Interfaith Group
Related: About this forumThe World's First Art Show Dedicated To The Long, Rich And Zen History Of Yoga
Priscilla Frank
Whether you end your morning phone calls with "namaste" or dread the wayward soaring yoga mat inevitably flying towards your head when commuting to or from Brooklyn on the subway, you can't deny it -- yoga is everywhere. Far before yoga boutiques and YouTube tutorials were weaved into the morning rituals of millions around the world, the ancient practice promised first millennium Indians rewards far more ambitious than good health and state of mind, including flight and immortal life.
For nearly as long as yogis have been transforming their minds, bodies and spirits, artists have been documenting their achievements. While scholars debate the origins of yoga's practice, the exhibition catalogue dates the earliest artistic references to the tradition back to 3000 B.C., in the archaeological site of Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus River Valley. An exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art, home to one of the country's biggest collections of Asian art, is exploring artistic depictions of yoga from a dizzying array of perspectives ranging from ancient awe to cheeky camp.
"The discipline of yoga is widely recognized around the world as a source for health and spiritual insight," explained Fred Bidwell, interim director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, in a statement. "However, few are familiar with yogas visual history. Through artworks of exceptional aesthetic and historical significance, 'Yoga: The Art of Transformation' illuminates yogas diverse meanings, applications and philosophical depth."
The exhibition, curated by Debra Diamond, associate curator of South and Southeast Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington, D.C., features over 140 works that prove yoga doesn't just promote transformation in its followers, the practice itself is continually in flux.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/16/yoga-art_n_5588755.html?utm_hp_ref=religion&ir=Religion
littlemissmartypants
(25,714 posts)Thanks hrmjustin! Did you x post in art?
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)littlemissmartypants
(25,714 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)I tend to procrastinate
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)arcane1
(38,613 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)TM99
(8,352 posts)'Zen history of Yoga'?
Ah, Zen = Japanese Buddhism. Yoga = Indian Hinduism
Otherwise, yes, this looks quite interesting. I am going to forward it to my partner who has taught and practiced yoga now for decades. I wish we had a chance to see it in person.