COMMUNITY
Neighborhood + Ayurveda
May 17-24, 2007
Queen Street West (at Vanauley Street between Spadina and Bathurst)
Summary
Each neighborhood is a local community with unique characteristics
made out of many different levels of activity, physical systems, and
structures of varying permanence. In order to thoroughly examine and
understand one place and its residents, Cassie Thornton will focus
attention on one block in Toronto for one week.
NEIGHBORHOOD = BODY As she examines the intricacies of one city block in Toronto, Cassie will define it as a social body and compare its
functions to that of a human’s. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian form of
holistic medicine. As a life practice it incorporates all aspects of
health based on an individual’s psychological/ physical type (dosha)
with particular strengths and susceptibilities based on the
characteristics of universal elements. In Ayurveda, problems occur
because of an imbalance in the doshas. A person is born with a unique
combination of elements and as they mature, the balance shifts due to
their situation and experience. This shift can cause an unhealthy
imbalance, and it is the goal of Ayurveda to bring the individual back
to his or her original combination of elements. Consistent attention
to this balance in all aspects of an individual’s health alleviates
the need for medicine as a response to malady and increases the
ability of a person to achieve a constant state of health.
AYURVEDA + NEIGHBORHOOD The relationship between Ayurveda and a
neighborhood starts with the observation and analysis of the function
of the space on the block in an unsystematic way through sensitive
observation and detailed analysis. Based on empirical evidence, a
place can be distilled into a combination of elements as specific and
fragile as a human’s. This method has been developed to evaluate the
effectiveness of space for people in a particular community in a new
and experimental way.
Biography
Cassie Thornton is a participant in NYC. She teaches art in her spare
time to NYC public school kids. She is the founder of Against Maps
and Director of The Infinite Museum.
www.cassiethornton.com
www.infinitemuseum.com
www.againstmaps.com