Inspiration
Inspiration
In all of my projects, including teaching, I move through periods of intense creativity. Sometimes it feels like I'm in the state of flow and other times, the faucet seems to run dry. Inspiration is something that calls me to move, to take action, and to reflect. When I am inspired, I feel compelled towards action, whether it is internal or external. It feels good to have an idea, visualize it, and actualize it whether it is a small change within myself or a class that the whole world can see.
When I hit a dry spell, it feels like my creativity may never return. When I’m in this place, I know that I need a perspective shift. In Yoga, there's a concept called pratipaksha-bhavana, which means to cultivate the opposite. When I am out of flow, I can cultivate a feeling of softness and curiosity instead of waiting for inspiration to find me. I turn to my teachers, to artists, and to techniques of inspiration. This isn’t to spiritually bypass the sensation of being without creativity, but to recognize that, when the well runs dry, you can cultivate the opposite feeling. You can cultivate expansion, curiosity, and receptivity.
Pratipaksha-bhavana is the ultimate reframe. It cultivates the ability to see with a widened lens. Reframing takes a thought or feeling you are constricted by and creates space. Regardless of how true or not your original belief is, reframing creates space and opportunity. In my case, feeling less than creative is a belief that can be reframed by engaging in the arts and the creativity of the communities around me.
For much of this month, I have purposely used other people's quotes and ideas in my weekly content. I wanted to share the people who inspire me. My teachers inspire me and I hope they inspire you. Some teachings are a whole-hearted resounding YES and other times, it a small part of the teaching that moves me. I honor my yoga teachers. They keep me on the mat and in the inquiry of how my physical, mental, and energetic bodies affect each other, and ultimately my own creativity. One of the takeaways that have inspired me is Stacey Brass-Russells’ use of Yoga to shift perspective and mindset - dropping into the heart through backbends or with stretched-out arms and heart-centered breaths - when you are experiencing stuckness. For me, this simple practice offers a powerful shift in awareness.
I also draw upon other places for inspiration: artists, writers, and poets. Recently I had the opportunity to go to MOMA in NYC. It felt great to stand in the rooms full of master painters, to see the carefully created hues, to observe the brush strokes, the richness of detail, and to pull back to examine the completeness of a timeless masterpiece. I love MOMA. I love that you can see references in other master painters in works by subsequent artists. I love that they have expanded their collection to be more inclusive. Being in MOMA inspires me. It makes me feel expansive.
In class, I read a lot of poetry by Mary Oliver. I'm drawn to Mary Oliver for the simplicity of her work, the ease of her poetry, and the awesomeness of her message. Oliver's work reminds me that we can step back into Nature and bear witness to the marvelous wonder that exists. Nature is one of the most powerful examples of being in the flow!
My question for you is: How do you want to move away from that “out of flow” place into the flow of creation? I’d love for you to take a moment and share that with me because I am inspired by students too!
