My wife and I have been learning yoga for the past 18 months or so.
It has given our bodies and minds a new lease on life.
As I was struggling to achieve and maintain a certain pose today the thought occurred to me how much yoga and creativity have in common.
Consider this:
– They can be practiced by people of all ages, sizes, shapes and education.
We are born creative yet as we age many of us stop using our imagination.
Likewise we are born supple and flexible yet because of age and inactivity our bodies start to stiffen.
In both cases we can start or restart the practice of creativity and yoga at any time. It is never too late.
– With practice both can improve
Creativity and yoga are both skills that can be learned and with practice, improved.
And ideally should be practiced every day.
– You can do both by yourself and/or with a group
Much of work and study today is conducted in groups.
Yet creative thinking like yoga can be done by yourself.
– Both require focus and a clear mind
To achieve your best creativity and yoga results you need to have a clear mind.
There can be no multi-tasking in either activity.
– Both make you feel confident and energised
There is nothing like a yoga session to make you forget the worries of the day and feel refreshed and alive.
Likewise a creative breakthrough can enhance your mental confidence and energy levels.
– Both aim to create new patterns
With yoga the aim is to create some space for your muscles to learn new patterns of sitting, walking, standing etc.
With creativity your aim to create new thought patterns and/or escape existing ones.
– Both involve the mind and the body
As I struggle with yoga sometimes my mind is willing but my body feels like it won’t budge.
At other times my mind will consider the likely success of a head stand for example and think no way!
But after some cajoling and pushing of limits I can usually get into a pose which I never thought was possible.
It is the same with creativity — if you want to think differently, one of the best ways to do this is to act differently.
Travelling for example and experiencing a different culture will often open up your mind to new possibilities and understanding.
Practicing creativity and yoga are two of the most life-giving activities that you can do.
Both will help you age well and keep your mind young.