The Bhākti Movement began in Tamil Nadu, India in 7th century AD. The movement was anti-caste, women-led, and centered around the idea that everyone could have a direct relationship with God—who could be found in nature or community—and that divinity existed within all of us. Bhākti yoga is a deeply political and heart-centered yoga practice that has an emphasis on singing, chanting, and gathering in community.

The pieces in this gallery have all been created by an intuitive art process through the practice of listening to trees, ancestors, and stories, as well as through following the heart. The furniture in this gallery has all been sourced secondhand, donated, or loaned, and serves as a reminder of the abundance that exists around us. It emphasizes how there are ways to experience physical comfort that do not further contribute to capitalism, a system that continues to harm the earth and gains power when we see ourselves separate from the natural world.

We have all changed in the past few years amidst COVID-19, and our bodies are holding so much that words cannot name. We all deserve to have physical spaces where we find respite; a place of comfort that allows our nervous systems to rest and access our innermost dreams and desires. Often when we enter gallery or museum spaces, there is a rigidity attached to institutions rather than an integration of the body and heart—the most integral components to the art-making process and to living. While this is a traditional gallery that showcases art, it also seeks to be a decompression space; a place where you can practice, rest, play, and nourish your creative spirit in community.