Jasper Johal

Revolved Chair pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)

“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi

Mermaid pose

Before death takes away what you are given
give away what there is to give
Raise your words, not voice
It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder

– Rumi

PHOTO: In yoga, mermaid pose, a variation of the king pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), combines a twisting heart opener with ...

Sea of Love

Thou wast that all to me love
For which my soul did pine
A green isle in the sea love
A fountain and a shrine
All wreathed with fairy fruits and flowers
And all the flowers were mine.

And all my days are trances
And all my nightly dreams
Are where thy grey eye glances
And where thy footstep gleam...

Love arrives

Love arrives
and in its train come ecstasies
old memories of pleasure
ancient histories of pain.
Yet if we are bold,
love strikes away the chains of fear
from our souls.

– from a poem by Maya Angelou

PHOTO: Luna is a circus performer and aerialist that visited my California ...

Vitiglio

PHOTO: Vitiglio is an auto immune condition that causes depigmentation of the skin. It can be the cause of much anxiety and depression in those suffering from it. In an effort to educate the general public about this and other conditions that affect mental health, I try and include it in my photos when possible, instead of hi...

Mingle

THE fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the ocean
The winds of heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single
All things by a law divine
In one another’s being mingle
Why not I with thine

– Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)

PHOTO...

Wild Rose-briar

Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?

– Emily Bronte

PHOTO: Pilates floor exercises have some interesting moves. This one involves holding one's ankles and rolling like a ...

Phantom of Delight

She was a Phantom of delight
When first she gleamed upon my sight;
A lovely apparition, sent
To be a moment's torment

– from a poem by William Wordsworth (1770–1850)

PHOTO: Getting ready for a yoga shoot, Silvia doing an updog pose. Combined with a down dog pose, this is the most c...

I would be true

I would be true, for there are those who trust me;
I would be pure, for there are those who care;
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer;
I would be brave, for there is much to dare;
I would be friend of all—the foe, the friendless;
I would be giving, and forget the gift;
I would be humble, for I k...

Like a little prayer

Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home
When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

– lyrics by Madonna and...

Join the dance

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

― Alan W. Watts (1915-1973)

Skin

As if you were on fire from within,

the moon lives in the lining of your skin

–– Pablo Neruda

Come, my love

Come when the nights are bright with stars

Or come when the moon is mellow;

Come when the sun his golden bars

Drops on the hay-field yellow.

Come in the twilight soft and gray,

Come in the night or come in the day,

Come, O love, whene’er you may,

And you are welcome, welcome.

...

Serenity

“Be willing to trade expectations for acceptance. That is the path to serenity.” – Buddha

A Play of Passion

What is our life? A play of passion;

Our mirth the music of division;

Our mothers’ wombs the tiring-houses be,

Where we are dressed for this short comedy.

Heaven the judicious sharp spectator is,

That sits and marks still who doth act amiss;

Our graves that hide us from the searching sun<...

Wings to your feet

I remember I never could catch you,

For no one could match you,

You had wonderful, luminous, fleet,

Little wings to your feet.

You were always afraid of a shower,

Just like a flower:

I remember you started and ran

When the rain began.

And your mouth, it would never smile

F...

Upside down eagle pose

Your task is not to seek love
but to seek all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it

– Rumi

Affection's tale upon the cheek

There is a face whose blushes tell
Affection's tale upon the cheek,
But pallid at our fond farewell,
Proclaims more love than words can speak.

There is a bosom all my own,
Has pillow'd oft this aching head,
A mouth which smiles on me alone,
An eye, whose tears with mine are shed.

There are two he...

Forward bend

From the wreck of the past, which hath perish’d,
Thus much I at least may recall,
It hath taught me that what I most cherish’d
Deserved to be dearest of all:

In the desert a fountain is springing,
In the wide waste there still is a tree,
And a bird in the solitude singing,
Which speaks to my sp...

Lounging

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o’er her face;

And ...

Ink Mistress

For some artists, their own skin is the canvas for their art. Dorian has one of the most unique collections of ink all over her body. It serves to accentuate the perfection of her torso and limbs. When we started shooting I turned on the music. Her slow sinuous movements added yet another spectacular dimension to the art she ...

Freeform dancing

Betcee was always such a delight to hang out with! She would drop by my studio from time to time and her radiant spirit just lit up the place. My camera loved her too; I couldn’t take a bad picture of her.

Walking on air

My Venice Beach studio had a high enough ceiling to hang a trapeze in there. Add some cool lighting, a skilled aerialist and viola! we were all set to create cool images.

Lazy afternoon

Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do. Liz reclining in her backyard pool’s shallow end.

Sweet serenity

Serenity and happiness
flow from a heart full of compassion
As sweet sap flows from a maple tree

– Pardesi Pyara

PHOTO: I am sometimes struck by how a camera, an instrument designed to record the physical world, manages to capture and show us a person’s spirit, their inner be...

Living Yoga

And
For no reason
A thousand birds
Choose my head for a conference table,
Start passing their
Cups of wine
And their wild songbooks all around.

– from the poetry of Hafez (1315–1390)

PHOTO: My dear friend Hallie is a true yogi, who doesn’t just do the moves, but...

Aspire

“Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure.” – Rumi

Raven tresses

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes;
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impaired the nameless grace
Which wa...

Counting our tears

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wea...

Midnight Dancer

Life is a mystery
Everyone must stand alone
I hear you call my name
And it feels like home

When you call my name it's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there
In the midnight hour I can feel your power
Just like a prayer you know I'll take you there

– lyrics by Madonna ...