Art Meditation with Michelle Kurihara

Art Meditation with Michelle Kurihara. Michelle Kurihara is the founder of Sound of Rain Studio, a painting meditation program. It aims to provide a safe, calm space for people from all walks of life to experience painting. As a tool for meditation and often, as a result, a healing practice. Coming from a high-profile corporate accounting background as a chartered accountant of 12 years, working in London she has since left corporate and is now a certified Yoga and Meditation Instructor. Sound of Rain Studio reflects her continuous pursuit to share the positive benefits of living authentically through the cultivation of inner peace.

Building Awareness is crucial in life. To navigate your way, Yoga and Art are powerful tools and practical tools that assist you.
Michelle Kurihara

Background

Born in Hong Kong Michelle then continued her tertiary studies in Australia. She travelled for several years as part of her career in chartered accountancy. She moved to London for work and was there for several years. Due to a changing life path, Michelle decided to leave corporate life and pursue a more authentic lifestyle as a yoga teacher. She is a certified Yoga Teacher of nearly 10 years. And has practised Yoga Meditation as a personal way to deepen her understanding of herself and her environment. Michelle taught Yoga across several countries, including Australia, Japan, the UK and presently in Bali Indonesia.

Bridge to Self painting meditation by Dewi Dian Reich Sawidji Gallery

Michelle Kurihara, mentor for Painting Meditation

Art and Meditation Two catalysts

Yoga was the catalyst to go deeper into self discovery. It introduced me to search for deeper meaning than just materialism and the quid pro quo of capitalistic lifestyle. It opened p new paths in my life where inner peace became more important ..It is more a measure of ‘success’ than wealth and material things. I will be always grateful to yoga for this transformation. The first Yoga class I ever took was during lunchtime in the ofofice of my workplace. In central London. The constrast of this was quite strong. It created a curiosity in me, that asked the question what else can life be?

Growing up my opinion was not encouraged to be expressed. It felt that my opinions were not valued and not seen to be correct. Be qseen but not heard is sort of how I grew up and how I was conditioned. This created perhaps subconsciously a fear of speaking up or even expressing my thoughts. From my experience as a an accountant, which is based on very firm logic accuracy is highly valued.. there are no grey areas. Everything is black and white or right and wrong. As I was growing up, my mothers way is very much one way. It was conform or be disapproved.

When I picked up a paint brush for the first time, I discovedered there was a space for me to be.. not about right or wrong. The playfulness was brought out of me and intuitively. I painted intuitively without an end image in mind. I enjoy the flow of the colours landinf on the canvas without thinking about the process, or the ending or the outcome. It was the thing I enjoyed doing most every single day. To this day in my life. Now I paint every single day.

Painting is meditative for me. If I am having a stressful day, I can’t wait to get home and paint. It calms me down, it is my emotional release. Therefore for me, it has become my meditation.

During covid, there were particular challenges for those of us living in Bali. During this time, without work, there were a lot of uncertainties and I had a lot of free time. This was positive, the free time that is. This is how my Painting Meditation workshop started.

Sound of Rain Studio Painting Meditation

For many years I struggled with a hidden disability: not being able to focus or concentrate. Working in the corporate world requires high attention. Anything less than that is highly disapproved of. I found that in pain, there is no such judgment. There is nothing to prove. You do not have to be anything other than yourself. In this capacity, painting would simply flow. Through painting, I can focus and concentrate for long periods. Perhaps this is a reflection of the power of healing.