By Brenda Biem Leifso
Today, it’s not hard to think of stretchy pant and over-earnest Zen Master types in dramatic contortions when anyone mentions the word “yoga”.
But Yoga – the practice and the benefits – extend beyond the stereotypes we have built around it here in the west. Yes, it can offer physical strength and flexibility, but it also offers far more than that – a way to clean the lens on how we look at our lives, a way to see how we are relating to our inner lives, and a way to understand your spirit and creativity.
Much like there is nothing terribly magical about an artistic practice, there is nothing terribly magical about accessing your creativity through Yoga. It requires dedication – a commitment to daily work and learning. It asks for flexibility not necessarily in your physical body, but in your mind and in your willingness to hear what quietness has to tell you. It asks you to pay attention to your breath both when you’re doing Yoga poses and when you are moving through your daily life. Often, this attention results in the elimination of distractions and obstacles to full creative expression. Most of all, it results in connection with the well of curiosity and spark needed to sustain a creative practice and engaged life.
Because of this, Yoga is for everyone, for any body, and for any creative discipline – visual art, theatre, music, photography, pottery, writing, glass-blowing, or knitting (the sky’s the limit). It’s especially for those who would like to develop a practice or learn how to infuse creativity into daily life.
If you would like to explore the link between yoga and creativity in your own life, consider participating in one of the inaugural sessions of yoga at the Tett!