In the words of Paramahansa Yogananda, ‘Change yourself and you have done your part in changing the world.’
Since the year 2000 I have been connected to a region of the Himalaya in India that is famous for its scenic majesty, spiritual practices, monks, yogis and gurus. My wife is from this region of India and we have spent much of our time walking, studying and enriching our minds and bodies in this remarkable part of the world. Such experiences have a direct impact on the way I live, the way I see myself and view the world around me; such experiences in nature, in philosophy and spirituality sustain my art practice helping to keep focus upon how to transform not just the self, but the world we live in.
In my art practice I explore what we see and hear, not in an analytical way but rather through seeing and hearing as a self-aware, observing, insightful individual. By combining the advancement of technology found in the west with that of the advancement in spirituality found in the east, my work addresses the imbalance, with an intention of shifting emphasis on the importance of internal over the external.
Indian seers understood that the whole of nature is a symbol of a higher reality and the quality of rhythm in the work of art is believed to be a reflection of the cosmic rhythmic order. Awareness techniques dissolve the desiring self and quietly turn perceptions and sensations inwards. Here the self has no problems and no tensions, here the mind and heart discover a new space, a space that has no division, and no separation, here is a path to an inner realm, and a state of undifferentiated being.
Techniques to guide conscious control of different levels of awareness:
Restraint from passion or anger, enabling one to explore one’s mental nature, clarifying one’s thoughts for observation.
Body posture, to acquire control of intellect and allow the free flow of psychological forces to the body system.
Breath control the vital force and expansion of individual energy into cosmic energy by the controlled inhaling and exhaling of breath.
Focused attention and meditation to focus on the supreme journey inward.
Sources:
The Times of India – Cosmic Dance of Shiva.
Speaking Truth – Dance of Lord Shiva.
Mago, P N. Art Helps Gain Inner Vision, The Times of India, 2005.
October 2, 2020
