Tomare

Yoga and Tenugui

2011-07-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

Stop and find your center. Let your energy radiate out through the heart.

Peace

Love

Tomare

JGY

Tomare Tenugui available on-line at My Tomare Shop

and at these Oita locations*

Hosun

Hana Life Gallery Cafe

Kokoru Hiroba

Cicou

Prendre Courage

tomare meditation at hana

2011-06-23T17:19:00.000-07:00

Once a month, Tomare Meditation at Life Gallery Hana.

Last night to honor June's meditation, we talked about the Sun, the Solstice, and the breath.

We went out into the night and saw spider webs spotlighted and other tiny creatures. We walked and breathed among them.

Back in the space of Hana, rosehips tea and macrobiotic sweets.

Thanks to Hana and those who attended with beautiful smiles.

Next Meditation at Hana in July.

Please Visit Hana's blog for details.

Photo, Introducing Tomare Tenugui.

Available at Hana and on-line at my Tomare Shop.

peacelovetomare
jgy

Tomare Tenugui---Sneak Preview

2011-06-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

Tomare Tenugui coming soon!

Peace

Love

Tomare

JGY

Tomare Pink

2011-05-10T05:47:00.001-07:00

Peace

Love

Tomare

JGY

Tomare Sketch

2011-02-10T04:50:00.000-08:00

w/hand of Shiva,
and torso of female divinity (Prajnaparanita)

Lakshimi + Tomare

2011-02-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

Lakshimi, the goddess of abundance, with Ganeesha, remover of obstacles, and Tomare, bridge between ground and sky.

Peacelovetomare
JGY

Call for Submissions--The Poetry of Yoga

2011-01-11T23:57:00.001-08:00

I am excited to share a link to A Creative Literary Project that is presently seeking submissions, called The Poetry of Yoga. They are looking for creative writing from all over the world. If you are a yogini, a poet, or want to start putting some of your meditative and contemplative experiences into words, definitely check out the details here:

Submissions, The Poetry of Yoga

One of the poems that I submitted is currently featured on the site. You can read it here:

Inside a Heart

and then, take a deep breath and submit some of yours!

peace love tomare
JGY

Definition of a Tomare Moment

2010-12-02T02:32:00.001-08:00

When everything connects in a single moment so that all roads lead you to yourself.

La terre est bleue...

2010-10-07T00:47:00.000-07:00

Tomare sometimes takes me on adventures, and this time it lead to Poetry.

The earth is blue like an orange...* (line from Paul Eluard)
merci, Otli

Only One Orange mat left...!

Peace
Love
Tomare
♡
JGY

Tomare Home Movie--sneak preview

2010-08-23T05:08:00.000-07:00

Stop and find your center.
Let your energy radiate from the heart.

Enjoy the movie.

PS Link if you are interested to read about Heart and the Heart Chakra:click on this♡ heart to words by layne redmond, to "YOGA and Meditation" to "Heart Chakra Lessons"

Tomare
JGY

Astor Place, Ground and Sky

2010-08-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

Morning, Quogue Beach

2010-08-06T06:09:00.001-07:00

Summer Tomare Vacation Special---

Order a Tomare Mat until August 14, and receive Free Shipping to anywhere in the US. Click on the Tomare Mat in the right hand corner, and order through the "LOCAL ORDERS".

Happy summer.

Peace

Love

Tomare

JGY

Iyengar Architecture

2010-07-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

Tomare Yoga Mat Joanne G. Yoshida

Tsukumi Tomare

2010-07-09T03:39:00.001-07:00

Tomare, Tsukumi Joanne Gover Yoshida

Tomare Family Tree

2010-07-09T03:33:00.001-07:00

Tomare Yoga Mat Joanne Gover Yoshida

Sun Salutation, Sasamuta

2010-05-29T06:44:00.001-07:00

I'm a little bit shy about posting this one, I know my "downward dog" is not up to how it ought to be, my back needs to straighten and concave and I need more stretch. Still, I will leave the sequence of photos, I like them because of the mood of the day, of doing yoga outdoors. This was at a weekend "art exhibit" and as part of my art I put a mat outside to see if anyone would be inclined to take a break from viewing and try it out. I was happy that a few people did. I realize that "Tomare" is not about perfection, but at the same time it is---a kind of perfection with the moment, but not necessarily how everything is 'supposed' to be, but rather with being 'perfect' in how it is--- so I will leave the photos of my im-perfect poses...

Enjoy your today.
Peace,
Love,
Tomare

JGY

Outdoor Mat

2010-04-25T11:56:00.001-07:00

しあわせ

Tomare JGY

cherry blossom pink

2010-03-30T06:44:00.001-07:00

Joanne Gover Yoshida
Tomare Yoga mat

diary of mat

2010-03-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

engage your crown
with the ground

Joanne Gover Yoshida
TomareJGY

tomare at night

2010-03-11T03:25:00.000-08:00

I went outside
there was no moon
but there was
Orion
and many many stars
One of them was Mars

In the dark
There were no cars
so I kneeled down
in the middle of the road
and cupped my hand on top
of a tomare,
just at the heart
where the radiant sun
would be

And no surprise
that tomare
spoke
to me
It said
"Plant me a tree"
right here on my heart

I came running up six flights of stairs and told my daughter what tomare said.
I said we've got our work to do!
We'll change the road back into a forest,
we will.

And my daughter said,
but mom,
if it became a forest, and there was no road,
then there wouldn't be anymore
TOMARE.

2010-03-11T03:23:00.000-08:00

Tomare Tree

2010-02-02T06:45:00.000-08:00

The idea to make something with "Tomare" came to me for the first time
from this tree.

「止まれ」のアイデアが浮かんで来たのは
この木のおかげです。

Joanne Gover Yoshida, Tomare

Tomare Color--Seafoam (for Tzivia)

2010-01-27T19:39:00.000-08:00

Seafoam.

(it's like ca va?
ca va.

seafoam?
seafoam.

cute poem)

Tomare colors

2010-01-26T21:23:00.001-08:00

Tomare colors

2010-01-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

Tomare Colors

2010-01-26T21:15:00.001-08:00

for more tomare colors around the world click

here

and follow the tomare relay links

Introducing Tomare Yoga Mat

2010-01-13T08:57:00.000-08:00

Introducing a yoga mat in radiant colors, designed for Energy, Art, Yoga and Healing.

The design incorporates a beautiful, simple and elegant symbol for the Japanese word TOMARE (pronounced toe-ma-ray), which means “Stop”.

The concept of the mat is:

Stop and find your center,

Let your energy radiate out from the heart.

The large Japanese character is printed in bright pink on a choice of vibrant mat color backgrounds, with a radiant yellow sun in the center to represent the heart.

The mat was designed by Joanne G.Yoshida, an artist, writer, and Reiki master. Yoshida says she was attracted to the word TOMARE since she moved to Japan from New York ten years ago. In Japan, this character can be seen painted in bright colors on the roads and is the stop sign for cars.

When she first came to Japan, the letters painted on the asphalt made the streets seem like a giant asphalt canvas. The word “TO-MA-RE”, made up of three letters, seemed to contain a message for her. Over the years she has drawn, painted and even made a 3-D sculptural bench using the TOMARE motif.

The yoga mat brought her energy and healing explorations together with art and design in a new way of looking at “STOP”---

Stopping in our busy lives to find time for ourselves; stopping to pay attention to the ground---earth---that the TOMARE is painted upon; and the “Stop” or pause in the breath between the inhale and the exhale which is described in yogic and tantric texts as the place where peace and bliss can be found.

Yoshida sees the TOMARE with the radiant heart as the new “peace and love” sign of the 2010’s.

The lines of the TOMARE Yoga Mat work with the yoga poses. For example,

the centerline makes it easy to align the body with various poses, and it also represents the energy line of the body from ground to crown.

The “heart” is the exact center of the mat. In certain poses like the Downward Dog pose and the Sun Salutation, this connection can be felt, where the movements on the mat are connected with the connection to the heart center.

The bottom line represents the ground—both the earth, and the ground chakra of the body. The design is meant to keep in harmony with the general movements of the poses, taking into account of course that all bodies are different.

Yoshida worked with graphic designer Natsumi Nishizumi of White Box Design Studios Inc. on the design. Nishizumi, who is originally from the south of Japan, moved to New York ten years ago, when Yoshida, who is originally from New York, moved to the south of Japan.

A limited First Edition of 75 mats will be printed early this year by the Bolder Mat Company of Colorado.

To launch the concept, this first batch of mats will be sent to two locales to begin--- New York (where Joanne G. Yoshida is from) and Oita, where she currently lives.

A percent of sales will go towards planting trees in urban areas.

Yoshida envisions using a portion of the mats for community outreach by offering a number of them to elementary schools or other community groups that might be interested in starting a yoga program if given an incentive like this colorful Art and Energy mat. She also dreams of seeing Tomare Yoga Mats around the world and turning the symbol into a universal symbol of peace and healing.

At present, the concept is a seed for turning a “Stop” into a Start.

For information about the Tomare Yoga Mat please contact:

Joanne G. Yoshida

E-mail: joannegyoshida@yahoo.com

トマレ・ヨガマット（TOMARE Yoga Mat）

　エネルギー、アート、ヨガ、ヒーリングのためにデザインされたカラフルなヨガマットのご紹介です。

「止」の文字を美しく、シンプルかつエレガントに取り入れたデザインが特徴です。

「立ち止まって自分の中心を見つけ、そこからエネルギーを放射させよう」——それがこのマットのコンセプト。

　元気が出るベース色に、鮮やかなピンクでプリントされた「止」の大きな文字。さんさんと輝く中央の太陽はハートセンターを表します。

　デザインを手がけたのは、アーティスト、ライター、レイキマスターの吉田ジョアン。彼女はニューヨークから日本に移り住んだ１０年前、この「止まれ」という文字に心を奪われたといいます。日本ではこの文字が「一旦停止」の道路標示として、明るい色で路面に描かれているのを見かけるからです。

　アスファルトに描かれた文字を見て、彼女はまるでアスファルトが巨大なキャンバスのようだと感じました。そして３文字で構成されるこの言葉にメッセージが含まれていると思えてなりませんでした。以来、「止まれ」をモチーフに、さまざまな絵画やベンチの彫刻などを製作してきました。

「止まる(ストップ)」を新たな視点で捉えながら、彼女が探求するエネルギーやヒーリングをアートやデザインに結びつける。それをかたちにしたのがこのヨガマットです。

　慌ただしい日常の合間に立ち止まり、自分探しの時間をもつ。「止まれ」と書かれた地面——すなわち地球——に目を向ける。そして、吸う息と吐く息のあいだに呼吸を止める。ヨガやタントラ（密教）のテキストには、まさにこの瞬間に平和や幸福感が見いだされると記されています。

「止まれ」の文字と光輝くこの太陽が２０１０年代の新たな「平和と愛」のシンボルになるとジョアンは考えています。

　またトマレ・ヨガマットに描かれたラインは、ヨガのポーズ作りにも役立ちます。例えば中心線があることによって、さまざまなポーズをとる際にからだの線が整えやすくなります。この線は地面から頭頂を貫くエネルギーラインも表しています。

　太陽はマットのちょうど中心に位置します。下向きの犬のポーズや太陽礼拝のポーズなどでは、マット上でとる動きをハートセンターに連結させ、この繋がりを体感することができます。

　下線は地面——地球およびグラウンド・チャクラ——を表します。身体がひとりひとり異なることを考慮に入れつつ、一般的なポーズの動きと調和がとりやすいようにデザインが工夫されています。

　デザインにあたっては、ホワイトボックス・デザインスタジオに所属するグラフィックデザイナーの西住奈津美さんの協力を得ました。九州出身の西住さんがニューヨークに渡ったのは、奇しくもジョアンがニューヨークから九州にやってきたのと同じ１０年前のこと。今回は第一弾として、コロラド州のボルダーマット社で限定７５枚がプリントされます。

　コンセプトの立ち上げとなる初回製造分は、（アメリカ合衆国の中央部(ハート)に位置する）アイオワ州とニューヨーク州、そしてジョアンが現在暮らしている大分県に出荷されます。

　マットの売上げの１パーセントが市街地緑化に使われるほか、マットの一部を地域奉仕活動に活用していく計画もあります。このカラフルな「アートとエネルギー」のマットをきっかけにヨガのプログラムを始めたいと考えている小学校や地域グループがあれば、マットをご提供します。トマレ・ヨガマットが世界各国に広がり、平和と癒しの普遍的なシンボルとなることがジョアンの夢です。

「止(ストップ)」を「スタート」へと転換させるための種をまく。それが目下の構想です。

ジョアン・Ｇ・吉田