Yoga and Art.....in Words

Meeting a new group of women on a retreat never fails to surprise, delight, and excite me.  And often, especially the day after they leave I am pensive; reviewing in my mind what the retreat meant to me and what I think it meant for them.  Each retreat I lead leaves me feeling blessed that I can share this special place and it's magic with other women.  It also allows me to reach out to both experienced and beginner yoginis and offer my perspective of the practice.

This group was cohesive and engaging and introspective.  It was interesting to teach them yoga in an effort to open their heart center and to see that translate onto their papers in an art studio.  I realized how I share their craving to express myself creatively, but my right brain rests in the beauty of words on paper where theirs spilled onto the pages of art journals.  There is something really beautiful about watching a person create art.

The other aspect of joy came from seeing how Madeline Island inspired them.  I challenge anyone to come to this island and not feel a spark to his or her creative center.  Prior to hiking the State Park I mentioned to them that we would probably be walking for a good 6 to 7 miles.  However, I quickly learned that hiking with artists is a completely different process.  They lie under trees and shoot cameras up to capture their majesty.  They take pictures of clouds, rocks, wildflowers, and mushrooms. They pick up rocks and our nature to incorporate into their art.  We spent two and a half hours on a two-mile hike.

As always, wrapping up a retreat was bittersweet.  I was satisfyingly exhausted.  Despite Madeline having treated  "us to days of sunshine symbolically, the rain came down hard on the day they left. One of the women shared this sentiment,  "As the Ferry pulled away from Madeline Island I couldn't help but be reflective of the wonderful retreat and new group of friends I had made there. I also had to say goodbye to an Island I am growing to love more and more."

Thank you Lynnae Burns for guiding them on their art journey and Hannah Stonehouse Hudson for teaching them a new perspective in photography. Thank you Madeline Island School of the Arts for hosting the creative yoginis.

Have Mat, Will Travel.



Happy place.



It is so interesting to me what leads people to the mat.  Many times it is a very broad reason such as finding some inner balance.  Often I will hear that they want to strengthen their core and relieve back pain.  One woman I know used yoga to cure a broken heart.  I myself, although a teacher for many years, assert that yoga did not present itself to me until I had received a cancer diagnosis at which time I immersed myself in it as a means of restoration. And to be completely honest, I am of the camp that believes it is completely OK to come to the mat with an intention of developing Madonna’s arms.

More recently, in planning my Yoga and Art retreat, I have become fascinated by the link between Yoga and creativity.  In essence I have always felt like there was inherently more room in my head to let the creative juices flow after a good yogic mind clearing took place. There is typically a generous amount of mumblings and rumblings from the daily grind of kids and career that seem to stuff my brain with too much mind chatter.  If I don’t take the time to renew, that “stuff” leads to many attempts to sit down and write, only to end up mindlessly grasping at literary straws…..and bad writing.

And speaking of bad writing, prior to yoga I was afraid to let go of any of the words I chose, fearful that putting myself out there would lead to criticism.  Yoga has redefined my sense of self and taught me to accept that I am always evolving.  Sometimes my writing isn’t great, but it’s mine and it’s me and I am finally at age 42 pretty comfortable in my skin (again, thank you yoga).

So, yoga has brought me here to a pretty good place.  But again, the beauty of the practice is that I will continue to absorb the many benefits.  More and more I use the philosophy on my kids, try to incorporate it into my life when I become impatient with my spouse, and yes, even to revel in the bit of knowledge that my own arms look a little more sinewy than they did in my twenties.  

I can't write this post without concluding that yoga amongst beautiful surroundings, surrounded by the sounds of waves and the smells of nature, is the finest.  I don't write this is an effort to promote the retreats on Madeline Island but to encourage all practitioners to find a surrounding that gives them peace and the best of the entire combination of senses.  It is a beautiful means of renewal and compliment to whatever brings you to the mat.