On the Wings of Phoenix Rising

It is safe to say that Chinese artist Yuan Miao’s life is an expression of the joy and wisdom transmitted to and through her by her divine guardian, Guan Yin. Author, teacher, yogi, and healer, are just a few titles that have been awarded to this extraordinary woman.  Now sharing her divine energy with the world through art, Yuan Miao will present a stunning collection of sacred works inspired by Guan Yin, including art made from Miao’s own hair.  For thousands of years throughout Chinese history, Guan Yin has represented the embodiment of maternal compassion and essential wisdom from the universe’s source. Yuan Miao is continuously expressing and reaffirming her devotion and transmission of this heartbeat of energy.  It manifests in so many forms through her as an expression of the universe at play with itself. The universe is smiling through her and we are invited to smile along.

Her first art exhibition in Los Angeles will be held on August 22, 2013 at 7 p.m. at Ethos Gallery.  The works presented will include original paintings and never before seen “hair art”, the idea being that the divine energy of the goddess of compassion and wisdom is present in every strand of hair. The series consists of 22 pieces, 7 of which will be displayed in LA.  She will be energizing the two “Guan Yin” hair pieces for two months prior to their unveiling, and for this reason, this exclusive art will not be for sale, but will be on display for the benefit of all the viewers that align with this energy.  The remainder of the collection will be for sale, and during the opening she will conduct very specific live transmissions to those present and in tune with the energy.  The artist will also be teaching a weekend workshop during her stay in Los Angeles, a series of events and a rare opportunity that should not be missed.

LAYoga:  What is the meaning behind the title “On the Wings of Phoenix Rising”?

Miao:  We’re all aware that we’re living in a turbulent time with sudden changes in our physical and social environment.  Within this great shift comes an opening to make positive changes to our inner environment.  As an individual and as a society we need to embrace the change and be willing to burn through old ways of doing things and discover how to soar on newfound wings.  The iconic image of the phoenix, tempered in flame and reborn from ashes is the perfect metaphor both for the tone of our times and for carrying us into the new future.

LAYoga:  What is the focus of the workshop you are offering during your art show?

Miao:  The art show and the workshop are both part of the same thing.  Everything I do is both an offering to and a transmission from Guan Yin. Through the form of the Shakti paintings and hair art, to the formless sounds of high vibration mantric singing and spoken words, through practical healing, and transformative exercises, this invitation, teaching and transmission is extended in many ways.  The workshop will build upon the energetic experience of the art.  I will share techniques for achieving and maintaining this high frequency state in mind and body.  On the second day we will perform a Guan Yin empowerment.  Everyone will have the opportunity to receive a direct transmission from the source.

LAYoga:  Why do you feel hair art is so powerful and how did you come up with the concept of hair art?

Miao:  When I was little my Grandmother would often braid my long hair while singing and laughing like a young beauty. She would say, “When I braid your hair, it is xiufa for me. Do you know what xiufa means? It doesn’t mean I’m working on my fa (hair); it means I’m working on fa as in fofa (dharma).” So hair has always had an added importance in my life.  Plus, our hair is filled with our energy and life essence developed through our lifetime of experiences as well as the essence of our ancestors.  My hair carries the dharma lineage through a long line of devotion and practice.  Placing the hair in the art marries the energy of the hair with the imagery of the artwork.

So, the significance of my hair in my life is not new, but the idea to create art with it was not mine.  Rather, it came through the dedicated efforts of others.  Ten years ago, my dear assistant Dai Dai began collecting strands fallen from my comb.  Knowing that there is a long tradition of Chinese hair embroidery dating back over 1,000 years, a student thought to weave my hair into images of Guan Yin.  Taking this one step further, I created a series of Shakti line paintings that are now hair stitched and part of this show.

 LAYoga:  How do you charge your art with energy and why do you feel it’s important?

Miao:  “Charging the art” implies some kind of doing, or separation between the art and its creation.  When I am painting I am in a playful yoga state without intention.  I draw from the elements – breath becomes wind; wind given form becomes graceful lines.  Breath becomes water; water given pigment becomes flowing pools of color.  In this fluid and high level meditative state, images reveal themselves and are imbued with energy from the universal source.  The paintings themselves are a reminder and calling to our true inner nature, giving people more courage to become bravely conscious and embrace the new Phoenix century.

LAYoga:  What is your message to the world that you wish to tell through your art?

Miao:  The art is calling us to remind us of our own true inner nature – our home beyond the place we live.  The reality is that we are all one.  Whether we have yellow hair or black hair, we all come from the same source.  The art show and the workshop combined together provide individuals with the tools to clear away old obstacles to make way for the new; to build a foundation of balance with strength, to utilize and ride on the wings of phoenix rising, so that each person has the courage to encounter and transcend the challenges of our time, and yet find peace, joy, and harmony within themselves, as well as the wisdom and ability to share it with others.

Ethos Gallery is located at 7763 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046.  Ethosartgallery.com

Lisa Falcone

The post The Sacred Art of Yuan Miao appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Los Angeles based artist Jessica Seeley creates original paintings and crystal jewelry with a rare neurological condition that enables her to physically see sound vibrations. The condition, known as “Synesthesia”, affects a very small portion of the population and has been described by the medical community as secondary sense manifested in the brain. Seeley considers her unique aptitude for sound sight as a gift, and uses it to produce beautiful works of art while listening to various styles of music. With a body of work ranging from sound inspired drawings to intentional stone necklaces, the spiritual aspect of synesthesia is best described by Seeley as “the intangible world of vibration and sound that connect us all”. I discovered this goddess of sound through her energetically charged crystal jewelry and found her journey into art to be both exceptional and inspirational. By accepting a path of healing others through her extra sensory perception, Seeley offers her unique talents to the world.

1.  When did you first discover you could see the vibrations of music?

I have always seen sound as transparent hues of color. Sound appears to me as currents that grow shapes and texture based on the tambour. I remember in high school listening to The Rolling Stones and trying to explain it to my friends. I saw warm rusty reds and sharp dusty yellow oozing and then sharply whipping into the most exciting lines I had ever experienced. My friends thought I was being poetic. But in actuality, up until that point I assumed everyone experienced music that way.  In my senior year of college I was in a lecture course called “Music and the Mind” which focused on how the brain experiences music. I learned that some people tasted sound and others saw colors. One of our required readings had a chapter in it about Synesthesia. I knew then that I was different.

 2.  What do different variations of musical sounds look like?

Well, right now I hear a siren in the distance. It is a deep hot yellow with a searing red ripple. It’s like an explosion of sound. It’s hard to describe, easier to draw. There’s a Bob Dylan acoustic song that is just gorgeous. The guitar strums are stark steel silver to burnt sienna. The lines are like lightening. They fade and are reborn, running together like water dancing over grey pavement in fierce rain, touching every crevice of the street. The polyps of sound grow like orbs. The lines are graceful and intricate. There’s a center line driving through the whole song, the constant heart beat of the guitar. I wish everyone could see music. It’s really a spiritual experience.

3. Are there other ways your synesthesia manifests as a spiritual experience?

Definitely. I choose music for different types of manifestation. There are so many levels of sound. I meditate and open my chakras by breathing deep into each one with sound energy. I allow the light, color and shape of the sound to move through my chakras until each one is awake, like an energized root of sound in my entire body.  Life is constantly vibrant and alive to me. I always carry a pen to release the sounds that are most inspiring. I just listen and draw the intangible world of vibrations of sound that connect us all to each other.  On a cellular level we are just one evolved mass of moving intricate shapes that fit into each other and build one completely connected self. The sound shapes of music do the same thing. It’s just one long line needing to grow from the other.

4.  How did you become interested in the power of stones and crystals?

Stones actually found me. One of my dearest of friends back east was hurting deeply and I wanted to wrap my arms around her and be there. I couldn’t afford a flight or get the time off work. I happened to pass by a crystal store while walking home one night and I was drawn in like a magnet. I found a fossilized shell that was broken to reveal finite sparkling clear white crystals at its heart center. The shell was from the coast of Somalia and had been deep in the earth, evolving through time. My friend and I had grown up together near the ocean, and I immediately felt this crystal shell had a connection to her. I added other stones to support her in my absence, wrapping each one with concentrated love and strength. I sent it off with words I wished to say in person and a description of each stone, explaining its healing properties. Before sending it, I wore it around areas in my life where goodness flowed to charge the stones with happiness and love. Synesthesia plays a big part in the crystal work I do as well. I wrap stones while listening to music, and the vibrations inspire me to create.

 5.  Have you received any feedback that your intentional jewelry has an effect on people?

I have, and all of it has been unique to the wearer. One client told me of astral travel in dreams she experienced while wearing black obsidian, lapis lazuli and white selenite. I once made a piece for a musician with blue kyanite which opens the throat chakra. He says he has been singing with renewed passion. Recently my boyfriend and I went to Texas. His friend was recovering in the hospital from a tragic accident, so I gave him a raw piece of chrysocolla with white selenite. He isn’t able to wear it yet but it’s hanging in his hospital room. He says he feels the love. I have two necklaces of my own I wear everyday that bring me great balance, inspiration, and appreciation for life.  I believe in the power of the stones. They’re our assistants, serving as a constant reminder of our soul’s purpose. They help us to conquer our destiny. If you are willing to wear them, they are happy to work for you.

For more information or to shop online contact www.ethosartgallery.com or 4artmedia@gmail.com. Instagram @jbird888

Lisa Falcone

The post Sound Creations: The Healing Art of Jessica Seeley appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

LA Yoga:  What inspired you to turn the geometry into art?

I have been working with these holograms of sacred geometry ever since I met Astrea Sri Ana in Bali and attended her Mystery School.  For the past two years I have been offering Sacred Geometry Guided Meditations & Activations here in Los Angeles at Golden Bridge Yoga, Naam Yoga, Shahr Wellness Center and House of Intuition.  I wanted to bring the energy of these powerful holograms to a wider audience, so I formed “Love Magnificent,” a collective of artists coming together to bring this sacred geometry from Astrea to the world through art and design.  The show at Ethos Gallery is the inauguration of our project. We are showing the 100 holograms that comprise the “Blueprints for the New Human.”

LA Yoga:  How do people react to the holograms?

Astrea Sri Ana has been channeling these holograms of sacred geometry for the past decade. They come from source and activate in your electromagnetic field.  It’s not something new.  It’s like turning the light switch on.  Everyone’s vibration is different. We are each on our own unique journey, so reactions vary. Some people see and feel the holograms and their effects right away and are like “oh wow,” others don’t detect anything but seem happy just to look at them.

LA Yoga:  What evidence have you experienced that they have power?

Like any yoga or meditation practice, you can only know what effect the activation of the holograms may have by how people describe their experiences. After two years of offering this work in LA, participants have told me wonderful stories of subtle healing and transformation that keep me excited and motivated to continue offering the work.  I would say the best way to know is to experience it yourself … either working with the holograms on your own or coming to an Activation.

LA Yoga:  What is the best way to use sacred geometry?

With these holograms there are two basic ways you might use them.  The first and easiest is just to have them around.  That’s what the art exhibit is about.  It’s a holographic world, so this geometry replicates endlessly in the world around it.  So if you choose the hologram of “Mergence with Soul Partners” or “Release of the Apportionment of the Duality of Health” you amplify the energy and intention of “Soul Partners” or “Health” in your space and in your life.

The second way is to use the holograms as a meditation.  You would choose what you want to work on … the set of “Blueprints for the New Human” in the show includes 100 healing and transformative themes including eight kinds of Love (can you name eight kinds of Love?), Soul Path, Faith, Acceptance, Release of Sorrow, etc.  You would tone the mantra that activates each particular hologram while looking at it with both your eyes and third eye.  The mantras are freely available and I can show you how to do it.

LA Yoga:  How will sacred geometry change the world?

The world is changing. The vibration of Planet Earth and all of her inhabitants is rising.  It’s beautiful. We can each feel or sense it on some level.  There are millions of beings doing thousands of practices to help this ascension process along.  The activation of these holograms of sacred geometry is a way to help each of us raise our vibration so we can play our unique part in this journey.  And the beautiful thing about this work is that once you activate these uplifting energies in your field, you give them effortlessly to everyone around you just by being present.

LA Yoga:  Will you pursue art in other avenues beyond this show?

Yes. Yes. It has been such a joy to put this show together at Ethos Gallery, and we are actively looking for new and interesting ways to activate this work, from art projects to consciously branding products and companies.

LA Yoga:  What do you want people to know about sacred geometry?

This sacred geometry was channeled from the heavens by my dear friend and twin soul Astrea Sri Ana. It’s really quite unique and powerful, and I encourage everyone to come to Ethos Gallery while the show is up in June and look us up at Love Magnificent.  Thank you so much, Lisa, for the chance to talk.  Sat Nam.

The art exhibition will run from June 8 through July 3, 2013 at Ethos Gallery.  7763 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046.  Michael Liss will host meditations and hologram activations every Wednesday evening while the show is hanging.  More details can be found at Ethos Art Gallery and on the LAYoga Magazine calendar of events.

Lisa Falcone

The post The Art of Sacred Geometry appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.