Dear Yogis,

Good news.  After a lovely weekend where I have been in the garden (weeding of course), I have had time enough to put the finishing touches to the new newsletter “HEMPISH”.   I will launch the newsletter with the release of my latest small booklet ‘SUPERFOODS, SUPERHERBALS” which is a rewrite of the “KANNABIS KITCHEN COOKBOOK”, now in its fourth release.   In the next day or so I will put it on ETSY.   www.myyogabooks.etsy.com

In “SUPERFOODS, SUPERHERBALS” we begin the discussion about adaptogens.  Those herbs which help us to adapt to our changing internal environment by boosting our immune systems, not with a blast of medicinals, but with a steady intake of immune and organ building, sustaining ingredients,  lasting months (or in my own case, years).  These herbals, such as are used by TCM practitioners, gradually build the strength of the organs, rebuilding the body from the inside out (and no celery juice in sight).

As improbable as it may sound, I sprinkle mushroom powder (turkey tail, or chaga) on my yoghurt, or as a latte with cocoa.   It is a fantastic drink and pick me up (chaga being a “pick me up” mushroom” with many medicinal properties).  You can purchase the super boosting six mushroom coffee powder from us, or chaga or turkey tail.  They are all fantastic for your health and stamina.

THE MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART

Yesterday I watched again a documentary about the architect I.M.PEI.  He is a Christian/Buddhist and had much to learn when accepted this commission.   The doco I watched  featured his eight year long project – THE MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ART in Dohar.  First he constructed a peninsular that reached out into the ocean (no mean feat), then he brought into being the most wonderful building which is not only a celebration of geometry, but also of light.

He says if you really want to do something, no matter what that is – you can.  NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.  (You have to know what you want to DO of course..)  His workers take on every task believing in those words, and in his patience and perseverance that everything will work out right.   Do google it, it is worth the time.

What is surprising (I saw it first off, but Mr.Pei had it brought to his attention by one of his female colleagues,  some time after the building’s launch),  from the front (the image you see to the left) with the two hooded eyes on the turret at the top, it looks like a woman in veiled Arab covering.   It is actually the light source for the internal dome, but you don’t see that – you just see the eyes, the head and can imagine the rest.  Fascinating that Mr.Pei didn’t see it.  It was accidental (as much an anything is, thanks to the subconsciousness!), but he was pleased of course. He spent 6 months researching Muslim Art and architecture before he agreed to the project, then 8 years to complete.  I imagine he was totally absorbed in the art, culture and customs, and it shows.  The building is exquisite.  It is not forced into a landscape, it is totally beautiful just by itself, in the same way that the Taj Mahal needs no explanation or guide book to appreciate.  It is poetry. It is like no other building.  Unique.

When you go there, as you must when we can, it costs nothing to enter the building and take advantage of the fabulous study halls, exhibition spaces etc.  It is free entry.

What I am trying to say is this.  Don’t limit yourself to studying one thing… yoga and art are everywhere.  If you don’t look at what is around you, you might miss something VERY IMPORTANT. As Kermit says “Inch worm, inch worm, measuring the marigolds why don’t you stop and see how beautiful they are”.

SEE YOU IN THE GARDEN. It’s not easy being green….

NAMASTE.  JAHNE

Dear Yogis,

Thank you to those people who have responded to my call out and will be subscribing to the new newsletter – “HEMPISH”.which will be a newsletter dedicated to HEMP AND HERBALS.  Taking these subjects out of the yoga beautiful newsletter…and into the hands of people who are interested, use the herbals, and are interested in all aspects of health and wellness..

Life is not just about asana, as we have been reiterating in both our ‘Gita class on a Sunday and our Sutra class on Tuesday.

ZOOM SATURDAY 2pm – The Tarot/Pendulum making, and painting class.  This has been one of our most popular classes.  This is a class that I really look forward to.  It is fantastic.
ZOOM SUNDAY 10am – The Bhagavadgita class
ZOOM TUESDAY 7.30PM – The Sutras.
You can always find details about any of these classes on the front page of www.yogabeautiful.com.au, or on the drop downs under Classes or the subject you are looking for.

THE ART OF YOGA (OR THE YOGA OF ART)
Because I have been painting and drawing every day, when I go into the newspaper shop, or hop on line, I have been ending up in the ART SECTION.    Yesterday I picked up the latest edition of ART GUIDE AUSTRALIA.  A fabulous guide to art, artists and galleries throughout Australia.

This month, one of the featured artists is Guy Warren who is 99 years old (in his hundredth year as he would say), and still  looking terrific and drawing, painting or scribbling EVERY DAY.  We all know that no matter if we are a cricketer, a pianist, and artist or a yogi, to be the best we can be we have to practice our craft every day.

I love it that he has shows planned next year in King Street Gallery, the National Art School, and Nicholas Thompson Gallery in Melbourne and Gallery Lane Cove in Sydney.  What a fabulous schedule!

We could all stretch ourselves but we don’t because we have doubts and those doubts slow us down.  That is one thing that working in the Friday and Saturday art groups helps with… it calms our doubts because we get feed back from people who are seeing what we do and see our work with fresh eyes..

The American Philip Guston said that “Doubt is the acute awareness of the existence of alternatives”, and Australian Art Critic  Robert Hughes (who always called a spade “a …..shovel”) said “The greater the artists the greater the doubt.  Perfect confidence is given to lesser artists as a consolation prize”.  

Don’t let doubt in yourself hold you back.  Just work through it.  I think I have told you about the painting of a ballerina I made for my grandma then I was 6 years old.  It took me such a long time to draw and I was so proud to give it to her.  She looked at it and then handed it back.  She said “That’s nice but your cousins Pat’s ballerinas are much softer and so beautiful”.  I was crushed and i still recall those words today.  But it didn’t stop me.  Even though my cousin, Pat and others did much more beautiful work than me, I kept doing it, even when I was told traditional art was ‘dead” and I wasn’t able to go to art school, because  commercial art was one of the only art options and i wasn’t interested.  I keep painting… and yoga-ing.

Where are my arty cousins? They didn’t have to work at it so I guess they didn’t value it, and never became professional artists.  The rejection made me stronger.

We all meet rejection at every stage of our lives in everything we step out to do – the better you are, the more rejection you will experience.   I became unstoppable.  No matter what happened, no matter what people said about the art or the yoga, I have continuously worked the art alongside my yoga.  They fitted together beautifully – sometimes more art, sometimes more yoga.  First hard work then comes passion (not the other way around).

YOU TOO can make this match in whatever field you have chosen.  Yoga gives balance to every life..BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT, JUST AS YOU HAVE TO DO ART – EVERY DAY.  ART DOESN’T JUST HAPPEN.

NAMASTE – JAHNE