Creation. All kinds of images flutter into my mind when I say this word; human life, our cosmos, gardening, paintings and crafts, snow, sand and wood sculptures, rock formations, the Vitruvian man, yoga classes, food and baking. It is a word that brings a concentration to my face and a smile to my heart as I dream and plan the things I will create. Creativity is an exploration of self and for me is something that happens when I’m inspired. Inspiration can come in many forms but to be inspired I need to give my brain a rest. I need to not work, to take a walk, to immerse myself in something outside my normal routine, to listen, read or talk with someone with differing ideas and viewpoints, or dive into DIY media. Once I’m inspired the river begins to flow and my brain begins to generate a lot of ideas in a jumbled, whirling mess like the winged seeds of the big leaf maple. I then begin to filter through the ideas keeping only those that I’m truly interested in and have a glimmer of hope in succeeding at. Ah, the joy of finding a project!
What has this got to do with yoga? Well, yoga is creativity. It’s body mechanics with a fabulous array of positions your body can move in to and out of, it’s a jumble of thoughts and ideas as you learn the poses, it’s refining your creativity as you learn to feel the pose physically and spiritually. Like a piece of unhewn wood you begin to see the beauty waiting to be uncovered in your pose, you see a curve here, a sharpness there, you see stability and lightness. Yoga is a creative and messy exploration of self that aims to uncover the beauty already within you.
There are two Native American sculptures in my home both are hand hewn and display the creativity of the artist, and the respect the artist has for their subject and their craft. The sculptures are spiritual symbols of love, hope, gratitude. I work to create with this same level of respect whether I am building wooden crafts, planting in my garden, or designing a yoga practice. I am imbued with the joy of creating, with the meditative aspect of a single focus, with the constant challenge to embrace the failures and the messy to uncover or create beauty.
As you rest your mind and open to creativity, pause. Notice the rush of ideas, the flow of
excitement as you review, filter and land on a creative project to embark on. As you rest your mind and open your heart in savasana, pause. Notice the stillness of your thoughts, the gratitude you have for the practice, the love you have for yourself and others. Then let it go, flutter and whirl in the wind like a samara waiting to open and create.