Yoga, Art, and Transformation

Yesterday, my sweetheart and I put off our daily practice until evening and headed to the city to check out the latest arrival to the Asian Art Museum “Yoga: The Art of Transformation.” As expected, it was truly inspirational. I haven’t any photos of the pieces on display in the three galleries as photography of any kind is not allowed. However I can attest that a visit, especially for you yogis and yoginis in the Bay Area, is well worth the drive.

I have been realizing that years and years of study may only skim the top of all there is to learn about yogic history and philosophy. At my rate, the level of understanding comes even slower… or so it seems. In touring the exhibit, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I had come to know. Perhaps there is some sort of transformation happening after all.

My advice to those who venture to the city for this exhibit is to also check out the gallery on the third floor. There are a whole lot of cool pieces to check out. One of my favorites is this statue of “The Buddha Shakyamuni as an ascetic.” I love his blissful smile and relaxed posture. It made me want to head out to find a tree to sit under and meditate for a bit.

Although we did not meditate under the city trees, we did head to the Marina to sit on the grass, nibble some food, and set our gaze upon the San Francisco bay. We watched the fog completely engulf the Golden Gate Bridge and joked about it haven gone missing. Then we headed homeward, where our yoga mats were waiting for us.

Instead of the sun coming up during our practice, as is the norm, the sun went down making for a perfect transition into our final resting pose (of a most perfect day).