Saturday, August 23, 2014

Vincent van Gogh and Karma Yoga



















"Painter on the Road to Tarascon" (1888)

How can I be useful, of what service can I be?  There is something inside me, what can it be?
-- Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)

There are six branches of yoga, each with a different focus:

Raja yoga (path of meditation)
Karma yoga (path of service)
Bhakti yoga (path of the heart)
Jnana yoga (path of the mind)
Tantric yoga (path of ritual)
Hatha yoga (path of physical health through postures and breathing practices)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the connection you draw between yoga and van Gogh. Truly lovely.

Nick said...

So, we have the answer. Painting was the service he did us - and what a service (looking outwards as well as inwards - what yoga should also help us do if I'm not mistaken).

am said...

Thanks so much, robin andrea and Nick, for your comments.