THE YOGA OF ART

The relation of art to Yoga, has been a concern for me over the last forty years. I first began to reflect on this after reading a book on Christian Yoga when I was still at art school, and also reading an essay by Ananda Coomaraswamy, in which he proposed that every form of art is a yogic Sadhana, or spiritual search. During the years that I was associated with the Ashram of Dom Bede Griffiths, I reflected on the relation of the Icon to the Hindu and Buddhist understanding of the Mandala, as a way of meditation.

The Spiritual in art is concerned with the process of incarnation---the Word becomes Flesh, and pitches His tent amongst us. This is the process that is also at the heart of Eastern spiritual techniques.