Yoga is a way of living and understanding the world, it is a practice.
In this collection, I explore different concepts I've learned this past year, by turning these ideas into portraits, and translating how these aspects can affect someone emotionally.
Available on Exchange Art.
Avidyā Avidyā means ignorance. It's the ignorance of our true nature, the confusion between what we are and what we perceive, when we are lost in our ego. It's the identification with the ego by forgetting that we are an individual soul (Purusha) connected to the universal soul (Ishvara). Learning to discern Purusha (the being, the witness, the consciousness) from Prakriti (the reality we perceive, constantly moving and changing) is the goal of yoga. The goal is to recognise our Purusha, and to recognise that our Citta (mind) is playing tricks on us.
Citta Citta is our spirit, our mind, and our organ of perception, which is part of Prakriti (the reality we perceive, constantly moving and changing). It is our whole psychic system. It acts as a lens that creates an image of Prakriti and presents it to the Purusha (our individual soul). The goal is to make Citta lighter, purer and uplifted, to come closer to liberation because the state of Citta influences our perception.
Dukkha. Dukkha is the suffering caused by ignorance. It is when we forget we are an individual soul (Purusha) connected to the universal soul (Prakriti). So we confuse the reality we perceive with who we are when that reality is not our true nature. The changing world around us, as well as our body and our perceiving mind, is not what we are. This confusion brings us great suffering.
Tapas. Tapas is part of the Niyamas, which advice on how to have a good relationship with ourselves. Tapas is about training ourselves to endure situations that are uncomfortable for us. It means not letting things go easily and imposing a certain discipline on ourselves. Because life is full of difficulties, and it is good to be prepared to face them. Tapas represents this discipline that is installed little by little.
Ahimsa. In Yoga, Ahimsa is the first of the Yamas and means non-violence, the most fundamental recommendation. It is the notion of not causing harm, neither to oneself nor to others. Unconditional love expels nuisance from heart and mind, and brings positive light on everyone and everything.
Shauca is one of the Niyamas and means cleanliness. Personal and environmental hygiene, but also mental purity. The central nervous system needs calm to function properly, too much noise and activity can disturb it. It is a question of not encumbering the mind with useless concerns, in order to be more at peace. Yoga and meditation can help us be more focused on the present and our inner force.