# Bhakti: A Practice of the Heart
Visitors to Crossings Gallery were invited to decompress and nourish their creative spirit at *Bhākti: A Practice of the Heart* from September 23, 2022–December 15, 2022. Brighton artist Deborah Johnson curated an interactive installation featuring mixed-media, portrait paintings, and visual affirmations in a lush living room. As a queer South-Asian artist and mental health professional, Johnson connects her personal ancestry and spirituality to create a place of comfort and sanctuary for all. All visitors were encouraged to drop by to reflect in a journal, view the art, gather with friends, or engage with the community altar.
##### *Exhibition photos by [Mel Taing](https://www.meltaing.com/)*
### ***This interactive installation was on view at the Crossings Gallery
from September 23, 2022–December 15, 2022.***
###
**Go to:**
- [Origins of Bhākti](#bhakti-origins)
- [Gallery Information](#installation-info)
- [Weekly Gathering Hours](#weekly-gathering)
- [FAQ](#bhakti-faq)
- [Past Events](#upcoming-events)
- [Artist Statement](#artist-statement)
- [Meet the Artist](#meet-the-artist)
## Origins of the Bhakti Movement
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.
As a result of the appropriation of yoga in the West, we often only focus on asāna (physical practice) when yoga is an entire philosophy and lifelong practice. Our perception of what a healing space looks, feels, and sounds like is often rooted in a washed-down and appropriative experience of spiritual practices from non-Western cultures. Wellness culture has told us that there is always something to be fixed, improved upon, or bought that will make us better. Yoga shows us that slowing down, connecting to our breath, our bodies, and to the natural world, can allow us to step towards freedom.
Harvard Ed Portal · How to Pronounce Bhākti
Embed
[Harvard Ed Portal](https://soundcloud.com/harvard-ed-portal "Harvard Ed Portal") · [How to Pronounce Bhākti](https://soundcloud.com/harvard-ed-portal/how-to-pronounce-bhakti/s-1fPoAwb10nr "How to Pronounce Bhākti")
## A Place to Nourish Your Creative Spirit
The pieces in the gallery had 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 the gallery had all been sourced secondhand, donated, or loaned, and served as a reminder of the abundance that exists around us. It emphasized 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 was a traditional gallery that showcased art, it also sought to be a decompression space; a place where one could practice, rest, play, and nourish their creative spirit in community.
## Guided Meditation on Listening
This is a guided meditation on listening to the body, narrated by artist Deborah Johnson. You can do this meditation lying down on your bed, on the floor, or sitting up in a chair. Feel free to use a pillow or whatever else brings you comfort.
*Guided Meditation Length: 8 minutes*
#### [Listen Here](/file_url/1389)
..
## Weekly Bhakti Gathering Hour
***Gatherings were held weekly, September 28, 2022–November 30, 2022***
*Bhākti Gathering Hour* was a weekly workshop held each Wednesday where visitors could connect with new people, journal, create art, or practice tarot, as well as meet the artist and special guests. Conversations were hosted by rotating local BIPOC artists and allowed visitors to learn about the spiritual and personal aspects of each artist's practice. On October 12 and November 9, the healing practice focused on those in the BIPOC community.
## FAQ
Open all sections Close all sections
### Who was this decompression space and gallery for? expand\_more
The space was welcoming and open for all to attend. The installation and the weekly events were based in cultural practices rooted in South Asia and yogic philosophy, and aimed to provide resources for BIPOC healing given the unique forms of harm and systemic oppression BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) people experience in the world. No specific spiritual affiliation or background was necessary to participate.
### What did a visitor experience at the exhibit? expand\_more
Visitors experienced an interactive gallery and decompression space that allowed them to make art to contribute to the installation, journal, or gather with friends. There were art prompts to respond to, books to read, and a plant cutting exchange to participate in. Visitors could also view mixed media art such as textile pieces from recycled materials, gauche portrait paintings, and visual affirmations within a lush, open living room style space.
### What was the community altar? expand\_more
The community altar was a space for individuals that served multiple purposes: a place to pause or meditate, a place to honor loved ones living and passed, and a place to feel connected to something larger than ourselves. Visitors were invited to bring something to leave on the altar, such as pieces of nature, photos, art, or meaningful objects (i.e. shells, leaves, crystals). However, it was not required.
### What happened during the Bhakti Gathering Hour on Wednesdays? expand\_more
At weekly gatherings, visitors would briefly sit together in a circle for a welcome by the artist, Deborah Johnson, followed by a short meditation and conversation. Then, participants would be invited to explore the space. They could look at the art, read the books, respond to a journal prompt, view or make something for the community altar, or talk to each other and the artist(s). The events were designed to be informal; visitors were welcome to come and go at any time. Special guests would co-lead gatherings on select Wednesdays. On October 12 and November 9, the healing practice was focused on those in the BIPOC community.
### Why was the installation centered on BIPOC healing practices and needs? expand\_more
The installation and the weekly events were based in cultural practices rooted in South Asia and yogic philosophy, and aimed to provide resources for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) healing given the unique forms of harm and systemic oppression BIPOC folks experience in the world. However, the space was welcoming and open for all to attend.
## Past Events
Opening Celebration **September 23, 2022**
Harvard Ed Portal
*The interactive installation, Bhākti: A Practice Of The Heart, kicked off with an opening celebration at the Crossings Gallery.*
Weekly Gatherings **September 28, 2022–
November 30, 2022**
Harvard Ed Portal
*These weekly gatherings provided opportunities for the local community to connect and form deeper relationships with one another.*
Reflect and Restore: A Full Moon Celebration **December 8, 2022**
Harvard Ed Portal
*The local community was invited to join yoga teacher and artist, Deborah Johnson, and herbalist and poet, Julissa Emile, for restorative yoga and a reflection on the past year.*
## Artist Statement: Deborah Johnson
*My artistic journey has always centered a deep connection to my mental health, ancestry, and community. One of the most important questions I've learned to ask myself as a somatic practitioner and artist is, "For the sake of what? Art for the sake of what?" For me, it is for the sake of spiritual and emotional expression, for the sake of connection, and for the sake of freedom. I hope through emphasizing an intuitive art process, using materials that are easily available, and integrating the body, that my work can challenge the idea that art must be inaccessible in order to be valuable or effective. I hope my work encourages someone to buy cheap watercolors, take a deep breath, and paint the pain they have felt in their upper back, or write down the words they wish their mother told them, and frame it above their makeshift altar.*
##### *Photo by Mel Taing (Instagram: [@m.ltaing](https://www.instagram.com/m.ltaing/))*
[](https://www.debsdreaming.com/)
[ 
](https://www.instagram.com/debs.dreaming/)
## Deborah Johnson
Deborah Johnson (she/they) is a queer Indian-American multidisciplinary artist and creative care worker based in Boston, Massachusetts. Johnson was born in Chennai, India and grew up in Chicago, a city that nurtured her relationship to art, from teaching family art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago to being a part of the first Teen Council at The Museum of Contemporary Art. She studied political science at Oberlin College and is currently getting her Masters in Social Work at Boston College. In 2022, Deborah was a participant in the Harvard Ed Portal's inaugural [artist pipeline program](/artist-pipeline-program).
*Special thanks to West Elm, Brookline Booksmith, Dharma Crafts, and Sword & Kettle Press for supporting this exhibit.*
##### **Sources consulted:**
##### \* Autumn Asher BlackDeer & David A. Patterson Silver Wolf (2020) *Evidence Mapping: Interventions for American Indian and Alaska Native Youth Mental Health*, Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 17:1, 49-62, DOI.
##### *\* Honoring Yoga's Roots* by Susanna Barkataki
##### *\* My Grandmother's Hands* by Resmaa Menakem