Basia Lipska - profile


basiajlipska@gmail.com

Basia J. Lipska, presents aesthetics of the ethos of knots. The galleries, be, do, undo are inspired by the three psychosomatic knots related to preservation, creation and destruction found in the philosophy and practice of yoga. On the path to enlightenment and emancipation these are the three challenges that need to be reckoned with and reconciled peacefully as to further evolve; who to be, what to do, and how to undo the obstacles that prevent us from evolving.

Basia studied drawing and painting in Canada (B.F.A.), and in her native country, Poland (M.F.A). Her interest in eastern aesthetics and philosophy brought her to Japan in 1997. The esoteric imagery found in mandalas inspired her towards the study of yoga. From 2001-2006 she became an earnest practitioner of the Ashtanga Vinyasa System of Yoga, visiting India yearly and promoting yoga and healthy living standards (for details see www.basiajlipska.com). The transformative power of yoga, its notion of psychosomatic knots as well as its therapeutic practice became the driving force of her creative interests which range from photography to fashion, culminating in an MFA in design. She presents the image of a knot, found in doodles, maps, diagrams, etc., as a nomenclature of therapy and an allegory of the spiritual journey of modern times.


selected press & media : www.basiajlipska.com

  EXHIBITIONS

Olympic Fine Arts Exhibit 2008, Beijing, China www.2008art.org Aug-Sept 2008

Beijing International Art Biennale, National Art museum of China. July-Aug 2008

Samskara installation of reproduced sutras. Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan. Sept 2007

Knots yoga photo exhibit & demonstration. Yoga Jam Studio, Montreal, Canada 2006.

Magic Carpet installation of yoga mats. Gallery K, Tokyo, Japan. April 2006

Labyrinth, Danced installation and performance. Museum Tokyo Studio, Japan 2005.

Pillars of the Earth rock installation. University of New Mexico, Albuquerque 1994.

Framed Elephants art exhibit. Marlowe s Cafe, Montreal, Canada. 1995.


Past Projects 1990-2007(articles, reviews scroll below)
Installation. Samskara: Imprints on the Mind. Mixed media on canvas boards. 6x8ft. Gallery K, Tokyo, April 2007.
Installation of reproduced yoga sutras contained in the lines of a fingerprint along with painted images of butterflies by Marie Murai. Statement: There comes a time when one is bound to notice one’s own mind…and in it the countless impressions etched into the conscious. All these markings, the product of repeated thought forms which took the shape of habits, behavioural patterns, conditioned existence. Known in the East as samskaras, the deeper their groove, the more difficult it is to alter them. It is a path that may turn into a long journey. However, the simple, intentional shift in an action can offset a huge transformative process delivering a tremendous effect on one’s life and the world around them. The path can be likened to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar, transfiguring to a new dimension… one that allows it to take flight, to overcome previous limitations. The samskara installation of drawings and paintings present a visual message of the human ability to metamorphose, to take the responsibility to become aware, to open one’s eyes, spread one’s wings and to take off in a direction of peace and freedom. In the process, gain the ability to see from a bird’s eye view the sheer potency of a samskara - the power to either scar the mind and, consequently, the soul of the world or to bless it. (Exhibit review by Tim Hornyak – scroll down)

Installation. Magic Carpet. Mixed media on used yoga mats. 24x24ft including 10 drawings, pencil on paper 8x10cm. Gallery K, Tokyo, April 2006.
These mats, placed side by side, have imprints of individuals who practice a refined ancient holistic system of therapy that entails knotting the body into selected postures. Each position is linked to the next through a series of flowing movements called vinyasa. Postures and vinyasa are woven together by rhythmical breathing, creating a dynamic, purifying sequence, revitalizing the body and leaving the mind focused and vibrant. Thus, a tapestry of vibrant consciousness is made. The more consistent and performed ritually with zeal before the Guru makes for a durable mat…leaving an impression on the mind …and on the mat. This repetitive exploration of the body as the gateway to enlightenment - the mat - putrid by the sweat of lifetimes is stamped, crushed by students bodies, personalized with their signatures, saturated with effort and devotion… is a crucial element in the modern spiritual journey to emancipation. Surrounding the auspicious space, framed images of the enlightened ones. The yoga space: a mecca of metamorphoses for health and emancipation.

Installation & Documentary. Labyrinth, Danced. Acrylic on cement floor. 92m2ft . Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo, August 2005.
Comments by participants: Its like a path to your life filled with winding roads and obstacles and smooth lines, but there is a path and if you get to the center, I believe that you are self-realized. I think its representational of life because life is the same thing you have smooth roads and bumpy roads, but there is a path . As long as you follow it, as long as you are guided, and you get to the center, then your life is complete (Marie); A life path. It seems like you need to go straight to get to the middle, but you have to go around and around to come to that position. Sometimes you’re closer or farther from your aim. But if you just keep on following eventually you’ll get there.(Natasha) Documentary found in www.basiajlipska.com.

Installation. Pillars of the Earth Conference. Acrylic on rocks. University of Albuquerque, NM December 1993.
Excerpt from Exhibit review by Karen Eull: As I moved around to the opening of the semicircle, this crowd of rocks seemed anything but anonymous. From each stone a face emerged, articulated in washes of black, white and earthy coloured paint. Each face was rendered in loose brushstrokes suggesting the huge ears, trunk, tusks and wise eyes of an elephant. Individual textures on each rock seemed a record of age and experience, mottled and lined like the skin of an elephant. The lightly painted faces emphasized the various shapes of the rocks and contrasted their heavy solidity. These elephants seemed like spirits emerging from and floating slightly above the stones. Basia seemed to be playing with the meaning of the word pillar. One often thinks of pillars as human markings, etched stone erected to serve as a symbol of civilization. Yet in the context of Basia’ s installation, this seems ironic. Her use of the word seems to make reference to the reckless liberties we take with nature, hacking away at its materials, be they rocks or elephants, using them as ornaments to decorate and illustrate how ‘civilized’ we are. Perhaps, Basia intended the word pillars to apply to the rocks and elephants. In this context, all creatures are pillars collectively functioning to support the balance of nature. I contemplated this as I stood, physically towering over the rocks, as though my size was symbolic of the human race’s attempt to assume full responsibility for nature’s equilibrium. (Exhibit Review - scroll down)

Photography. Rangoli collection. Mysore, India January 2005, 2006
Rangoli, a sacred graffiti…by the name of rangoli, is an art among India women, is a pattern sprinkled daily at sunrise unto the ground in front of the gate to a house – sealing it with protection. A sort of labyrinth of knots, an entanglement whose purpose is to trap an evil spirit which might try to enter the house. A resemblance of ‘tangle threads’ of Scotland…or talismans tattooed unto the body…armor-plated lines of faith. Photos by Basia. Mysore, India.

Book Design Project. Knots. Photography and drawings of yoga postures. Compiled for MFA, Academy of Fine Arts, Wroclaw, Poland 2006
Excerpt from Yoga: Art of Opposites prologue by Basia Lipska: The access to the posture lies not in the physique but in attaining the key to untangle the corresponding knot of the mind. This is the art of yoga. But why intentionally ravel myself up into a state of immobility only to untangle myself? Perhaps to relive the experience of freedom and its negation, repeatedly? Or have it proven to me that anything is possible – knots can be dealt with. That I can be taught to be my own surgeon or “doctor of the jungle,” as is recited in the mantra I repeat before commencing practice. It is a path that I trudge upon every morning, as do others worldwide. To me, it is a symbolic study of the dialectics of knots. I train to do and undo; to like what I dislike; to be detached from the things I love; to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations - In essence, to resolve opposition. I tackle entering unlikely and challenging situations as to be adept at undoing myself into a state of emancipation. This daily repetitive action is a practice of observation, a study of the weaving of opposites as to produce a tapestry showing the way to transcend the dualistic nature of life. After many years of practice, this tapestry of knots is my personal map of an art of opposites. Yoga became a lifestyle for me, an art of living. And I, the artist creating my existence, painting my destiny onto the tabula rasa provided – the yoga practice mat.” (Artist Statement – scroll down)

Drawings. Collection of Yoglyphs: Yoga Mnemonics (details). International Yoga Center, Tokyo. April 2006, August 2007
A collection of knotted figures by students from the Yoga Basics Teachers Training Course. They are lines transformed into yogic hieroglyphs, mnemonic tools elaborately transcribed…by each student acting as scribe, recording the secrets of an ancient holistic science. Perhaps the innocent spontaneous handwritten mark is where the mundane and spiritual intersect? Or peering into the lists and grids we construct as to understand our reality reveal a matrix ..a maze? When shown a labyrinth, Trungpa Rinpoche once commented, “It is a divine doodle…It is futile to enter it like Mickey Mouse.” This collection honours the timeless scribble, the sudden flash of insight through a picture or a word…markers along the path to the center of our labyrinth of truth.

Concept & Marketing Design. Yogart Workshops. 2006.
Yogart classes are designed to work with the architecture and iconography of yogic postures, offering an opportunity to develop one’s artistic skills and deepen one’s understanding of the physical components of yoga by sketching a live model demonstrating selected postures. Students alternate in participating as a yoga model, and using a wide variety of artistic techniques and materials to sketch the posture; learning about composition, texture, style, shape, and more. Most importantly, one can learn to see from a new perspective, facing limitations and expanding the imagination and their passion for yoga.

Website Design. Art:Breath:Design www.basiajlipska.com Yoga Portfolio. January 2007
A documentary of projects consisting of photography, drawings, posters, that hold layers of meaning… polished to gleam with the natural beauty and simplicity of the yogic way.

Website & Marketing Design. Ashtanga Yoga Poland. September 2007

Concept & Marketing Design. Natural Beauty Workshops. Photo Collage. July 2007
These classes/workshops are designed to present the various ways to restore the body and mind with the help of natural beauty secrets, beauty diet recipes, yogic beauty exercises for the body, and a psychology of beauty tips for the maintenance of hormonal balance and a vibrant mind.

Logbooks. Design Ideas for jewelry & textiles. 2000-2007

Concept Design. Knots: Haute Couture. Photo exhibit & performance. Yoga Jam Studio, Montreal August 2006.
Excerpt from ‘Vogue meets Ashtanga,’ posted in the Ashtanga News Website, 2006. www.ashtanganews.com : At first, I was shocked at the juxtaposition between my traditional thoughts on Ashtanga yoga and Basia Lipska’s photos. Then, I thought: “Wait just a minute…one of the main reasons you like Ashtanga is that it opens you…physically and mentally, and helps you better experience the moment, as it is.” So, why so closed-minded? Basia’s photos do that. “WAKE UP!”, they say. And get out of your head, your shala, your neighborhood and your preconceptions. These photos are hot, they’re a mental freak out and they look neat. Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section! Basia is sweating in these pictures; she’s not just a model: she’s an Ashtangi. (Article from Ashtanga News Website – scroll down)


Concept Design. Knots: Haute Couture. Fashion Photo Exhibit & Performance. Yoga Jam Studio, Montreal August 2006
Excerpt from ‘Knots,’ Westmount Living, vol.2: Mahatma Gandhi said, “True art takes note not merely of form but also of what lies behind.” In this case, the beauty of the female form and the pneuma of yoga are enhanced by the three women involved. Together the three are trying to capture artistically the essence of Ashtanga Yoga, and the strength that comes with the practice. By focusing on the three knots – Brahma’s knot, Visnu’s knot and Siva’s knot they hope to reinvent the image of yoga, accentuating power, style and attitude. “These knots, I see as an allegory of the spiritual journey of modern times. They are the ethos of yoga, and sadly to say, are ignored in the yoga market media image,” says Basia. Each knot is conceptualised in a dramatic way. Brahma’s Knot, representing the warrior, will become not just any warrior, but the embodiment of a stylish 1920’s flapper. She may be performer/spy – a priestess warrior. Visnu’s knot becomes the explorer. Here the 60’s are the backdrop. Women exploring, experimenting, ruling, knowing exactly who they are, connected to each other and to the feminine principle – a sexual awakening. Visualize the bohemian , the flower child with long, loose skirts – a gypsy explorer. Siva’s knot becomes the Mystic, but not just the sadhu or the shaman. This Mystic is over the top, embellished with furs, feathers and jewels – the ostentatiously flamboyant nobility. Fantastic and absurd, she is the baroque baroness. Leah says it all, “The three of us are creative women, young, sexy and strong. Our angle for this art show is exactly that – women who are creative, strong but also sexy, focused on yoga (respectful and deeply involved in the tradition), but also tuned in and excited by the energy and reality of contemporary culture.” In this artistic exposition, the feminist ideal is personified in the warrior, the explorer, the mystic, all in the physically and mentally healthy milieu of yoga. The strength of it is palpable. What can be more empowering than that? (Knots article – scroll down)

Concept Design. Knots: Haute Couture. Fashion Photo Exhibit & Performance. Yoga Jam Studio, Montreal August 2006
Excerpt from Knots, yoga-inspired fashion campaign by Basia Lipska: Knots, Basia’s acronym for ‘knowing none other than spirit,’ presupposes that focusing on the intangible essence of things, the spiritual force, shouldn’t be overlooked. Granthis, or Knots, represent blockages in our awareness of ourselves at different levels of consciousness. They obscure the true image of our essential nature at varying levels of disturbance, from illness, to addictions, to mild pain and anxiety. These knots are called Brahma granthi, Visnu granthi and Siva granthi. Siva’s granthi deals with both thought and speech; the mind and its activities. It reveals the power and necessity of change. Instructing to remove the old to make space for the new. When you are fully conscious of this granthi, when you have accepted and integrated it into your life, you become untied - the Mystic within steps forward… She is stoic in her aloofness and anonymity. Wearing whatever the moment inspires. Appearing and disappearing…but always watching clandestinely unperturbed. Impact is not an issue, nor is affectation. Detachment is her ingrained motto. With stoic grace she destroys the fixed mindset, plants the seed for complete transformation followed by evolution. She persuades you to observe, cultivating an awareness of what is. An acceptance of what is. She is a shaman with the extravagance of a baroness training your mind to become quiet so that heightened perception may take its place. (Full article – scroll below)

Interior Design & Concept. Divine Arrangements. Poland, 2006.
Divine Arrangements. Breathe life back into a room, office, studio, a wall, a corner, etc. by removing the knots in the form of clutter, abandoned and undervalued items, objects of attachment, that block the energetic flow …and in turn revive it to a natural state of vibration invoking the peaceful state of a zen-like spa or temple of self-mastery. Furthermore, enhance the space with strategically applied décor of reproduced sacred images and script.

Marketing & Billboard Design for Akademia Ruchu Dance Studio. Wroclaw, Poland. September 2007.
In collaboration with Beata Darowska.

Fashion Design Project. KimonoShakti. Photography & Sketches. Museum Tokyo Space. Tokyo, July 2007.
In collaboration with Kazumi Tsuda.

Mural Design. Sacred Graffitti. Acrylic on cement. 5x3.5m. Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo August 2002.
Painted text includes excerpts from the Heart sutra, the Bhaghavad Gita, Buddhist Mantra of Light, Prayer of Jesus in Aramaic, Zen Calligraphy, and from the Sacred Path of the Warrior:

Choreography. Yoga Photography. Museum Tokyo Space, September 2004.
In collaboration with YogaJaya Studio and Kyoto.

Interior Design & Concept. Life Design Library Lounge. Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo 2001-2002.
Museum Tokyo offers the possibility of delving into a Life Design Library, Japan&apos s largest collection of English-language books on New Age, occult and alternative healing topics encouraging spiritual inquiry into the human mysteries through alternative explorations of science, culture and the unconscious to develop an understanding, amity and tolerance toward all forms of religion, philosophy, esoteric beliefs. Books donated by Liane Wakabayashi, preserved in memory of Edythe Frese van Rhoon, intuitive guide.

Drawings. Journey Logbooks. Graphite & ink on paper. 5x7, 8x10in. Europe, Asia, Southwest USA, 1995-2006.
A collection of lines, numerous lines arranged in such a way to form an image … a state of unity. They translate into moments around the world, photographed by the eye, sketched into the mind, recorded into the nervous system, into every cell.

Drawings. Live model. Graphite on paper. 170x190cm. Poland, Canada 1995-2006

Paintings. Framed Elephants Exhibit. Acrylic on canvas & magnet. 5x5in. Marlowe’s café, Montreal. 1995.
Proceeds went to the Elephant Hospital, Thailand

Paintings. Commissioned Portraiture. Acrylic on canvas. Montreal, 1995-1997.
In collaboration with Dora Ratneiya Campanella.

Paintings. The Vinegar Tasters. Oil on Canvas. 280x80cm. Poland 1993.
A conversation between Lao-Tse, Confuscius and Christ.

Paintings. Acrylic and Oil on canvas & linen. Poland, Canada 1990-1994.

Paintings. Commissioned Still-lives, Acrylic on Canvas. Size. Godfather Violin. Tokyo 2005.

Interior Design, creative direction. Museum Tokyo Performance Space. Tokyo, since 2001.
Excerpt from ‘House of Spirit’ by Robin Antepara: Forty years ago in the US, two graduate students in conmparative religion wanted to create a sort of hotel where topics related to spirituality, philosophy and psychology could be discussed in a more intimate setting than academia. The result was the Esalen institute in Big Sur, California, an experimental venture that has since become one of the pioneers in the human potential movement. Other like-minded centers – Findhorn in Scotland, the Naropa Insitute in Denver, the California institute of Integral Studies – have followed in its wake. All have become synonymous with alternative education and the fostering of transformation through various mind/body disciplines. The idea for Museum (taken from the Latin, which, literally translated, means a place of contemplation for the nine muses of inspiration) grew out of the nearby International Yoga Center which Lipska and Museum co-founder Harakuma also run. “ We wanted to create a space where people feel inspired, but one where they also feel comfortable,” said Basia Lipska, main designer of the center. Its part New York-style loft , part alternative performing arts space and part exotic New Age venue. The events at museum are varied - and exotic- as the décor. On one night, one could find a concert of African drumming, in another a sitar performance. The next weekend there might be a workshop in reiki, astrology or shamanism. Like Esalen, Museum is not meant to promote any one practice or philosophy but to welcome diverse traditions. “We cant make people transform – nobody can, of course, “ Lipska said. “But we can provide the seed, we can be a catalyst for inspiration and ideas.” (Article by Robin Antepara – scroll down)

Mural Design. Hieroglyph Gate. Entrance door to Museum Tokyo Space (interior): acrylic on metal 68x78in, Tokyo 2001
- Reproduction of the white chapel of Sesostric I,c.1950bc, Egypt.

Décor. Lounge. Museum Tokyo Space. Tokyo, 2001
Lounge & Life Design Library where the divine and serendipitous is sealed into the design…having entered through an antique Asian temple door, the visitor is greeted by a lounge showcasing a rich collection of books unique to this centre as well as a gallery of sacred art i.e. murals, floor paintings, sacred relics. The high-ceiling drapes open unto a vast open stage, maintained as a sacred space. The baroque setting stimulates the senses, mind and heart while mystically merging with the rough minimalism of a modern loft setting. All of the artistic moments of contemplation encountered in Museum designs by Basia, introduce the philosophy of maintenance of health and expression as an aesthetic of interior design. It suggests all is divine and serendipitous. The aesthetics invite one to turn their surroundings into a laboratory of change, movement and meditation. Creating an atmosphere of home or office or showroom or studio that places you at centre stage, attuning immediately the soul to its highest vibration.

Décor Design. Oracle Table. Acrylic on wood, 45in in diameter. Museum Tokyo 2003.
Bottom right image is of table top when closed.

Floor Painting Design. Stage Mandalas. Acrylic, latex on cement. 98m2. Museum Tokyo 2001-2006.
4 different painted mandalas exist under the present wooden floor; vedic sidereal, greek temple grid, labyrinth. mandala paintings include ;Vedic sidereal with navigational compass 2002/07, Architectural layout for a Byzantine temple; 2003/08; 2005/08 Labyrinth, based on San Rivale, Italy cathedral floor design.

Interior Design (details) as shown in The Letter, by Dance Kitchen event flyer. Museum Tokyo Space, 2001.

Interior Décor Concepts for Museum Tokyo Space, Tokyo, 2001.

Events at Museum Tokyo Space, 2001-2005.
Illuminati healing arts festival, Live Concerts & Theatre Presentations, Poetry Readings, Dance classes, Holistic Lectures, Photo and Film Shootings, etc. www.museumtokyo.com

Marketing design. Ashtanga Yoga Poland. Poland, 2007.

Concept for KimonoShakti: Yoga meets Kimono. Tokyo, 2007.
In collaboration with Kazumi Tsuda.

Concept Design. Yoga Photography. Academy of Fine Arts, Wroclaw, Poland.
2005 In collaboration with Krzysztof Skarbek.

Concept Design, Choreography. Knots: Haute Couture. Magazine Cover, Westmount Living, Montreal 2006.
In collaboration with Megan Smalley and Leah Hendriks.

Choreography. Epi- Soft Campaign, Yoga Presentation. Louis Vuitton, Omotesando Store, Tokyo. 2004.

Marketing Design for International Yoga Center & Ashtanga Yoga Japan. Tokyo 2002-2005 .
Yoga marketing images and designs for interiors, fashion, logo, dvd covers, brochures, posters. More details www.basiajlipska.com



Related Articles

Knots: Nomenclature of Therapy by Basia Lipska
I have argued that performing yoga postures is like creating knots and, reciprocally, tying knots is a type of yoga, where the conscious mind is actively engaged with precise, repetitive tasks to the extent that it no longer censors images from the unconscious. It is similar to the recitation of a mantra (sacred syllable), creation of a kalachakra (Buddhist sand mandala), praying the rosary, raking a Zen garden. The outcome of this meditative state emits magical properties. Yoga comes replete with a rich iconography within the practice; an artistry that also emits an elusive incandescence. It is not primarily physical exercises. Merely performing the postures will not highlight the development in the transformation of consciousness. The journey entails training to master the body, mind, emotional self, and transcend desire. In other words, it comprises a rigorous practice of mastering the nature of knots (anatomical, emotional, mental) This requires repetition. Mastery requires memorizing knot-tying. Likewise, the asana sequence must be put to memory by relying on repetition. The characteristic aspect of the Ashtanga Yoga System is its requirement to know the sequence of postures by heart as to cultivate an independent practice. Remembering how to tie a knot by repeating the motions of tying it also works efficiently. The hands play an important part in retaining their knotting memory. In asana work, like the choreographed movements to a dance, exactitude and rhythm of each inhalation and exhalation at each movement in and between the postures is memorized.
Being knotted is the sign of the times. A recurring term that appears in press and is heard in the yogic circles and campaigns is the notion of untangling the mind and body to a state of peace with oneself and with life. Needless to say, the explosion in the popularity of yoga points the way to health. Due to a build up of stress from overwork, disconcerting experiences, unfulfilled desires, bodily discomfort and wrong habits people end up tangled into knots without being aware of it. As a result, a loss of verve and exuberance for life is felt, the root of the problem ignored. Knots surface on different levels. They have been interpreted as blessings in disguise. According to yogic lore, to be able to locate them and then be self-sufficient in untying them is somewhat of a graduation to having mastery over the mind. Suffice to say, that knots are the telos to liberation. And perhaps, it is the most transformational system of therapy for the 1st century, in both its physical practice and philosophy.
In my teaching and counseling experiences at IYC (international Yoga Center), I have witnessed students injuries, illnesses or shifts in emotional states to be, in the long run, a blessing in that it served as a cautionary warning or premonition to immediately change a habit of acting or thinking in ones daily. In my personal practice, I , too, have experienced the same. The Vibhutipada, the 3rd book, of the Yoga Sutras is devoted to enumerating the siddhis ,special powers, the yogi attains after years of diligent practice. -Basia Lipska


Samskara Exhibit Review by Tim Hornyak
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect describes sensitivity to initial conditions in theoretical models - the classic example suggested by mathematician Edward Lorenz was the scenario of a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil and causing a tornado in Texas, a seemingly insignificant action eventually producing major consequences. Basia Lipska and Marie Murai&apos s installation "Samskara" (Gallery K, Tokyo, Sept. 3-8, 2007) elegantly yokes this happenstance of physics to personal and spiritual development by referencing yoga teachings; both are yoga instructors. Pieces of canvas board on the gallery floor depict butterfly wings, apparently randomly placed, extending from a giant fingerprint lined with Sanskrit script to a collection of paintings featuring birds, fish and radiating geometric shapes. Here, the butterfly is a totemic entity linking two discrete works as well as the individual to the universal with its metamorphic potential. It offers a different perspective, "the ability to see from a bird&apos s eye view the soul of the world," as the artists suggest, if the randomness of chaos can be overcome through self-awareness. The enlightened observer is thus one that is aware of the spiritual mechanism of chaos and how unconscious mental patterns can trigger emotional storms. The installation also comprises related quotations from Eastern and Western literature on the gallery walls, though given the directness of "Samskara" (a Hindu term meaning impressions or tendencies in the subconscious from past experience), they are somewhat superfluous. Visually and conceptually rich, Lipska and Murai&apos s collaboration deftly suggests a million impressions and possibilities, like every movement of a butterfly&apos s wing.

‘Vogue meets Ashtanga’ posted in the Ashtanga News Website, 2006.
At first, I was shocked at the juxtaposition between my traditional thoughts on Ashtanga yoga and Basia Lipska’s photos {…} Then, I thought: “Wait just a minute…one of the main reasons you like Ashtanga is that it opens you…physically and mentally, and helps you better experience the moment, as it is.” So, why so closed-minded? Basia’s photos do that. “WAKE UP!”, they say. And get out of your head, your shala, your neighborhood and your preconceptions. These photos are hot, they’re a mental freak out and they look neat. Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments section! Basia is sweating in these pictures; she’s not just a model: she’s an Ashtangi.

Basia Lipska is an Ashtangi, authorized to teach by Sri K. Pattabhis Jois, and can usually be found in Tokyo, Japan at Ashtanga Yoga Japan or the International Yoga Centre. Originally from Poland, Basia is also a scholar, a photographer and, well, a model, plus based on my emails with her, a totally nice person. What’s that posture? And who made that belt? Find out about more Basia’s many endeavors on her website. The Yoga Knots photos shown here were part of a photography exhibit in Montreal, Canada in August 2006. The shock of shallowness I immediately perceived of these fashiony, Vogue-like photos contrasts Basia’s thoughtful essay on the meaning of Yoga Knots:

Prologue: Yoga Knots. For the past 6 years, I literally tie myself into knots over the idea of eventually attaining enlightenment. Before sunrise, when it is still pitch black outside, I tangle my body into the form of a knot. I stand barefooted, clothed sparingly on top of a rubber thin mat placed directly onto the floor. I breathe loudly and with determination I squeeze myself into a knot-like assemblage of the body. The same knot is formed on both sides of the body. Once there, I remain for a minimum of five very deep long breaths. They are special breaths called Ujjayi, meaning ‘extended victory.’ In other words, I’m to stretch my breath, make it ‘victorious,’ controlling the value and length of each inhale and exhale while staring at a point on the ceiling with calm albeit alert eyes. The goal is to stay in this knot effortlessly, assuming a comfortable stance, prepared to linger like this eternally with an empty mind and lack of emotion

After five breaths, I detach myself from the posture, untangle myself loose by resuming the prescribed breath counts and movements. If for any reason a thought would suddenly arise and cause a disturbance to my monotonous breathing, part of my body would immediately tense into an involuntary knot of tension - an inner calamity would ensue. Hence, my focus must remain intact as I watch from a distance the thoughts that appear and disappear while my entire body relaxes into the yogic knot I’ve constructed. Though the intent is consistent every morning, the feel of the body wrapped into this knot has a spectrum of sensations ranging from heaviness, pain, discomfort to a lightness and ease. Everyday I wonder which it‘ll be and attempt to decipher the reasons behind the particular sensations of the morning practice. I analyze the activities of the prior day as to locate what could have triggered the ‘dis’ ease or the lack of agility in entering the same knot, at the same time, at the same place, with the same technique, with the same body…though perhaps not with the same mind?

The noose posture, Pasasana in Sanskrit, is the term by which this particular asana is referred to in the yoga circles around the world, specifically the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga System. If you happen to be adept enough to be practicing the Intermediate Series, or Nadi Shodana (nerve purification), of this yogic system, then the noose posture appears after having completed the first 26 standing postures, and then is followed by 57 other postures. This sequence is performed five times a week within a span of 90 minutes.

And so, I knot myself up in the mornings whether alone or surrounded by up to 50 other fellow practitioners. At other times I demonstrate it to a few beginners or up to 100 viewers. I teach it, explain its constituents and assist others in exploring it as to attain its powerful benefits. For some it is a great challenge and requires time and effort through heat, repetition and perhaps a string of grunts. The access to the posture lies not in the physique but in attaining the key to untangle the corresponding knot of the mind. This is the art of yoga.

But why intentionally ravel myself up into a state of immobility only to untangle myself? Perhaps to relive the experience of freedom and its negation, repeatedly? Or have it proven to me that anything is possible – knots can be dealt with. That I can be taught to be my own surgeon or “doctor of the jungle,” as is recited in the mantra I repeat before commencing practice. It is a path that I trudge upon every morning, as do others worldwide.

To me, it is a symbolic study of the dialectics of knots. I train to do and undo; to like what I dislike; to be detached from the things I love; to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations - In essence, to resolve opposition. I tackle entering unlikely and challenging situations as to be adept at undoing myself into a state of emancipation. This daily repetitive action is a practice of observation, a study of the weaving of opposites as to produce a tapestry showing the way to transcend the dualistic nature of life.

After many years of practice, this tapestry of knots is my personal map of an art of opposites. Yoga became a lifestyle for me, an art of living. And I, the artist creating my existence, painting my destiny onto the tabula rasa provided – the yoga practice mat.” www.ashtanganews.com


Sayonara interview with Basia by Sascha Hewitt
Ashtanga Yoga Teacher - and Artist - Tokyo is losing Basia Lipska, superstar of the Tokyo yoga world.
Q. It seems like you create art on every available space, walls, tables - everywhere! Where did your artistic journey begin? My mother often reminds of a time when I was 4 years old in Poland (my birthplace) where she would often find me squatting under the wooden dining table drawing various hieroglyphic-like symbols on the inside of the table. She said I could spend hours in solitude burrowed in my interestingly chosen art spaces. She speaks of this with a smile, however there is another memory which brings on a frown to her face. My other preferred canvas was her passport. Within were numerous meticulously drawn symbols arranged in a neat fashion.Q. You seem divinely inspired, could you tell me a little about that? A. Although it’s something difficult to define. I would think that being raised by a devout Catholic grandmother who survived the work camps in Siberia and Kazakstan during the war, a wise and steadfast priest for a father and spiritually inclined Mom who made the practice of holistic thinking into a practical art form would bring one to appreciate the notion of “faith” and the habit of revealing a natural beauty and wisdom in everything. Q. You are also a yoga teacher as well as an artist, how does the yoga influence your artwork? A. Actually it was the revelations in my yoga practice that led me back to my art. Aspects of yoga i.e. the deep philosophy, the beauty of postures, the methodology, the ritualism, then became the main subject of any of my art projects, you could say the hub of my wheel of life.Q. Almost all your artwork has a spiritual theme, how did that come about? Could you tell me about that ? A.Since college I was drawn to the images in different cultural myths as well as in alchemical texts. Many of the topics were elements i would come across and attempt to decipher i.e. time, purity, evil, transfiguration, dreams, genesis .Q. You have built a new website to show your artwork to the world, can you tell me a little about your new website? A. It’s called Sacred by Design. It’s basically a reflection of my lifestyle that strives for health, balance, comfort and inspiration. it hopes to remind one of the details in their own lives that are worth singling out and replenishing with meaning, colour, decor.Q. What else inspires you? I hear you are a raw foodist? Could you tell me about that? Where did you come across this idea? Isn’t it hard to eat raw food all the time? What do you eat? How do you get protein?A. Stories of transformation in people’s lives, ways, thinking…inspire me. Heroic stories, myths, adventures will always interest me. I heard of it through the yogic grapevine. It led me to David Wolfe’s rawfood.com. I eat fruits and veggies that make sure the little amounts of protein I eat are absorbed properly. It is not hard to maintain this diet if it ties in with a yogic practice/ lifestyle. I load up on veggies, avocados, nuts, seeds, fruits, dried foods and at times will throw in some simple grains, lentils, peas. The hard part lies with the need to shift belief patterns. Q. You visit your yoga teacher/master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois each year in India, could you tell me about him? How long have you been studying with him?A. For 5 years now. I have been to his research institute 6 times. After each visit I would experience a paradigmatic shift in consciousness. Values and priorities would shift and unnecessary habits challenged. It was magic to be witness to the wisdom and clarity he repeatedly demonstrated through the simplest of words, gestures. I am honoured to be authorized to teach Yoga by the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute. http://naturalhealingcenter.com/blog/index.php April 2006

Excerpt from ‘The Spirit of Ashtanga Yoga’ book by Ken Harakuma.
An ideal ashtangini is a lady who can express herself and has the energy to do so. Basia Lipska is the person who exactly fits these words and is the assistant director of IYC. She is a supple lady who is very pure, like a child, and has the intelligence of a mature lady. She came to IYC as a student and at first she wasn&apos t able to do the sun salutation. My first impression was  &apos a person who never gives up&apos .  If she couldn&apos t do a pose then she got angry with herself. I was wondering why she was so angry... But the biggest impression I got was she never gave up. In class , everybody was practicing asana quietly - I heard a noise so I looked in that direction and realized it was Basia. She was trying  the same posture over and over again. When she was able to do a pose, she was deliriously happy ... like a child.  She was full of vigor. Her emotions were up and down. She was a temperamental and a straightforward and transparent person. When she got angry, she was angry, when she was sad, she was sad.... when she was happy, she was really pleased. She was very simple -not complicated, whether it is good or bad, I can&apos t say. We could see when she was angry or laughing.

I think people like her are more beautiful. She had bountiful energy, but didn&apos t know how to control it so I could see unsteadiness. Like some fresh popcorn, she hit many places. She has learnt how to use her energy and her physique has obviously changed. She used to do aerobics but some parts of her body were very hard and not so balanced and her muscles seemed to be separate from her bones. But now the hard part of her body has become soft and her bones and muscles have united. Her body has become balanced so that it is supple. She is very busy nowadays but she never forgets to cultivate herself. At the IYC she is a shining adviser for the teachers and students and there is always laughter and joy and sunshine around her.

Review of Pillars of the Earth Conference Exhibit by Karen Eull.
Basia Lipska’s Pillars of the Earth Convention consisted of approximately eighty medium rocks arranged in a courtyard behind the University of New Mexico’s Fine Arts building. Conspicuously organic in this cement and glass environment, these rocks seemed to have tumbled in and settled in a semi-circle on the cement floor. Their arrangement reminded me of a gathering of people awaiting an event; the curious and eager packed densely in front and the timid or latecomers scattered behind.
As I moved around to the opening of the semicircle, this “crowd” of rocks seemed anything but anonymous. From each stone a face emerged, articulated in washes of black, white and earthy coloured paint. Each face was rendered in loose brushstrokes suggesting the huge ears, trunk, tusks and wise eyes of an elephant. Individual textures on each rock seemed a record of age and experience, mottled and lined like the skin of an elephant. The lightly painted faces emphasized the various shapes of the rocks and contrasted their heavy solidity. These elephants seemed like spirits emerging from and floating slightly above the stones.
Basia’s written text explains that this gathering is a conference involving the spirits of slaughtered elephants and the human race for whom the viewer acts as representative. The rocks serve to channel the elephant spirits. Together, the rocks and spirits tell a story of natures forces, spelled out in the jagged edges and smoothed areas of their bodies. Yet they also request attention to speak of another force that has scarred them. This force, inspired by human arrogance and greed, is the market for ivory that requires the killing of so many elephants.
Standing in the front of this gathering, I felt like the guest speaker as one hundred pairs of elephant eyes patiently stare, waiting, it seemed, for some sort of explanation. Since I could offer none, I averted their gaze by looking down at the circle of paper that lay on the cement between me and the “herd”. Around its circumference was depicted an endless cycle of figures, hunters with greedy smiles brandishing severed tusks. These pillars of ivory, taller than the hunters, formed long white slashes on the paper, like a tally of the dead. From a distance these slashes resembled the iris of a great eye that seemed to both record and reflect the questions raised by this conference. Instead of containing a “pupil”, the centre of the circle was cut away. In this space, the bare cement revealed letters drawn to appear carved into the surface like the words on a tombstone or a commemorative sculpture. The words read “Pillars of the Earth”.
Basia seemed to be playing with the meaning of the word pillar. One often thinks of pillars as human markings, etched stone erected to serve as a symbol of civilization. Yet in the context of Basia’s installation, this seems ironic. Her use of the word seems to make reference to the reckless liberties we take with nature, hacking away at its materials, be they rocks or elephants, using them as ornaments to decorate and illustrate how ‘civilized’ we are. Perhaps, Basia intended the word pillars to apply to the rocks and elephants. In this context, all creatures are pillars collectively functioning to support the balance of nature. I contemplated this as I stood, physically towering over the rocks, as though my size was symbolic of the human race’s attempt to assume full responsibility for nature’s equilibrium.
As I stood before the circle, unable to account for the liberties assumed by my species, I looked back to the elephant rocks. Silenced, I began to search for the wisdom contained in these rocks, etched in a language of varying textures, shapes and colours. It was in this language that they told their stories and it was then that the conference began.


Knots for Divas, Basia’s acronym for ‘knowing none other than spirit,’
presupposes that focusing on the intangible essence of things, the spiritual force, shouldn’t be overlooked. Granthis, or Knots, represent blockages in our awareness of ourselves at different levels of consciousness. They obscure the true image of our essential nature at varying levels of disturbance, from illness, to addictions, to mild pain and anxiety. These knots are called Brahma granthi, Visnu granthi and Siva granthi.
Siva’s granthi deals with both thought and speech; the mind and its activities. It reveals the power and necessity of change. Instructing to remove the old to make space for the new. When you are fully conscious of this granthi, when you have accepted and integrated it into your life, you become untied - the Mystic within steps forward… She is stoic in her aloofness and anonymity. Wearing whatever the moment inspires. Appearing and disappearing…but always watching clandestinely unperturbed. Impact is not an issue, nor is affectation. Detachment is her ingrained motto. With stoic grace she destroys the fixed mindset, plants the seed for complete transformation followed by evolution. She persuades you to observe, cultivating an awareness of what is. An acceptance of what is. She is a shaman with the extravagance of a baroness training your mind to become quiet so that heightened perception may take its place.
The Brahma granthi relates to the lower half of the body and deals with the most solid nature, bodily issues such as basic physical health, genetic history, physical liveliness, sexuality, and pro-creation. When you are fully conscious of this granthi, when you have accepted and integrated it into your life, you become untied - the Warrior within emerges… She accommodates her deepest desires and instincts at the snap of her fingers. Trusting only her diamond core, she roots and stands savvy whether on foot, stiletto, manicured hands or iron seat. Unflinching determination rules her. With a nonchalant shrug she makes it a ritual to face her limitations and challenges daily - she cannot be knocked off balance. The flamboyant urban doll. Her cosmopolitan face painted in a frozen but penetrating glance that covers layers of wisdom and omnipotence. She forces you to complement your physique and build an adamantine will to go with it…a warrior at peace with herself, and so, with the world.
Visnu’s knot is situated in the heart and solar plexus. It deals with nourishing the self and caring for others as well as balancing all other relationships such as with food, digestion, work. When you are fully conscious of this granthi, when you have accepted and integrated it into your life, you become untied - the Explorer within is revealed… She is a beautiful gypsy at heart. Comfortable to roam barefooted, bursting with boisterous laughter…or tears of forgiveness and understanding. She projects the essence of all personas; cutsy gal, divine mother, foolish damsel. She lives not in denial. Exploration and experimentation of the nature of things is her drive, while the breath is her source of maintenance. Searching for the adventure to feel, to connect, to build on the present moment. Sensual in portraying her true spirit, nature is all the accessory she needs…sunshine, water and fruits. Her raw exuberance guides you to cultivating a lasting relationship with yourself. In the small day to day details of life, she offers unconditional love… naturally healing ensues.


Artist’s Statement:
In Sanskrit, darshan, is a term meaning vision or glimpse, in a divine sense. One receives darshan of the god in the temple or from a spiritual master with the intention of inwardly contacting and receiving their grace and blessings. In India people will travel hundreds of kilometres for the darshan, the look, of a highly revered person to confer his blessings. To be seen. As did I. Simultaneously, it is a quest to see oneself. Noticing the knots that burden, understanding their nature, as to remove them. It is the ancient holistic science of yoga, that opened my eyes to creating a visual language of art that offers darsan - with the aim of reinforcing the ethics of peace, in mind and body, as well as in space and time.

Basia’s gallery consists of drawings, doodles - collections of lines and patterns. Inadvertently, representing knots that speak, knots that save and knots that burden. Some communicate ideas through script, or symbols, like a talisman. Others can guide or protect - something like a map, diagram or mandala does. There are also knots that burden - as paths in a maze, labyrinths or as built up tension in the body.

The image of a knot is decidedly the most suited archetype for the health industry in the 21st century. Ironically, the antidote is the knot, examined and performed, of the practice of yoga. The knot, and the mind; their natures are intricately linked. Both universal in their power to create, to preserve and to destroy - reflecting the three main elaborate knots in yoga of the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Perhaps mastering the skill of knot-tying automatically aids in excelling at yogic postures and penetrates the three psychosomatic knots , known as granthis.? Perhaps practicing to do and un-do knots with the hands aids in conquering the tying of the body? In establishing a nomenclature for the yogic postures I practice, the element of knots naturally surfaced. Artistically rendered images, markings act as a nomenclature of therapy and a mnemonic device. Like a string tied into a knot around their finger or a knot tied to the corner of a handkerchief to represent something to be remembered. In my case, art stares one in the soul and reminds one that liberation is possible.