"In the Pink" and Equanimity

Here is "In the Pink", carved from Pink and White Alabaster shipped from Colorado. Today was the last day this piece was shown at the Brand Library Gallery in Glendale, CA. I happily was invited to show at my good friend Linda Queally's home studio along with her work, and that of fellow Angeles Crest Artist Guild members, Lizz Tucker, Julie Snyder, Karla Bartholomew and awesome jeweler Eduardo Rocha, for this year's Glendale Open Studio Tour, which happened in on July 24th.

There's a certain balance to this work, which is why I'm including it in a chat regarding equanimity. Equanimity, finding the middle ground between the highs and lows of emotional life. With one daughter an adult in her early 20s and another in her 16th year, I find myself focusing on reaching that fulcrum, from which it will be possible to respond calmly and lucidly, and make decisions based on weighing all the options with reason and thought, as well as intuition, rather than reactions to wildly careening emotions. That is the goal...

Every yoga class that Anusara teacher, Cybelle, gracefully and graciously brings to us, begins with a thought that is designed to help carry us through the class with equanimity. As often happens, tonight, Cybelle discussed that concept and I had earlier in the day been thinking how equanimity was a state which I badly needed. Needless to say, I got a LOT out of the class. Of course, I usually do... it's such an intense and focused experience that there is little room in my mind for anything else, for which I am very grateful. :-) For anyone who hasn't taken yoga, it is nowhere near the cakewalk that it's often portrayed as being. Anusara is not what is called "Power Yoga" for it's seated deeply in a philosophy that carries you beyond the mat. Foundational is the the three A's, Attitude, Alignment and Action. Each builds on the other... the attitude that anything is possible, that there is always more space to open up and allow the energy of life and love to flow in; the proper alignment makes that opening possible, whereupon the action is taken to go beyond one's perceived limitations, which effects one's attitude to become even more open, etc. I have taken liberties here, for this is just my perception gleaned from listening to Cybelle and through working to apply what she teaches in the moment. I did look up the website recently at www.anusara.com The class is grueling, challenging one beyond most other hatha yoga classes. However, the results of this practice are amazing. I am stronger and developing more flexibility and decreasing chronic back and knee pain I've suffered with for many years. And, I'm beginning to take what I'm getting beyond the mat...