Human beings are complex and, ironically, I can’t escape the rule of complexity.

To encourage myself to resume my yoga practice, I started to paint yoga postures. The more I practiced, the more I painted lotus. The more I painted lotus, the more I practiced. The more I practiced, the more I painted!

I must tell you that I have a bit of all the weaknesses of urbanites: a predominantly inconsistent organic diet, a crazy-mad lifestyle filled with very short nights, lots of hard work and… tobacco,  my friend and foe for many years.

For the year 2000, I made a big resolution to quit smoking. Neither one nor two, now I stomped out my last cigarette, full of determination. It is nighttime and  tomorrow is another day. This year I’m starting the same resolution in December to get a head start!

As a coping mechanism, I swapped one addiction for another. Essential oils of eucalyptus and myrtle to breathe at will throughout the day, homeopathy (lobelia and other remedies) and, of course, other habits that I put in place. My first is the use of neti kriya, my dear friend, neti kriya.

What is neti kriya?

Complete cleanliness: physical, mental and emotional. This daily practice takes a little time and care but with great rewards. A nose that smells more effectively, deters bacteria and pollution, easier breathing and pranayama practice. What could be better? It continues to sooth even at night with restful sleep awakening to calming our inner turmoil during the day.

The moment I get up, I hop to the bathroom for my neti pot, sea salt, warm water and my fresh nose is ready to inhale with delight the delicate fragrances that come to me. Then I sit on the terrace in front of my little corner of herbs and strawberries. I’m blessed with a lake view for my yoga exercises.

I start with warrior pose, opening up incredible energy and straightening my spine. I continue with tree pose, a posture that I love that is the barometer of my inner balance. I end with some exercises of pranayama. For now, I’ll stop there, having learned to respect my limits. That’s when the urge to smoke tickles me, I run quickly to the balcony to breathe deeply. And I sprinkled mantras on notes around my home to soothe my mind.

And I paint. Lotus, lotus, still, always lotus…

Here’s a recipe to trick yourself into feeling disgusted by tobacco:

Mix equal parts of tincture of Phytolacca and Eupator, available at any pharmacy. Put 50 drops in a large glass of water two to three times a day. After a few days, it feels disgusting and I add my personal mantra, “Yuck, disgusting, yuck, disgusting” with each puff. This is the best mantra to disassociate with this addiction.

I quit using this technique… I cross my fingers with my clean nose.

Suggested reading on pranayama and neti kriya:

>Health through the nose, Ludmilla Bardo
>Pranayama, S. Redini
>Pranayama, Andre Van Lisbeth
>The art of breathing, Swami Saradananda

 

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Tatieva was born in Grenoble in 1965. A self-taught painter, she’s painted and written since childhood.  As a little girl, she developed her imagination and creativity during hours of solitude. Her creativity earned her several awards in drawing competitions. Dating and its pictorial go together: as she discovered through oil painting with a gruff Polish German artist. No longer talkative, she observes in silence. Through her work with glossy oils, also she learned the art of the pose.

Following a period of disenchantment oil painting Tatieva rediscovered the pleasure of painting with acrylics. Feeling light, acrylic lends itself to all her whims that Tatieva exudes. Her lovely, bodily curves take form. The artist has the playfulness and fun to mix colors outside the scope of the codified color wheel. Paint is deposited on the canvas 12, 15 or 20 washes of color to get the desired brightness. To continue reading about the fascinating life of a passionate woman, visit http://tatievazen.canalblog.com/ or http://www.tatieva.weonea.com/. Her work also appears at FHYTimes.com.

 

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Prepared and translated by Jill Barth and Misa Derhy / Editor: Andrea B. 

 

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