“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
- Henry Ward Beecher

This issue is dedicated to all our readers who feel the need to fill their lives with divine creativity. Art does not exist in itself, but exists within the artist’s way of expressing it and the audience’s ability to relate to it. Art is the way that humanity expresses the presence of the divine in our lives. When we express our creativity, the energy from our imaginations comes from the same creative energy that gave birth to the universe. Thousands of years ago artists sketched buffalo and other images from their daily lives on rocks using simple tools and colored clay. With today’s advanced software and expansive art stores, countless media are available, from the most ancient and primitive techniques to cutting edge technology, to create art that represents our inner experience of universal sensations and emotions. Between the high-speed technologies and the demands of our modern lifestyle, where does art fit in our lives? When do we find the time to experience art and to give ourselves outlets for creative expression? We are so blessed here at Yogi Times because every day our team has the opportunity to express its creativity through photography, graphic design, writing, illustrating and on and on. I’m proud that the vibrancy of this incredible group of people shines through on the pages of the magazine.

Our cover story this month highlights a variety of artists who all infuse their spirituality into their art in vastly different ways, yet all acknowledge the presence of the divine in their artistic endeavors and work. This diverse group comes from different cultures, different countries and different backgrounds, yet they all express the universal oneness from which we all come, regardless of the way we express our beliefs and experiences.

Carrying the theme of self-expression into the home, Jagatjoti Khalsa shows how to create a sacred family bedroom where parents can share the precious early years of their children’s lives in a space of beauty, tranquility and comfort. Then, a culinary artist in his own right, chef Glen Ishii from the celebrated Noe Restaurant, tantalizes our taste buds with a delicious fall recipe for Almond and Potato Milk Soup that will be a tasty treat and a great remedy for the up coming autumn chill.

Also, we’re delighted with the overwhelming response we’ve gotten from readers to the new savasana page we added to Yogi Times. Coming at the end of the magazine, savasana - final rest, features poetry from readers and members of the community. It’s a final gift for our readers to take away with them from each issue and we look forward to developing this new feature and sharing the inspiring words and ideas of the community through our pages. If you’d like to submit your own work to be considered for this page, visit yogitimes.com and click on writer’s guidelines for submission instructions.