Meet yoga instructor, artist, and photographer from Kathmandu, Yusha Pun.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Namaste, My name is Yusha Pun, From Kathmandu, Nepal.

By profession, I am a yogi and yoga instructor, as well as an artist and a photographer. I have been contributing art and photography in exhibitions, galleries, publications, blogs and websites for more than a decade ago under the name “Queen Enigma”. To me, practicing and teaching yoga is like practicing art towards the welfare of human spirits.

Describe the city you’re living in and what it’s like to live there.

I grew up together with my siblings and have lived all my life in Kathmandu. Kathmandu has changed so much in my times, but the magic of historic Kathmandu still remains, in the old monuments and stupas, art, architectures, centuries-old temples. It’s a city of music, because of festivals, rituals, ceremonies, there are always people celebrating and practicing various religious occasions it has more recently become over-polluted and overcrowded now. I have love and hate relationship with the modern Kathmandu going to meet my own mother is like a raw adventure because of the roads. I don’t understand how water pipes are done; they dig roads and never really fix them properly. Also, I think Nepal, being a mountainous country, there are more road problems. But I am not going to get upset with it, we are a forward-looking country and people have become more aware as well.  Most of the youths that go abroad return after some time and people who are in the country are still doing whatever they want to do. Chilling, working around the valley there are many interesting places to explore despite traffic, water, road, etc. problems in the city

What is the best and worst thing about living in your city?

The best thing about my city is that it is very close to many natural and green places to escape the city. After all, Kathmandu is surrounded by hills all around it. The worst about my city, I’d say roads and pollution.

Give us 3 words that describe what it’s like to be a creative in your city.

Mysterious, independent, outcast.

To me, there is no difference between art and how I live my life.

How did you start your career in art?

I don’t know how to answer this question. Art is a communication that makes us realize each individual is a conscious being. To me, there is no difference between art and how I live my life. When I was a teenager, I could not understand things I wanted to learn without actually drawing or breaking the phrases down, be it books subject or drawing my emotions out while dealing some life situations. Now I have looked back and feels art has been there protecting my feelings being my soul’s best friend. Art steals us and connects us to a better version of ourselves making us realize our inner potential. Again and again, we have to practice it to find persistence through the practice for all seeks stability in life and art can be our guide to life. More than a decade ago when I started exploring myself into photography, I could not stop myself taking pictures. It was an easier medium for me to express. I got drawn to the artistic side of photography more and experimented on myself and others. Now I look at the photos, art has let me look at how I perceive the world around me, my own habit patterns and subjects I chose to photograph. etc. I was also working with an old fashion magazine called Navayata, as a photographer. Later on, I worked for a Belgian based journalist photographer Tom Van Cakenberge and got to travel around remote places in Nepal. I still take photos but my so-called style has been changed throughout these years. These days I am more interested in taking photos of places, nature and of people; how they move and position their limbs, their angle of eyeballs, their mount below fingers, what they practice, etc. Photography has taught me how impermanent is nature of everything perhaps it is why some appreciate it more beautifully.

Were the people around you supportive of your decision on working as a creative?

Yes, they were open-minded people who supported my ideas and did not bother about my pace. I like to work my ideas with total freedom and wherever I have worked, they gave me that space. I don’t like being asked many times to finish the job I am finishing it anyway. Creativity doesn’t happen on its own, understanding innovation and art is about bringing change and the change only happens under favorable environment, just like to ferment foods, there needs to be the right environment for fermentation to happen.

Creativity doesn’t happen on its own, understanding innovation and art is about bringing change and the change only happens under favorable environment, just like to ferment foods, there needs to be the right environment for fermentation to happen.

What are some goals and ambitions you have for your future work?

I have made a little yoga postures art book collaboration with my boyfriend. It is a little Ashtanga yoga postures sequence book to remember the sequence while practicing it. We make clothes with our artworks screen printed on them. But I am very bad at marketing to sell it. During my free time, I am writing a little photo book on my Himalayan Shaman grandfather who got all his teachings of shamanic practices through his dreams ( in sleep) for many years. Also, I am looking forward to making a photo book with my old poems. How an artist can be an artist, marketer, promoter, seller and talker? I don’t have all those skills.

If you could collaborate with any person in the world who would it be?

Definitely it’d be my artist boyfriend James Raja Kitch. You can check his page here.

How would you describe the women around you?

Because of my yoga teaching job, I get to connect with many people from different walks of life. I like to listen when they share their life experiences with me, they teach me to be compassionate. A woman knows how to create vibes in her home and surroundings. I believe her strongest part is her sensitivity about how she feels the feeling as they sound, creative as a homemaker, satisfied with little things, brighter as the sun and the moon and always shining with unconditional love. Remember the love your mother gives you.

A woman knows how to create vibes in her home and surroundings. I believe her strongest part is her sensitivity about how she feels the feeling as they sound, creative as a homemaker, satisfied with little things, brighter as the sun and the moon and always shining with unconditional love.

Were there any local female creatives that you looked up to when you were growing up?

Honestly, there were none. About 10 years ago, there was less local female creative in this industry comparing to present days. It is easier now there are places and opportunities where likeminded people come together to create something and motivate others to promote human spirits through arts. When I was growing up, I was in my own dreamland creating bubbles and watching the world inside the bubbles flying by. I am still not very social person though I live in society, I have limited friends’ circles but I am friendly to all I meet.

Are there any challenging aspects of being a female in your industry?

Be it a woman or a man, accepting and dealing with challenges make our skills more organic and sharpened. When we do our duty despite no matter what situations, we get power from that and art is about using that power properly. But at the same time, we are human beings with feelings. Nobody is perfect like a machine and all make mistakes and errors. Challenges come and struggle becomes real but that is the part of life; going through such situations often do not stay longer as well, it teaches us how well we have managed and how we can improve ourselves creatively.

Remember what you create comes out from the focus of energy. All is energy. when you are creative; you involve your awareness through your senses, body, and mind to create your objects of reality.

Do you have any advice to young women who are aspiring to work in your field?

Remember what you create comes out from the focus of energy. All is energy. when you are creative; you involve your awareness through your senses, body, and mind to create your objects of reality. Hope you create more art that promotes wellbeing, for yourself and those around you. When things happen, you are only facing consequences of the previous actions. Have the free will to create the environment you want to live in and know yourself better than anyone else.

Photos courtesy of Yusha Pun.