Wanna be more creative? Yoga can help with that!

Creativity: some people believe they were born without it, while others seems to be oozing at the seams with it. Creativity seems to be this elusive goal and desire for many of us lately. We all want to tap into our creative sides, find ways to express our inner artist, and even fully express ourselves. What’s amazing is we all have the ability to tap into that creative side and yes, while it might be a bit more natural for some, for those who struggle with it, it just takes a little switch in mindset. While there are many outlets to cultivate and express creativity, one that particularly lights a creative fire in me is my yoga practice. I have always thought of myself as lacking in the creative gene, which is funny because I write for a living, but since I cultivated a yoga practice in my life, I find myself coming up with some really juicy ideas and inspired actions. I’ve come up with some of my coolest blogs and writings while in a yoga class.

For me, yoga is a moving meditation, a union of mind, body and spirit, and a way to exit the external world and just be. A yoga practice helps you get into your body, become one with yourself and really tap into your intuition, that inner wisdom, a real sense of knowledge.

If you’re feeling creatively blocked, I would highly suggest scooting over to your local yoga studio, or even rolling out your mat and practicing at home. You can make your practice to suit you just where you are in that moment in that day, and it can be a beautiful way to calm the mind, and let inspiration shine through. If you don’t have enough time for a full class you can even try out some of these poses mentioned here and get an instant boost of clarity and insight.

Seated Meditation: As a yoga teacher, I always start my classes in a simple seated meditation. Sitting anyway that is comfortable to you, close your eyes and simply begin to focus on your breath. Essentially, yoga is meditation! This is a practice you can literally do at any time in your day, close your eyes and breathe. It’s amazing how much clarity you can gain by this simple practice alone.
Breathing exercises: The breath is our life force and throughout our day we forget to breathe! A Kundalini breathing meditation that I love that really helps be bust through blocks and get crystal clear is Ego Eradicator, I also love Alternate Nostril Breathing. Look up some exercises and find one that works for you!
Forward Fold. Standing with your feet hip-width distance apart, hinge at the hips and gently fold forward. You don’t need to push yourself to get your hands all the way to the floor, in fact, grab opposite elbows and simply allow yourself to just “hang”. By getting your head below your heart and you sending fresh, oxygenated blood to your brain, boosting its function and even giving you an energy kick. This is another pose you can do at any part of the day, and it’s one of my personal favorites.
Downward Facing Dog. Down Dog is a staple in many yoga classes because it just does so much for the body and the mind. Hands and feet on the ground, create an equilateral triangle with your body, hips pulling upward, hands and feet grounding into the earth. Another head below your heart pose, bringing energy and clarity and also strength and balance.
Warrior Two. With your right foot forward, toes in line with your knee, step your left foot back a little wider than hip width distance. Turn the toes of your left foot in at a 45-degree angle. Bend your right knee to a 90-degree angle. Extend your arms out to the side, strong and fierce, and breathe. Warrior Two is a great pose for concentration and strength, your body is really working here, but your mind stays calm. Take a few breaths here and then switch sides.
Corpse Pose. Lying on your back, arms at your sides, eyes closed and just allowing yourself to be still. Letting go of your thoughts and worries and just be. Savasana can be one of the hardest poses as many of us feel like we constantly need to be on the go. Great insight comes from stillness.

After practicing any of these poses, get out your favorite journal and just free-write whatever comes to you. You’ve done great work to tap into that inner creativity, and when you put pen to paper is when the real wisdom shows. Don’t edit your thoughts just see what comes up for you and try not to judge the process! There is no perfection, only progress and practice. Let me know what comes up for you and how you tap into your creativity in the comments below. Have a great week!

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