice of yoga was a gift to me. The gift of community, with the bonus of keeping my body strong, my breath flowing and my mind clear. The beauty is, with the clarity and strength I gained from the practice, I can help other by sharing what I have learned.
Whether I am doing a headstand or holding a brush at my easel, I am very aware that both are rare opportunities to really be awake. Present moment awareness – was the common feeling for me. The feeling I wish to share.
“Yoga is the art work of awareness on the canvas of body, mind, and soul.” ― Amit Ray
Present moment awareness-I know this feeling intimately. It happens when I paint well, listen intently and practice with grace. To me… ‘Waking up’ means being present enough to feel, be authentic and to gain the capacity of responding rather than reacting.
It is what I love and why I have made both painting and yoga a consistent practice in my life. It is where I get to feel most alive. My career as an artist is growing and these days I spend my days painting, teaching art and sharing my yoga practice in my art camps and retreats.
I am honored and grateful to share my art in such a sacred beautiful space where it can be seen and felt. It is the perfect energy exchange.
Namaste,
Michelle
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”~Walt Disney
Michelle Austen 