Have you ever tried to quiet your thoughts, only to have them swing wildly from one thing to another, like mischievous monkeys leaping through a jungle? That restless, unsettled mental chatter is what’s often called “Monkey Mind,” and it’s the inspiration behind my latest piece, which will be featured in the upcoming Fix Up Look Sharp – Revamped Thrift Store Art Show at Northern Contemporary Gallery in Toronto.
From Forgotten to Transformed
This piece started as a thrift store find— with an abandoned painting that I gave a new life, by merging it with an image from my yoga and meditation series.
When I first turned to yoga to ease back pain, I thought it was just about stretching. Years later, a senior teacher shared a deeper truth: “The true goal of yoga is to quiet the monkey mind.” - Yoga Sutra 1.2:
“Yogas citta vritti nirodhah”
(“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind.”)
Monkeys in the Wild and in the Mind
My travels in Africa reinforced this concept in the most unexpected way. The most fearsome creatures I encountered weren’t lions or elephants—it was the monkeys. They stared me down outside my tent, jumped on the roof in the dead of night, and even broke into tents, causing complete mayhem. It was impossible to ignore their presence, much like the intrusive thoughts that disrupt our peace.
A Breath, A Pause, A Moment of Stillness
Monkey Mind is my lighthearted take on the ongoing challenge of finding inner stillness. It’s a reminder that, just like in meditation, we can’t always stop the thoughts, but we can learn to observe them, let them pass, and return to the present—one breath at a time.
See It in Person
Join me at Northern Contemporary Gallery in Toronto for the Fix Up Look Sharp – Revamped Thrift Store Art Show, where artists breathe new life into old works, giving them fresh meaning and purpose.
📅 Opening Night: March 6, 6–10 PM
📍 Exhibition Dates: March 6–18
📌 Location: Northern Contemporary Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Come see how a forgotten painting was transformed into a meditation on the mind, and explore a collection of works that turn the old into something entirely new.
