This week’s edition of Yoga Tattuesday comes from sunny San Diego, California, and appears on the foot of yogini Lindsey Anne Johnson. Here’s a picture of Lindsey’s tattoo:
Lindsey’s tattoo, which appears on her left foot, is the word “prana” written in sanskrit. As many of you yogis and yoginis know, the word “prana” is sanskrit for “vital life”, but it is an unbelievably dense and complex concept. Essentially, the notion of “prana” stands for the idea that that there is a vital, life-sustaining force or energy contained within all beings. It is a central concept in yogic and ayurvedic traditions (and is similar to the Chinese notion of Qi) where prana is believed to be contained in the breath, the blood, and other bodily secretions. Oh yes! In fact, in yoga, the breath is seen as a gateway to the world of prana and so the practice of pranayama (or simply, yogic breathing exercises) is a practice in which the control of prana is achieved by controlling one’s breath.
Lindsey says that she got her tattoo after her mom passed away. And while the tattoo was born out of grief, it has encouraged Lindsey to keep going. In fact, as Lindsey says, getting the tattoo was a simple reminder of one thing: to breathe.
Lindsey has been practicing yoga since her first class 13 years ago. She is currently a freelance writer and social media consultant. You can check out her websitelindseyannejohnson.com. While this tattoo is her first tattoo, she says she’s contemplating another one. We’d love to see it when you get it, Lindsey!
Until then, thanks for sharing your story and your tattoo with us!
If you, or someone you love, has a yoga-inspired tattoo and would like to share it here, please complete the contact form on my Yoga Tattuesday Submissions page. I look forward to seeing your yoga-inspired tattoos!
that tat is v. v. cool.