#the art is so expressive! I felt so many emotions in the Julia sequence in Eleventh Hour it was insane

[chaifighter]

With each new volume, I am consistently so impressed with the TAZ graphic novels from an adapational perspective. Eleventh Hour is a long arc, with a lot of material to cover, and they managed to not only seamlessly trim it without sacrificing an ounce of its charm, but also add depth to the existing characters (that first conversation with Ren!!! I could write a whole mini essay on that conversation alone) while smoothly integrating additional material from the interludes into the main story a diagetic and meaningful way. I'm just so impressed, it's such a great example of storytelling and adaptation and working to your medium. It's so well made. I can't wait for Suffering Game

[humanofcolor]

Co-Author Erica Jago on Yoga, Self-Love and The Art of Attention

HFTC: You are the co-author and designer of the yoga book, Art of Attention. The gorgeous design caught my attention. Even the website is immaculate. Before talking about [the book] however, I wanted to begin at the beginnning.

Personally, whenever I see a creation actualized that I admire, I think they must be lucky, or have had some connection, or funding, but the reality and background story is usually not so simple.

How do you define yourself, now in the present and are there any standout moments in your life that led to the place you are in now?

Erica Jago: I graduated from the Ohio State University with a B.S. in industrial design and worked in an engineering firm for 10 years, but quite frankly, I was struggling there; there was no real career path, yet I didn't know how to leave. I struggled with self-worth issues, living in the fantasy that if I did amazing enough work, then I could inspire the entire corporation. There were a few highlights that kept me going but eventually I found yoga and spent every lunch hour and evening in class, until eventually I got trained and became a teacher.

The beautiful part is that I was able to continue my design process into my class planning which is were the Asanaglyphs were born and the idea to do a book. The urge to do this book became so strong that I couldn't ignore it! Without thoroughly thinking things through, I did the most craziest thing I've ever done — I quit my job and told my husband that I was leaving. I was out of the house, pulling from my savings and working on the book full time, and yes having meltdowns at night in bed. I truly felt at the time, that I had no other choice.

Elena Brower and I came together a few months later when I emailed her a pdf of my work, asking for advice. She responded by asking, "Could we/should we work together?" and the rest is history! Fulfilling this vision has given me the deepest faith in my own abilities which is why I now have no problem calling myself: Teacher. Designer. Artist.

Was there a specific event or thought that gave you the courage, or inspired you to quit your job and leave your relationship? And in the time period after this, how did you deal with a possible sense of helplessness or any other mix of emotions that you may have been struggling with?

I met my catalyst, Michael Chichi. I know the reality sometimes is not as pretty as you want it to be, but I left my husband because I knew that I was going to be supported emotionally and well, there is not much you can do when you are head over heels in love. I know now that this event in my life, as ugly or shameful as I may want to make it out to be, was in reality the best thing that ever happened to me and to all persons involved. Learning the lesson of self-forgiveness is invaluable as a yoga teacher. I truly called this into my life.

Michael and I were aligned because I manifested a partner that had similar interests, goals and visions and we remain together still today. The best part is that my beloved ex-husband, who is truly my best friend, is much happier now too. I could not have left my college sweetheart, a man I grew up with, if Michael wasn't in the picture. Michael lead by example the type of empathy, compassion and love that I needed to have for myself while dealing with the loss. It truly felt like a death at the time. The whole event was a gift from God and I'm forever grateful.

That's beautiful. On your yoga page, your tagline reads "A way of moving through life." What does this mean to you?

Elegance.

How do you move through life with 'elegance'?

I wake up every day to a cold shower, rubbing sesame oil on my body, getting dressed and then sitting down for my yoga and meditations. If I don't feel like practicing in the morning then I write in my journal instead, but by sunset every night, I will have completed this daily sadhana. I've missed one day in the past month and I'm very proud of this. It was trial and error to find out my exact formula for self-love and I struggled over the past three years trying to make this a daily practice, but now I must do it every day or I don't feel complete; it's become the key to my self confidence and creativity.

How did you learn to trust your creative instinct - in living elegantly or even being able to follow multiple callings at the same time (as you do with yoga and with art)? Is it experience? Is it something else?

I have three things that keep me on mark with my creative instincts: 1. The Owner's Manual: Kundalini Kriyas for the Human Body by Yogi Bhajan. I teach and practice kriyas from this manual every day. 2. The Artist Way by Julia Cameron. I highly recommend her course for setting artist dates with yourself and for developing a habit of daily journaling. You'd be amazed at the rotten things your subconsious will blurt out on paper. These blurts reveal your personal negative core beliefs and when you become aware of these blocks then you can start to break down all boundaries to your self expression. Lastly, 3. The Handel Method Life Coaching with Lauren Zander. I email Lauren a daily log of what I eat, think, feel so that I can get to know all of my spaces. She helped me map out the 18 areas of my life, in vivid detail so that I can truy author my life and my loves.

Thank you for sharing such tangible mediums. I read about the making of your book, Art of Attention, and from reading the chapters' headlines alone I felt that it may be a book that is not only applicable to yoga but life in general. Is your approach to yoga more or less interchangeable with your approach to everyday life?

Yes, absolutely. Finding stillness and forgiveness, letting go of blame, exploring your highest possibilities — all of these inquires on the mat give you the capacity to mirror it in your life. The chapters' headlines are a way to bring meaning into the poses and that's exactly what this practice offers us — a deeper understanding of ourselves.

Now that you have created this book, an idea that had been calling on you for a long time, do you feel a major shift in your general perspective? Has a weight been lifted? Is there now a sense of greater purpose or motivation?

This book was a healing intervention for me, a pivot point that came from a deeply internal place. It's taken some time to ripple out but I'm already free to so many more opportunties. Do you believe that you can plant a seed inside of yourself, grow it, give birth to it and then flourish from its own vital energy? I don't have children but I can imagine that it goes something like this.

Yes I do! I think that sounds a lot like moving an abstract idea into reality. Is there something you would want people to know about the book? Why you went through so much to put it out into the universe? What you hope it's effect is on its keepers?

The one theme that Elena teaches throughout the book is that through our own healing, we heal everyone else around us. I wanted to help teachers organize their thoughts and life's lessons into artful and meaningful classroom experiences. This book is the structure and grid needed to design sequences that inspire. These teachings will heal generations of families and friends through the act of self love and listening, something that I personally learned while designing and co-authoring this book.

Where do you go from here?

I'm off to Europe for two months to hold the SEA yoga retreat in France and teach yoga workshops in Amsterdam. Books are definitely my passion and comfort zone this summer, as I'm starting to plan and layout three new books with top yoga instructors and musicians from the U.S. The best of both worlds is when I'm invited to teach and design, like the upcoming workshop July 6 and 7 with Bill Mahony and Gabriela Zermeño in Tepoztlán, Mexico. Also, Elena and I are launching project two: Angel Cards, which are going to really take my idea of who I am as an artist to the next level. All of this can be found under my calendar tab on www.jagoyoga.com.

You can learn more about the book, Art of Attention here and follow Erica Jago on her Facebook page.