Categories
Beautiful Places Beautiful Things

Sixth sense at work …& play:)

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You know how you feel somebody looking at you, and you turn,
and somebody actually is?
It’s the same at an art gallery. You’re looking at one portrait,
turn around, and there is a work of art directly behind you.
Because it’s all energy.
Every single thing has energy.

– Marina Abramovic

Yes, every single thing has energy and … it’s called 6th sense at work … when you feel it.
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Remembering the single stem rose at MOMA …
IMG_7364 Its shadow stenciled over the Manhattan skyline of the Avenue.
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Picasso, Chagall & Rousseau paintings from MoMa… I can stare at them all day … BUT one must go get things done. Off to energy sucking mine-fields that’s SO draining at times … knowing the techniques to recharge and replenish the energy that’s about to fade out … is done through the practice of …

sm_IMG_0517YOGA … called science but is it not art? to prepare for …

time_meditationBliss:)

Categories
Beautiful Rituals

Tea Ceremony

Tea ceremony two weekends ago at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga – one of the reasons for me being late to my Sunday class….(but I brought the authentic ZEN spirit along:)
Prom_IMG_7376Okashi-sweets served at a tea ceremony at Hakone Gardens
Prom_IMG_7381 The tea ceremony is very ritualized with the use of all instruments in a very methodical measured motions. It gets mesmerizing if you follow the ceremonial preparation and serving of that bowl of special tea brewed for each guest…
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Whipped with bamboo wisk … while it looks creamy, it’s just matcha/green tea powder and hot water… that’s it… but so sublime:)
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At a ceremony, usually the bowl of tea is served with a dainty cake that depicts the beauty of nature, cherry blossom motif if spring, chestnuts or maple tree leaves if autumn…these cakes are hard to come by in America because it takes a lot of skill to make them and … they do not ship well as usually it must be eaten within that day…
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Prom_IMG_7402This is what it looked like – Nooo, just kidding you. (I could not take a photo in such solemn serene space with this dainty and very polite teacher staring at you.) This is latte; not matcha tea prepared before you with utmost care and grace by the teacher. But similar in that it’s a bit frothy, whipped up with a bamboo wisk rather than espresso machine coffee, it’s green tea … served in a beautiful tea bowl. Love the manners we must follow. Manners and protocol … that’s Japanese… some may say restrictive but…it’s very orderly and MEDITATIVE and thus, comforting. (BUT sitting zen style for 30 minutes can cut off all circulations as I crawled out of the tatami mat tea house… my legs were numb… masters sits for hours and hours …including my grandparents – my grandfather would be singing Shigin and my grandmother would be just fine sitting sipping tea … sitting ‘zen’ she weaved into the everyday – nothing special.)

Categories
Beautiful People Yoga

Tears & Goosebumps @ MoMA

Marina Abramovic … was in a romantic relationship with fellow performance artist Ulay in the 70’s. They broke up because he was not faithful … They had not seen each other for nearly 30 years.

This was shared on FB by a fellow yogini and … it’s just so … sadly beautiful. I love MOMA; I love NYC … there’s so much intensity. (But a bit too much perhaps – I can do without all that noise and intensity…things don’t have to be intense to be meaningful…) I realize that the Madison Avenue view of beauty may be spotless, wrinkle-free complexion and perfect model bodies but I find that to be boring. It’s the weathered, rugged, wrinkled, grey and aged that I find so much more charming and interesting because there’s so much wisdom gleaned from history of “living”, the memories, experiences of … joy and … pain … and power that overcame. I want to learn from them that ‘resilience’.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAID_2iKO5Y

Despite her breakdown, she was reported to no longer be in love with him (should hope so – it’s been nearly 30 years!) and she is freed:) Still that longing – their faces, especially their eyes are so expressive.

She’s an artist, yes but why aren’t I surprised to discover she’s also a yogini with a Pranayama practice:

To control the breathing is to control the mind. With different patterns of breathing, you can fall in love, you can hate someone, you can feel the whole spectrum of feelings just by changing your breathing.

& this, THIS:

In every ancient culture, there are rituals to mortify the body as a way of understanding that the energy of the soul is indestructible.

– Marina Abramovic

I understand now and treat my temple with only respect and kindness it deserves.