Since I went to the Vipassana 10-day meditation retreat in June, I’ve been working on staying mindful and practice meditation daily.

It has helped me to lower my stress and anxiety about the work and the unknowns of the future. Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed about what may happen, I can bring my focus back to my breathing and notice how I’m feeling in my body now.

It allows me to know on a very fundamental level that whatever I’m worried about isn’t actually happening right now. Even if it lasts only for a split second, it calms my mind.

I started making new drawings to express my appreciation and to encourage myself to continue with the practice.

Though it was not my intention to create a series at first, more ideas kept popping in my head. And creating these drawings is sort of meditative, too!

Last year I had a lot of fun making a wall calendar, and perhaps this could be my new calendar design for 2017?

I personally would like to have this hanging on the wall to remind me to breathe 🙂 Wouldn’t you?

p.s. You can follow me on Instagram to see more works from my sketchbook!

xo Yuko