The Beyond Van Gogh Experience traveled near enough to visit and they had special early morning yoga classes before the exhibit opened to the public. I went to the exhibit at the Fairgrounds. It had ample (paid) parking and helpful signage to find the experience. For the yoga class, you enter backward through the experience, through the gift shop to the main room. I arrived early and had time to set up and look around and take it all in.
Yoga in the Beyond Van Gogh Experience
I don’t know what I was expecting, but this was both more and less than I thought it would be. It is a small installation with only a few rooms, with really the main room being the attraction. For yoga we entered the back way through the gift shop and into the main room to set up our mats. I arrived 30 minutes early to enjoy the space.
The main room is large, think high school basketball gymnasium sized. Van Gogh’s works surround you in the space like you are in a living painting. On each wall and indeed the floor at times, Van Gogh’s works are displayed, moving in a parallax style. The exhibit immerses you in the painting and perhaps a bit in the artist’s mind. The colors are vibrant and often moody. In certain scenes, like the one with flowers, it feels hopeful, and other times it feels intense and maybe even a little sad. So picture his famous sunflowers. You see a section of the room as if someone was painting the famous painting mural style, but then the flowers swirl around the painting and onto the floor. The movement makes everything feel visceral.
I am torn on my opinion of this experience as it relates to yoga. As far as visiting the experience in general, I would recommend it. However, it was not a great setting for a yoga class because I was distracted by the visuals, and it took me out of my body and breath. That being said, having an hour plus to be in the space and watch it cycle through while having something else to focus on was really nice. It allowed enough time to watch everything cycle through at least twice. If I had not been taking the class, I don’t think I would have stayed as long, and the second time through the projected video, I felt I caught things I did not initially.
The teacher, Missy Didonato, from Yoga One, expertly led the class. There was a lot of time on the ground and poses with one knee on the ground. She wisely knew we would all be looking around and it felt like the class was safely sequenced with that in mind. We were encouraged to stop and sit when we wanted and also to take pictures. She even brought our observation to the beauty around us. I feel this would have been a lovely restorative class. As it was, the postures were more yin yoga than a vinyasa flow. The class itself felt supportive, accessible for most fitness levels, a little otherworldly because of the projections, and very unique.
I recommend wearing warm clothes and socks. The large room was unheated and a little chilly. Because of the style of yoga, my body did not warm up much and I was glad that I brought a sweater to wear.
Beyond Van Gogh and Mental Health
In the midst of all the beauty and movement, is the realization that Vincent Van Gogh struggled greatly with mental health and ended his own life. In his letters with his brother, Theo, it is evident that he was deeply loved and respected, but that living inside his mind was tough. And while not many possess the skill and artistry of Vincent Van Gogh, I think many people can resonate with the feelings and emotions he puts upon the canvas.
He describes this in a letter to Theo. “I wanted to tell you that I think I’ve done well to come here, first, in seeing the reality of the life of the diverse mad or cracked people in this menagerie, I’m losing the vague dread, the fear of the thing. And little by little I can come to consider madness as being an illness like any other.” Psychologists debate what his disorder was, but there is no doubt that he struggled for periods of his life mentally and emotionally.
So more than beauty surrounding you in a room and practicing yoga, this acknowledgment of mental illness feels relevant to today. In the United States, one in every five people lives with mental illness. In the past, possibly fewer than 20% of the population struggled with mental illness. Perhaps it was not recognized, and people are now giving what they are experiencing a name. I think what the statistic above shows us is that this is even more common than we think it is.
It is now widely accepted that trauma holds itself in the body (even generationally) and will eventually present itself. Yoga, breath work, and meditation are all tools we can use to help cope and heal, but therapy is an important resource too. I am not a doctor or a therapist and I suggest seeking out medical professionals if you or a loved one are struggling with mental health. The first call can be tough, but it can change you and your family’s lives for the better.
Friends, if you are feeling a lot of the feels right now (and, indeed, also if you are not). Know that you are loved. You are worth the space and the air you take up on this earth. None of us can see the big picture, but your spirit and self are an important part of the story of the earth. There are systems designed to make you doubt that truth, but know that it is a certainty. You are loved and you are enough.
If you or a loved one is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, please call the U.S. National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), It is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish. Or visit the online treatment locator.
Suicide prevention lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Free and confidential support for people in distress, 24/7.
May you stay healthy and may you live in peace.
Namaste Friends.
