Talking, writing, or telling others about myself or my work has never been one of my favorite things. But hey, we all have to step out of our comfort zone from time to time. ;)
Around fifteen years ago, I came across Autobiography of a Yogi. At the time, I had no idea how profoundly it would change my life. Many things that once seemed completely normal to me now feel deeply unhealthy or even pathological—for example, drinking alcohol, working six days a week for eight or more hours a day for someone I don't even know, living disconnected from nature, relying entirely on Western medicine, or the way we eat.
After reading the book, I began practicing yoga. Soon afterward, I started reading more books on yoga as well. Today, I have an entire shelf dedicated to them. Looking back, these have been the most influential:
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (various commentaries)
Ayurveda by Vasant D. Lad
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Yoga and Kriya by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles
These are the sources from which I draw most of my knowledge and inspiration.
What I consider to be the essence of yoga is its ethical and psychological foundation: Yama (our moral principles toward the world) and Niyama (the practices of inner discipline).
Among the Yamas, the most fundamental is Ahimsa - non-violence: the complete renunciation of harm in our actions, words, and thoughts. It is the foundation upon which all the other principles rest. That is why you will find Ahimsa expressed more than any other idea in my work.
I wholeheartedly recommend all of the books mentioned above. They have the power to open your mind and transform the way you see the world.
Through the posters I create, I hope to remind people not to lose sight of what I believe is the most important thing in life: spiritual growth. Yoga is the most powerful tool for that journey that I have ever known.
All the Best, Bart
One more thing. If you prefer shopping on Etsy, I sell my posters there as well. I've sold over 400 posters and have more than 50 reviews.
‘Never producing pain by thought, word, and deed, in any living being, is what is called Ahimsâ, non-injury.’
Swami Vivekananda
'Yesterday I was clever,
so I wanted to change the world.
Today I am wise,
so I am changing myself.'
Rumi
'We come into this world alone,
We depart alone.
This also is illusion.
I will teach you the way
Not to come, not to go!'
Ikkyu
'If the doors of perception were cleansed,
everything would appear to man as it is - infinite.'
William Blake
