Yoga for Artists

A few years ago, I was introduced to an amazing artist, Debbie Parsons, by a designer we work with, Anna Schmidt.? We immediately hit if off and Debbie came on board for some of the coolest commissions we’ve had.? She has since left the industry to pursue her love of yoga and healthy living through her company, The Yoga Life.? We’ve kept in touch and I thought she would be the perfect person to ask about how we, as artisans, can take better care of our bodies.

SO excited I have a chance to interview you. We can gab all day but I?ll try to stay focused!? Well, you’ve had training as a decorative painter.? Yoga ? good outlet for artists?

Oh my gosh, yes! On the physical side, I remember how sore I was when leaving a job site; the arm strength you had to put into applying a Venetian plaster, or maybe the fast constant movement of your arms glazing, or the slow precise application of a wood graining, not to mention ceiling work! There?s also the unloading and loading of materials, setting up scaffolds, climbing ladders?muscles get sore! The physical practice of yoga can bring back length and flexibility to the muscles and joints after being worked so hard. It?s a 5,000-year-old method of staying healthy; body and mind.? I know it?s important for a decorative painter to remain focused on the job, to be creative even when under time pressure and to stay pleasant to the ever demanding client.? A regular yoga practice trains the mind to stay calm and focused, brings in a sense of clarity, teaches to find the present moment for all of its beauty and deal with each moment as it comes.

I do love yoga ? it feels so good on the body.? What yoga poses or classes would be ideal for artisans working in the field?

The best classes I would recommend are the ones that focus more on stretching the muscles rather than strength training.? Look for descriptions like Gentle Yoga, Yoga for Stress Relief and Yin Yoga.? These classes take a slower and gentler approach and will balance out all the hard work your muscles go through applying finishes all day.

I also recommend twists and rolls. You know the saying ?such and such is the backbone to such and such?, meaning the backbone is the foundation to it all.? If your spine is off, then your hips could be out of alignment which then the legs will have to compensate for?and so on. A healthy spine is the backbone to a healthy body. After a long day, I suggest trying a twist by lying on your back with your knees up to your chest.? Let the arms open up out to the sides like wings and let the knees then float down to one side, turning your head the opposite direction and just relax with some deep breaths in and out of the nose.? As for the rolls, roll your head gently side to side even all the way around in circles.? Be sure to move slow, take those deep breaths and relax the shoulders down away from the ears.

Downward Facing Dog (Above): While this pose can also be considered a strength pose, it offers many benefits, from lengthening the back of the legs and the spine to bringing fresh blood into the cranium to stimulate brain cells.

The Yoga Journal website is an excellent resource for the many postures in yoga.? Nothing, however, beats a live teacher that can check your alignment and give different posture options tailored to your body type, flexibility and/or strength level.

What should faux finishers keep in mind during the day to ensure their longevity and health?

Take a break!!! Take five minutes or so to do rolls, twist the spine and clear the mind.? There is no way you can continue pushing the body day in and day out without backlash. Sit in a relatively quiet area, close your eyes and begin to take some deep breaths in and out of the nose. It may feel odd but try to expand the belly and chest as you breathe in. Try to keep your focus only on the sound of your breath. These mental breaks are just as important as the physical breaks. Your career depends upon the health of your body and creative mind, so make the investment to take care of yourself.

Deb, if someone were called in to finish a yoga studio, what colors and designs would you recommend?

I actually glazed the walls of one of the studios I used to teach at.? The studio owner chose the wall colors, inspired by the robes of Tibetan Monks; a brilliant gold with an 18? base border in maroon.? It was overwhelmingly bright in the studio with all the light the room received so I did an aging glaze over the whole thing and it came out great.? Less is more when it comes to the inside of a yoga studio.? The goal is for students to clean the clutter out of their minds so the last thing you want is something distracting.? Calm and soothing colors work best, such as green which is the color of health.? I used to attend classes at a studio that had used three shades from the same color strip, a slightly grayish green.? Placing the lightest on top they did three large horizontal stripes ceiling to floor and it was comforting.? Blue is also a very calming color while yellow inspires energy.? This would be good if it were a soft tone of yellow, or like as I did, tone the color down with a glaze.? There are many good options.

What are your future aspirations?

My future in yoga is to stay plugged into what my community needs to keep their bodies healthy and continuing to teach weekly scheduled classes.? I will also continue to create and teach yoga workshops.? The workshops enable me to introduce more of the teachings of yoga philosophy that I am not able to do in a weekly class setting.? So far I have taught workshops on Couples Yoga, Yoga Nidra and a Candlelight class teaching about intentions.? It?s very important to me to keep the integrity of the traditional teachings of yoga as closely as they can be taught to their origins.? I post all of my classes and event on my website, The Yoga Life.

My husband and I have taken the Couples Yoga class from Debbie and it was phenomenal. You breathe, connect and support each other as you go through different sequences. There was a fair amount of trust and it was as relaxing as it was physically demanding. To have Debbie as a guide for all the couples made it all the more fun and enjoyable.? I?m so happy she was able to impart more of her guidance and I hope you enjoyed learning more about taking care of our bodies and minds.? Have a wonderful weekend!

Downward Dog Photograph by Martin Sconduto