‘open heart’ is the first painting in my new collection, ‘home body’ – a series of watercolour pieces celebrating yoga, movement, and the beauty of being at home in your own body.
This new project already has my heart 🫶🏽 Like a lot of us, I’ve always been pretty critical of my body… but through a consistent yoga practice i’m able to learn how to appreciate it more and more. It’s a day-by-day endeavour 🤍 Painting these different shapes is my way of tapping into myself and documenting a journey of self-love. & I thought wheel pose was the perfect place to start!
A little fact about me: I am a total homebody. I love nothing more than being tucked away in my little home studio, painting with my little moo, Alys. So, the name ‘home body’ feels perfect – a celebration of my introverted nature and a reminder that home isn’t just a place; it’s how you feel in your body.
To keep things soft and simple for this collection, I’m going to limit my palette to just three hues. For this painting I’m choosing raw sienna, burnt sienna and perylene violet. I painted on Arches 100% cotton watercolour paper, which allows for beautiful layering and subtle pigment blending. Remember, you can see all my favourite art supplies here.
For this study, I painted myself in wheel pose – also known in Sanskrit as Urdhva Dhanurasana (pronounced OORD-vah dah-noo-RAHS-uh-nuh). It’s a powerful, heart opening pose that requires strength, balance, and trust.
I am so excited to keep growing this series and already have the next few pieces planned out 👩🏽🎨🤍
🤍 urdhva dhanurasana translates to “Upward Bow Pose” in Sanskrit—because the lifted body forms the shape of a traditional archer’s bow.
🤍 It is a deep backbend that strengthens the entire back body—legs, arms, shoulders—and opens the chest, lungs, and heart space.
🤍 Practising this pose is believed to stimulate the thyroid and pituitary glands, promoting better metabolism and energy regulation.
🤍 Full wheel pose can also lift mood by energising the nervous system and opening the chest, counteracting slouched posture and low energy.
🤍 It’s often associated with courage, vulnerability, and emotional resilience—literally opening yourself up, heart first.
As a provisional psychologist, I love understanding how art and movement support emotional wellbeing.
🧠 Research shows that embodiment practices like yoga and mindful movement help strengthen body appreciationand decrease body dissatisfaction (Impett et al., 2006).
🧠 Creating art about your own body can also increase self-compassion, reducing harsh inner criticism and supporting emotional regulation (Czajkowska & White, 2021).
🧠 Backbends like full wheel are thought to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to build emotional resilience through breath and posture (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005).
Through ‘home body’, I’m exploring these ideas in my own quiet way—layer by layer, brushstroke by brushstroke.
Yoga and movement have brought me just as much peace as painting 🤍 Through years of practice, yoga has slowly taught me how to love the body I live in. Nothing has helped me more to soften my inner critic and build a sense of gratitude toward myself and my body.
Painting yoga shapes feels like a creative extension of my yoga practice. It’s a celebration of strength, flexibility, and surrender- a visual love letter to my body.
Keeping the palette limited to just three hues allows me to focus on the energy of the shape. It’s not about painting a perfect body—it’s about painting a moment of being truly at home within myself.
As a qualified yoga teacher, I love learning about the asana I paint. Before I started painting ‘open heart’, I took the time to:
🤍 review anatomical breakdowns of Urdhva Dhanurasana
🤍 check Sanskrit pose names
🤍 study correct pose alignment
🤍 & actually stop to take a few breathes in wheel pose. I’m always doing yoga in my little art studio 🤸🏽♀️
Whenever I want to learn more about a pose, I have a look through my favourite yoga book. If you love yoga and are interested in learning more, I would highly recommend it! ‘Light on Yoga’ by B.K.S. Iyengar is often called the bible of modern yoga—and for good reason. First published in 1966, this classic text breaks down over 200 asanas with detailed instructions, photographs, and the philosophy behind the practice. Iyengar’s clear, methodical approach makes the complexity of yoga feel accessible, while honouring its deep spiritual roots. It’s a book I return to often for inspiration, refinement, and a deeper understanding of how yoga connects the body, mind, and breath.
Painting self-portraits isn’t just an artistic exercise—it’s a form of self-exploration. Research shows that creating self-portraits can increase self-awareness, enhance emotional processing, and support self-compassion (Moon, 2010; Malchiodi, 2013).
When we paint ourselves, we move beyond surface-level appearance. We begin to witness our emotions, our energy, and our resilience from a place of curiosity rather than criticism. It becomes less about how we “should” look and more about how we feel—and how we show up in the world.
In my ‘home body’ collection, painting my body in yoga poses is part of that process. Each brushstroke is a practice in seeing myself with more softness and compassion. Self-portraits remind us that we are always evolving, & always worthy, just as we are.
This piece has been the first painting I have created for my new collection, ‘home body’. & I’m already dreaming of which yoga pose to paint next.
Here’s how you can follow along:
🛍️ Visit my shop – ‘open heart’ is available here as a fine art giclée print, printed locally with love. You can find all my other artworks on my shop page.
📬 Join the mailing list – Get art updates, behind-the-scenes peeks, and free resources delivered straight to your inbox.
📱 Follow along on socials – I often share work-in-progress snippets, new animal references I’m considering, and little moments from my home studio.
💌 Send me your ideas – Got a yoga pose you’d love to see painted? I’d really love to hear from you!
💻 Keep reading – in the mood to read more? check out all my articles to find something else that you love.
And of course, I’ll keep sharing the story behind each piece as I go ☺️🌻🫶🏽
☼ Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2005). Sudarshan Kriya yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression: Part II—Clinical applications and guidelines. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(4), 711–717. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2005.11.711
☼ Czajkowska, Z., & White, M. P. (2021). Self-Compassion Art Therapy: A mixed methods pilot study. Arts in Psychotherapy, 75, 101826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aip.2021.101826
☼ Impett, E. A., Daubenmier, J. J., & Hirschman, A. L. (2006). Minding the body: Yoga, embodiment, and well-being. Sex Roles, 55(9-10), 271–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9096-6
☼ Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979). Light on yoga. Schocken Books. (Original work published 1966)
☼ Malchiodi, C. A. (2013). Art therapy and health care. Guilford Press.
☼ Moon, B. L. (2010). Art-based group therapy: Theory and practice. Charles C. Thomas Publisher.
☼ What inspired Sarah Kiana’s ‘home body’ collection?
☼ What is wheel pose?
☼ What is urdhva dhanurasana?
☼ How can painting yoga poses support self-acceptance?
☼ What colours and materials should I use for my painting?
☼ How does yoga and art blend with psychology and emotional wellbeing?
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hi, i’m sarah, an australian artist head-over-heels for watercolour & creative practice- it truely is good for your soul.
& this ↑, is my girl alys.
i am completely self-taught in all the mediums i use & i am here to share everything i know with you!
i write about all things creativity, watercolour, gouache, hand-made ceramics, collecting art, & my own artistic process. I have degrees in human psychology & veterinary medicine- so you might find some sporadic related facts in my writing.
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