There is an art to sharing evocative inspiration that combines photography and poetry. Susan Currie is a master of this art form.
In her book, Once Divided: Words and Images, Susan—who serves as both author and photographer—offers a curated selection of professional images she shot over many years combined with her own personal verse.
The musings are perfect to be read aloud to settle students into savasana, as fodder for guided meditations or meaningful contemplations, or to serve as a springboard for creative journaling sessions. In order to facilitate the reader’s creative process, Susan even includes a few pages without words yet touched by the soft visuals that speak to her signature style as an artist.
Both the photos and words reveal something about Susan’s own practice. Her years as a yoga student, well-loved teacher, and sincere meditator are evident here. The soul that shines through the pages becomes even more obvious on repeated readings. I found myself re-reading meaningful passages such as her poem titled “interludes” with her reflection on “inhale, exhale….reach, fold….the small spaces tucked in between, infinite opportunities, game changers, the effects rippling…”
It’s what you leave out, what is left unsaid… this is the sound of less.
The effects of this work certainly ripple and offer a signpost for the reader’s own wanderings. Through her poems, Susan gives us as the reader permission to find the space between our thoughts and the moments between items on our to-lists. These moments are when we can ponder ideas like, as Susan eloquently says, “It’s what you leave out, what is left unsaid, this is how we arrive, this is the sound of less.”
The sound of less can give us much more in terms of insight and reflection. Fortunately, the size of the paperback is just right for sliding into a yoga mat bag. Once Divided is perfect for a teacher looking for new inspiration to read to students, or for any of us to spark our own insight.
Connect with Susan Currie at www.susancurriecreative.com.
Once Divided is published by Shanti Arts Press.
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.