Drawing Krishna

Still on the quest to teach myself to draw. My sister and I use to draw for hours on end as children but after the sixth grade I don't remember ever drawing again, for all intents and purposes...Can't really explain where this deep drive is coming from and in a way it seems so odd at this stage in life. I think it began in part when I happened upon this blogging world. I who was so skeptical of all things computer as a young adult one day found myself captivated and inspired when I stumbled upon the incredible labyrinthian world of the blogosphere. I was amazed to find a world of artists sharing their life and art with such openness and beauty. I think it has awakened in me a long lost calling, to paint, to draw, to create with color and freedom. As you can see I haven't figured out the paint, color or freedom part yet. I think it will help to actually purchase some paints someday soon. I do have some old guache paints from a color theory class I took once as part of a beginning interior design course. So far the expirements have shown me I don't know what the %@#* I"m doing, but somehow I feel that in the most loving, excited way...

Retreat to the Pulse of the Drum

Hello out there. Spent a beautiful weekend at Esalen in Big Sur, California assisting my mentor Layne Redmond at her "When the Drummers were Women" workshop. Esalen is an amazing retreat center overlooking the Pacific ocean on the California coast. Esalen was established in the 1960's as a center for workshops and retreats as part of the human potential movement. The combination of rugged California coast line, the great expanse of Pacific ocean, migrating Monarch butterflies, natural sulfur hot springs, incredible people and fantastic food all make for an extraordinary environment of healing and spiritual renewal.
x


Layne's teaching is a powerful force of rhythm, beauty and depth. She teaches about the ancient art of frame drumming and it's connection to the spiritual life and lineage of the ancient priestesses of the mediterranean world. It's incredible to delve into this lost history of women drummers and the remnants of a powerful spiritual tradition that was governed and guided by women. Came back inspired and nourished by the drum, the other women, the landscape and my beautiful teacher. So looking forward to passing on the inspiration and sharing the knowledge of this incredible lost art and spiritual practice. Connecting to the pulse, the spanda, the muse through the beat of the sacred drum.

Sacred Drumming

I'm so excited to be offering another Sacred Drumming workshop here in Southern Oregon.This upcoming course will be a six week Intro to Frame Drumming where we will focus on learning the basic strokes and techniques of playing the tar, as well as, delving deeply into the ancient spiritual history of the drum and it's applications. The drum has become my long term spiritual companion and practice. The tar has such a sweet, soothing sound that I've found I can drum Ry to sleep and continue to play/ practice for another hour or two while he sleeps by my side! I find this type of drumming such a powerful medium for contemplative focus, shifting vibration and deep meditation. So honored to share this incredible technology for transformation and rhythmic bliss!

Dreaming Purple

My Klimt earrings were featured in a new treasury on Etsy today. So sweet to be included with so much deliciousness...I love the other pieces and colors so much!

Life is Magical

Photo credit: Rhythmic Flow Yoga
Still basking in the afterglow of a magical & truly transformational weekend. Our yoga community celebrated Rasa Center for Yoga's first year anniversary with amazing yoga, feasting and drumming. Rasa invited Kristen Cooper of Rhythmic Flow Yoga to lead us in an incredible yoga practice infused with fire, passion and live drumming! I felt myself coming out of the chrysalis that has enveloped me since I became pregnant with Ry almost four years ago! It was a powerful, shakti rockin' practice for me, felt like I sprouted wings and took flight. My practice has been really slow and subtle and incremental these last few years and it was totally enthralling to feel myself move and sweat with passion and abandon once again. The kriyas combined with the heat and powerful drumming seemed to shake me loose of my cozy cocoon. Hallelujah!

After my morning practice at Rasa Eric, Ry and I took a spontaneous road trip down to Dunsmuir, California to go waterfall tracking...We effortlessly found ourselves at a most wonderous, magical spot where Ry exprienced his first waterfall encounter with much delight. Dunsmuir is said to have "The Best Water on Earth" and I think it just may be true~sweet, clear and cool. Family, community, yoga and nature...Drumming, feasting, clear water and blue skies=Magic and true abundance, of the sweetest, clearest kind.

California~I love you forever

California~Just wanted you to know, I love you forever. Something about you just makes me feel so inspired, sexy & free. Your beautiful, lush landscapes & visionary, cutting edge people make me swoon. You seem to be the epicenter for human evolution & innovative creativity. I love your beaches & forests & cities. Missing you from 15 miles North, perhaps someday I'll bask in your sweet embrace again. Xo~Krista

Loving the Light

Ah...Life has finally warmed up here in Southern Oregon. The light is so beautiful here in the new neighborhood where we live now. We're down off the hill and it seems the days last a little longer and the last golden evening light bathes everything(including my sweet Ry:) in a wondrous glow.
Ry & I have been having a great time exploring our new neighborhood. We're so happy to be in this new area. Seems sometimes even when we have to let go of something good, life has a way of leading us to a new place where we can find something bright.

Saying Thank You & So Long

SOLD! After 50 showings...Augh! We're are saying good bye, thank you and so long...
So excited about closing the door and opening up to new views....
What a sweet old four square farm house-107 years of shelter, for how many families? Mostly I loved the 1/4 acre south facing yard in walking distance to our wonderful town. This lovely property has been patiently awaiting a lush, beautiful garden, that needs to bloom & grow here... Creating the garden that I had imagined, just wasn't to be, this time...and such is life, sometimes. "Regardless of the distractions and unexpected turbulence of events that come along, regardless of detours and delays, we need to hold the vision in our mind's eye, and be ready to sail on it's currents" Andrea Adler. Wishing the new owners many years of love & safety in their new abode. We're on to new adventures in living!!

Ode & Farewell~To A Luminous Being and Lineage

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois yoga master and guru of the Ashtanga Yoga Lineage passed away today. I imagine him being breathed back ecstatically, into the Great Mystery...It is with deep gratitude and respect that I honor this luminous being in my heart today. Pattabhi's teachings and that of his disciples have played a great part in igniting and fueling my passion for the practice. Aum shanti, shanti, shanti...

Mother's Day

This is one of my favorite pictures of my madre, taken in India in the 90's. This picture pretty much sums it up for me-My Mother, My Guru...So much to say about this amazing woman...Those who know her know-what an incredible human being she is. So much love and downright awe, I feel for her and the life lessons she's taught me. Now that I am a Mother too, I feel overflowing gratitude when I think of how graciously, generously and lovingly she has nurtured and guided me through this life. My sweet mommy, I love, love, love you & thank you! This is the most recent picture I have of my Mom & Ry, taken about a week ago on the last day we were moving from our house. That's the kind of Grandma she is, one that will jump in a box with her Grandson for fun!

Veriditas

Some images from my first landscape design company, Veriditas. These photos were taken of our first garden and house in Los Feliz, Claifornia. The transformation of this garden & house was the result of my discovering a crazy, mad, passion for plants, landscaping and all things garden design. I named our design company Veriditas which is a word coined by Hildegard Von Bingam in the 18thcent. meaning "green- truth" or "the greening of the mind". The name perfectly represented for me my own "greening of the mind"...a story which I will elaborate on in further posts to come...



Oh, and a few "before" pictures!!

The Greening of the Mind

The greening of the mind-'Veriditas'. The word Veriditas came to me when I was searching for a name to call my landscape design company in Los Angeles, Californina. At the time when I started my company my husband and I had just sold our first (garden) & home and had moved into an apartment near Hollywood. I was deeply missing my garden which I had been cultivating for 5+ years. I missed my garden like a dear friend. I often joke that some people have pets and I have plants. It's actually no joke, I have such a love & affinity for all things green.

The urban plight of the L.A. basin was really starting to get to me, now that I was no longer digging in the dirt daily, turning compost and relishing in the scent of blooming herbs & flowers. As I drove through the city I saw trash on the streets, traffic, helicopters, and bright, glowing smog filled skies at night. I started to really contemplate the meaning of true abundance and our connection to the natural world. I was feeling so urban and domesticated myself and I started to become enchanted by the idea of my own "greening of the mind".

Veriditas

Krista Holland©2009 guache on paper

This picture is my first attempt at painting. I'm on a quest to teach myself to draw and eventually paint. I figure what better thing to do with all this talk of the economy falling to bits then become a starving artist! Just kidding, I just really want to play in this wonderful medium of self expression and meditation.

Green Truth

Green-truth-in latin Veriditas. Posting a few more pictures from our landscape design company. Technically, I should be studying for the landscape contractors license test that I need to take by October as opposed to blogging... I'm hoping that if I revisit and share some past work that perhaps I'll reconnect to the inspiration and motivation to study for and pass the freekin test! The material on the test is definitely a stretch & a challenge for me as my strong suits are design, client relations and plant material~ not calculations, bidding, irrigation spray heads etc.etc. It's a bit of a quandry given that I'm practically math illiterate:(



I would like to hold the contractors license for my company under the new name-BLOOM Ecological Landscapes & Design. Also I'm trying to stretch myself to meet this challenge...Ultimately, I want to share my love of plants, organic gardening, permaculture, food forests and edible landscaping with as many people as I can. I hope to play an integral part in helping to transform our towns, cities and communities into abundant havens of plant life, food and natural medicine production for the benefit of all the inhabitants of place. This is my green truth!

Hasta Mudras

I'm on a new quest to teach myself to draw...these mudra drawings were done as a practice in drawing hands.

Mudra: sacred gestures, mystic position of the hand, symbol or seal. Mudras often accompany meditation practice, are used in yoga and are seen widely represented in Buddhist art and iconography. There are said to be some 500 or so mudras or hand expressions used throughout Indian classical dance. Mudras can both convey illuminated states of consciousness and are said to help practitioners develop these mystical states. Practiced regularly and consistently mudras have been shown to have beneficial effects on physical and psychological well-being. Given that the greatest collection of neural pathways concentrates on the hands and at the finger tips it is believed that the precise placement of the hands can in turn effect the circuitry of the brain.

Try this practice of Jnana Mudra to help focus, quiet and illuminate the mind-Sit in a comfortable seat, cross legged or up-right in a chair. Place the thumb and index finger of each hand together (see above drawing, last symbol at lower right) place the hands to rest on the thighs, breath slowly and steadily, focus awareness or inner gaze at the spot between the eyebrows (ajana chakara), hold mudra for 15 min. or longer if possible.

There's a wonderful little book by Gertrud Hirschi called "Mudras-Yoga in Your Hands" that is a great reference on the subject.

Yoga Asana Art by Gosia Janik!

Love this yoga art by Gosia Janik. The playful, irreverent feeling that comes across in these pictures is wonderful, and of course her asana practice and photography are both sublime. I came across these photos through a yogini and blogger named Fernanda R. Lima who has a wonderful blog called Todu de Om or "All of Om". A little asana inspiration for your day:)

Ashes & Snow

Gregory Colbert is a modern day genius, a rarified talent with a vision that is a luminous beacon of love and beauty and inter-species friendship and commonality. His pictures seem to me to be a visual representation of Shakti. They speak volumes-such extraordinary presence, sensitivity, and spirituality. The first time I saw his work Ashes & Snow, I was thunderstruck...The images riveted me and reverberated through my heart and soul. The moments he captures are magical. Yes, he is my favorite photographer and given that I have a certain affinity for elephants, I especially love his work with these gentle giants.








Such a gift...