Face(t)s

108 yoga teacher portraits
light - shadow - form

Its when we seek the shadows, do we see the light emerge - Sanya Sekhar

Drawing is my most practiced form of meditation. It’s all about learning to see and being aware of light and shadow to describe form. In that play of light and shadow, beauty is born.

This project shows the beauty born out of the churning, reflected in the many faces and facets of yoga. It is a visual meditation on light and shadow accompanied by words of wisdom by each of the teachers portrayed.

This series will be collected with a beautiful book which I look forward to sharing with you.

Browse through the following portraits and quotes for a list of the teachers involved thus far.

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Stefan Datt

May light guide and form your Asana from within -
may the candle in your mind burn steady and still -
and may pure love flow from your heart into every aspect of your blessed life
Stefan Datt

Starbird

My journey to Yoga is one that literally carried me from darkness to light. I found Yoga after recovering from alcohol addiction, in my darkest time, plagued by tremors, flashbacks and a diminished sense of self worth. Through the magic of asana, I began to grow stronger physically, but even more importantly I began to identify myself as a Yogi instead of an addict. I honor the shadows in my past, and appreciate the amazing place they’ve brought me to- contentment in being perfectly imperfect.
Starbird

Ekabhumi Ellik

Light and shadow are but two notes in an ecstatic song played on the instrument of this body.
Ekabhumi Ellik

Steph Gongora

Life is a beautiful dance of light and shadow, both enhanced by the stark contrast of the other, but also inseparable by nature. So often we think about this in the simple context of white & black, good and evil, but these self-inflicted labels have little to do with the infinite greyscale of the world and its myriad of participants. After all, now that we have begun to understand the nature of individual reality, how could we ever claim to see things in the same light (or dark) as even the closest of peers? It is only when I openly admit that my light may be your shadow and vice versa that we can put aside the petty practice of judging each others' perspectives and recognize that both the warm sun and cool shade play their respective roles regardless of any transitory or limited meaning we may have assigned them.
Steph Gongora

Liam McConville

As far as words on life and shadow goes I can say this much for certain: People who endure dark times and find the light of yoga have a chance to redeem much of their pain and sorrow through practice. I am one such practitioner and I thank the chain of teachers that passed on and developed this practice across the millenia. I salute all who have survived horror and cruelty and do the work to heal and be a force for positive change rather than simply passing on the hurt as many have done and many will do. The light in me truly and unironically recognizes and honors the light in you.
Liam McConville

Chanti Tacoronte-Perez

She opens her mouth—it’s dark inside.
As I peak in, she swallows me.
I open my eyes and can’t see my toes, my breasts or my fingers.
I rub my eyes making sure they are open.
Darkness makes patience, but I refuse.
I run, scream, jump, wave my arms trying to touch the space.
Darkness has me wait.
I lay on her tongue and rest.
Letting my gaze soften I see twinkles of what I believe to be light.
“Stay soft” I tell myself as the light begins to shift.
She yawns, luminosity bathes me, the light is penetrating, again I see no more.
Like this I live for however long it was.
I learned to find pleasure during the time she opens and closes her mouth—or when she falls asleep and her lips part in just the right way. Feeling the caresses of the dark while experiencing the call to the light.
Chanti Tacoronte-Perez

Percy Shakti Johannsen

Sally Kempton

Martin Elianto

Thus far the teachers blessing this project with their participation are:

Kira Sara, Alli Shafer, Sianna Sherman, Christopher (Hareesh) Wallis, Sally Kempton, Ekabhumi Ellik, Kai Treude, Ophelie Cabanero, Jenni Kuhlmann, Sudheesh Kumaar, Michelle Byrne, Briohny Smyth, Julie Norman, David G. Williams, Courtney Krishnamurthy, Niko Geo, Martin Elianto, Tanja Mickwitz, Nova and Dustin Brown, Stefan Podolczuk, Liam McConville, Justin and Camacha Wolfer, Tracee Stanley, Estela Jesus, Maria Svalin, Abhijeet Singh, Agnes Theresia Schwermer, Zoe Zephyr, Patrick Beach, Samrat Pasham, Ajay Tokas, Kari Field, Honza and Claudine Lafond, Elisia Young, Claudia Richey, Carrie Hensley, Gabrielle Thil, Annalisa Raghunatha, Sadhana and Keval Pezet, Deanna Deacon, Tie Simpson, Nithya Priyan, Chanti Tacoronte-Perez, Percy Shakti Johannsen, Rebecca Devine, Josh Blau, Elena Lustig, Kristen Watson Geering, Stefan Datt, Sanya Sekhar, Ganga Puri, Jo Tastula, Ashton Szabo, Raghunath Cappo, Koya Webb, Steph Gongora, Andrew Sealy, Jared McCann...

There will be more to come as the project unfolds.