The Importance of Health and Yoga for Tattoo Artists

Many people are aware of the physical trails and tribulations that tattoo clients experience when getting tattooed, but have you ever stopped to think about what the body goes through when you're the one giving the tattoo? Many tattoo artists are forced to sit in unnatural positions for countless hours on uncomfortable stools. These sitting positions can throw off the alignment of spine, neck, shoulders, and even cause severe nerve and muscular pain. Stretching hands often cramp up from pulling the skin to achieve perfect lines and eyes become strained from working under florecent lighting and focusing very close up to skin.

Well known artist, Durb Morrison teaches a seminar solely based on the ways to care for your body when you're a tattooer and suggests taking breaks to look out the window and trace far away objects to challenge your eyes in differeny ways. All in all, humans we are sometimes guilty of trying to put mind over matter and ignoring what our body is desperately trying to tell us. But for the sake of longevity, steps need to be taken to maintain the body. 

Tattoo artist, Rachel Gonzalez from Exotic Eye Tattoo in Maui, HI (and Alaska!) was featured in an aritcle published in Hawaiian Airlines onboard magazine that talks in depth about yoga as a useful practice for many different people. Her body consciousness and regular practice are inspiring and worth taking note of. To learn more about Rachel and her philosophies on how to maintain a healthy tattooist body, check out the article or catch her at the upcoming Paradise Artist Retreat where she will be teaching a Yoga for Tattooers class!

Now go out an stretch that bod of yours!