This painting began with a dream. A wise figure held my face gently and spoke to me with deep urgency, as if sharing something I truly needed to hear. When I woke, I remembered the feeling of the moment, but not a single word they said. The background draws from the colors and atmosphere of the yoga studio where I practice and teach, where the mind softens and something quieter can come forward. Awaken, for me, is about becoming still enough to hear the wisdom that was always there. The voice beneath the noise. The sage within.