Food, Fine Art & Yoga
Hi friends,
I love to cook and bake. It makes me so happy to be in my kitchen (especially on a rainy and miserable day like Saturday) and to make food to share with others. I get so excited when I make something that tastes good and is made from ingredients that I can identify. That feeling definitely nourishes my soul. My hope is that whatever I share with my friends/family nourishes their bodies and their souls as well.
I found this great quote by food writer Michael Pollan.
“Food is not just fuel. Food is about family, food is about community, food is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we eat well. ”
I think it’s fair to say that great art does that too. While I’m not an artist or a musician, walking through a museum or listening to good music nourishes me. The same thing happens when I read a great book or poem. I can get the energy that I need or I might find a sense of calm. It fuels me and it also connects me. I find a connection to a larger community. I know that there’s something bigger than just me out there.
To reframe Pollan’s quote…Fine art is not just fuel. Fine art is about family, fine art is about community, fine art is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we share fine art.
It’s kind of neat how that works.
And what about our yoga? (You knew I was going to go there!)
The physical part is obvious. We can stretch and move muscles in a way that isn’t part of our everyday routine. We can bring consciousness to our motion and learn more about our selves. Yoga can energize us and it can calm us. It fuels the body.
Yoga is also about community and connection. In the ‘before times’, when we used to practice together, we’d meet and catch up and then come into the stillness of the practice. We were sharing the same space, the same energy, and the same sense of connection to something greater than ourselves.
As we come to the second anniversary of Zoom yoga, I’ve been thinking about how our yoga practice has changed since March of 2020. Yes, there was a steep learning curve and we figured it out. We stretched and moved and found the peace in the silence, but there was a piece missing, the sense of community.
But those of you that persevered and kept coming back to class helped to recreate that sense of community. Those of you that have taken the time to read this (sometimes lengthy!) newsletter and send a reply have helped to recreate that sense of community as well. Even though we are separate and only able to connect in these different ways, your attention and your energy have made a difference. You have nourished me. Thank you. I hope that you feel nourished as well.
One last time with Pollan’s quote… Practicing yoga is not just fuel. Yoga is about family, yoga is about community, yoga is about identity. And we nourish all those things when we practice yoga.
Nourishing love,
Nina G