“First, draw a circle in the middle of the page. Color it in, except leave a little dot that’s not colored to show the reflection. Then draw two little lines like upside down rainbows under the circle, and another one under them.”
My little niece, who lives near Chicago, was teaching me how to draw a fox over video chat, starting with the nose.
“Like this?” I asked, holding my picture up to the camera.
“Yeah! You did it!” she exclaimed, as excited as if I’d won a prize.
Our art sessions are one of the unexpected joys that came out of the pandemic. Sometimes she draws while we talk and shows me what she’s doing at different steps along the way.
At other times, she teaches me, and we draw the same thing. I’ve kept all of the pieces we’ve done together so I can show her one day when she’s older.
At nine, she already notices the way light reflects off of an animal’s nose in a way I didn’t until she pointed it out.
Art is like that. There are so many ways to see it and so many ways that it shows up in form and experience in our lives.
It’s no surprise then, that BKS Iyengar’s translation of the very first line of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali includes a reference to art.
“With prayers for divine blessings, now begins an exposition of the sacred art of yoga.” Yoga Sutra 1.1 (Translation by BKS Iyengar) (1)
This one line shows us that yoga is so much more than physical exercise.
According to Mr. Iyengar, the first word of the Sutra, Atho in Sanskrit, has at least 7 possible meanings, including now, auspiciousness, a prayer, a blessing, benediction, authority, or a good omen.
None of these translations say anything about getting a yoga booty (not that there’s anything wrong with that).
They imply something more profound is to follow in the coming pages.
Of the four chapters of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, only one mentions the physical practice of the postures as one of several steps in the path of human evolution through yoga. The rest of the chapters explore what consciousness is, how it works, how to unify the different aspects of yourself, and what happens as a result.
Mr. Iyengar goes on to say that this ancient text tells us how to discover and know the true Self, and that yoga is a subjective art, science, and philosophy.
Similar to art, yoga holds beauty, craft, subjectivity, and an expressiveness.
The visual and physical art of the postures might seem pretty overt. The bones create the more obvious lines, the muscles show gentle curves. You can also consider the smaller lines of the nerves, arteries, veins, and capillaries as more subtle brush strokes.
Then, consider how the breath molds your pose when you hold the shape and allow the breath to help open up the more resistant spots in your body. The breath can form the body like a sculptor’s hands shape clay.
The mind, through its influence on your physical body and in your life, also serves as an artist’s tool. You’ve felt when your anger, fear, or other stress causes a physical change in your body, like hunched shoulders, a hot head, a pit in your stomach, etc.
Likewise, when you focus your mind on a pleasant image or thought, like the generous light of the sun warming your skin or the cool brightness of the moon pouring down on you, your shoulders can relax, your jaw can unclench, your brow can unfurrow, etc. Your mind also holds the ability to mold your body into a more joyful and relaxed state.
BTW, this artistic aspect of yoga applies to everyone, not just those who are posting pictures in a bikini on Instagram.
If you have a body, no matter what it looks like, no matter what poses it can and can’t do, this sacred art of yoga is within you, should you choose to look for it.
There’s another level to how this art plays out in your life when you start to practice the philosophical principles of yoga. For example…
You let go of criticizing yourself (the practice of Ahimsa or Non-Violence/Peace) and then you notice that others start to act more kindly toward you as well.
You set a boundary in a toxic relationship to stop leaking your energy (the practice of Brahmacharya or Continence/Moderation), and the manipulative person finds someone else to bother.
You decide to feel gratitude and contentment for all you have (the practice of Santosha or Contentment), and you feel better and save on your shopping budget.
The art of yoga is happening in each moment in our lives.
Sometimes it’s not what you think of as art.
Sometimes it’s not the art we want in our lives.
Sometimes art is messy and sad.
Either way, I’m here for it, ready to help you see the light in ways you haven’t yet and to tell you, “Yeah! You did it!”
Speak Your Truth
How can you make your yoga practice an art? How do you see the art of yoga playing out in your life? What’s your biggest challenge when it comes to feeling more rested, focused, and inspired? Let me know in the comments!
In wellness, joy, and inspiration,
Tami