Ana Maria Velasco, Artist Yogini Teacher of teachers - MARCH Edition
Ana Maria Velasco my yoga-sister, woman of beauty, woman of art, woman of great strength and magic. We met through yoga so many years ago in NewYork and Colombia and since then, she has taken part of my heart. We have gone through so much adventures and stories together. Tears, laughter, sleepless nights of wonder, existentialism, sharing beds in a dark night in the middle of the Tayrona jungle while being taken over by mini-mosquitoes, teaching retreats together, learning to surf this wildness of our hearts has been a beautiful bond we share. It feels like we have this invisible bond that connect us through silence and even dreams.
A few months ago, I had this dream where I was crying deeply and soundly, and longing to see Ana Velasco. (My cry was something like: "I want to see her..."). Long story short, next morning I call from London to New York. She says: "Wow, I really need you now. Im so grateful you called." This is the invisible Oneness, that threads us together. Certainly. Invisible threads.
Her yoga teaching is full of grace, her art is outstanding, inspiring, from another world. A serious meditator and a student of Tibetan Buddhism and Art, she is genuinely connected to her spiritual practice with so much truth and depth. (I am blessed to grow with you, to learn from you, to enrich my spirit with you, Anita, hermanita salvaje).
Her story now unfolds in Brooklyn New York where she paints but what she really is, its actually a powerful shaman-woman connected to the energy and wisdom of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta where the mamos (top shamans in Colombia) invite her to stay and share their knowledge with her.
She was born in Bogotá, Colombia, to a family of political leaders, poets, writers, and rebellious figures; she grew up between a Nicaragua (her mother’s homeland) undergoing the throes of dictatorship and revolution and a Colombia ravaged by narco-terrorism. These turbulent, yet inspiring environments heightened Ana Maria’s sense of awareness and, early on, solidified art as a path for bringing positive change into the world.
Ana’s paintings explore how a line can transform a helicopter into a river; alchemize a quiet mountain top into a populated city; unify an intimate dinner with a loud soccer stadium spectacle. One element flows into another, effortlessly leaving behind a translucent trace of dreams, memories, and figures.
What a blessing to have you here and sharing a little of your life:
1. Tell us a few things about you? 1. I am obsessed with truth, integrity and justice 2. I behave like I am angry, when I am nervous. 3. I am transparent, protective and loyal.
2. What feels like love to you? 1. When I was sick and my 80 year old father traveled all the way from Colombia to NYC to keep me company in the middle of the winter. 2. Nature 3. When two people listen to each other with full presence.
3. What is your favourite song? I listen mostly to classical music (Bach, Mozart and new composers like Vijay Iyer). But if I were to choose just one song, it might be "Let it be" or anything from the Beatles.
4. What are you afraid of? I am afraid of lies, unresolved conflict, cat scans, betrayal, a closed heart, everything that Donald Trump represents and bathroom airplanes just to mention a few.
5. Share with us one of your favourite recipes...
ALMOND POWER COOKIES 1 ½ cup ground almonds 1/2 cup ground pecans 1/3 cup shredded coconut 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup coconut oil 1/4 cup cacao nibs pinch of sea salt oven 350 (180) for 20 minutes
6. Share with us one of your favourite books and why. I loved Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi because her story reminds me of my own childhood growing up during Nicaraguan dictatorship and revolution. The book is like life itself, filled with happiness and grief, and it's told in a comic strip format, with simplistic but beautiful images. It is written in an almost childish manner, to reflect the girl’s innocence in this horrifying world. The last line of the book, “Freedom had a price”, resonates with me deeply. Another favorite is “Fearless simplicity” by Tsonky Rinpoche.
7. The best advice you had been given. "Be kind to yourself"
www.anamariavelasco.com