Wednesday, August 1, 2012

For the Love of Yoga...Inspirations behind our Om and Buddha's Kiss Designs


Sophia & Chloe Large Om Earrings with Citrine
So many reasons why I love yoga...It makes you feel like you got a massage & worked out, all at the same time. I love sharing this with my husband, even if our girls make fun of us. I always leave class smiling. We go to the most fabulous studio, Haute Yoga, where the instructors are amazing and everyone is so nice and welcoming. It reminds me of "Cheers." I am especially charmed & inspired by how my classes include people from ages 12-75+ (I hope to be doing this when I am 75 too), and because I think Namaste is a beautiful word. For all these reasons and many more, it was such a joy to design my Om and Buddha’s Kiss© collections.





Sophia & Chloe Om Charm Necklace

This was my first nod to the great tradition of Yoga. I remember my first yoga class years ago. The instructor had us begin by sitting cross legged, with our eyes closed chanting “Om.”  New to all of this, I had one eye closed, and was looking around with the other thinking “Seriously? I don’t know about this.”  Now, as any yoga enthusiast will tell you, getting there early and really setting your intention in this way, or just calmly breathing for a bit, makes all the difference. The vibration in a room full of people chanting this sacred word is powerful. 

When showing these pieces, people often ask me what the word Om symbolizes.

Oma mystical sound of Sanskrit origin, sacred and important in various Dharmic religions such as HinduismBuddhism, and Jainism …. In essence, Om is the signifier of the ultimate truth that all is one.

Sophia & Chloe Om Charm Bracelet

With so many different Oms out there, I really wanted to create my own unique version, so I decided to create my own Sanskrit font within a classic teardrop shape. The earrings are a reverse image of one another, creating a balanced and face flattering design.






Buddha's Kiss Earrings with Mermaid Quartz






Years after I designed my class Kiss© Collection, I wanted to create a new and fresh take on this symbol. The Henna motif for the word "kiss" is also a brace (above), and appropriately means "to belong together". These arabesques are imbued with such a rich meaning, I couldn't resist working with them again. The result was this design. After stretching and moving the "kisses" / braces around, a meditating Buddha's emerged in the negative space, hence our Buddha's Kiss©.

I hope you enjoy these pieces as much as I enjoyed designing them! 

Namaste, 
Nathalie