Do you want to heighten your senses? Feel more? Experience more? Feel alive!? My friend and extremely talented mixed-media artist and teacher, Alena Hennessy, is going to help you do just that. She knows how to glow!…
Yoga & Creativity
“Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.” ~ Author Unknown
I began practicing yoga some 18 years ago and thus have seen and felt its many benefits throughout my art career. Not only is it wonderful for the physical body and nervous system, but I also believe it helps to move our creative juju along with the flow of inspiration and ideas. The word yoga actually means union, so the practice of yoga can assist to align the body, mind, and spirit connection so that our channels are clear within us, so to speak. When our mind is at ease and our consciousness is in a state of openness, ideas and insights that move us may come with more ease and grace. I know for myself when I have finished a yoga class and I walk outside, my senses seem heightened and more aware, I notice more sounds, colors, shapes, and movements. The muse within me is stirring. Not only that, but it helps to unwind my tight areas within my shoulders, neck, wrists, and so forth from repetitive movements that I make in the studio. So this is why I see art making and yoga as having a harmonious relationship.
Simple practices you can do at home:
Breathe:
First off, start by making some quiet time just for yourself, when the kids or hubby won’t interrupt you, for instance. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes, create a quiet and comfortable space in your home to sit. You can sit in a chair or seated on the floor on a pillow, so that your hips are elevated above your knees. Elongate your spine, lift your crown or top of your head, and have your chin parallel to the floor. Now BREATHE. Breathe deeply, sweetly, evenly into the belly as baby’s do. Do this for 5 minutes (longer if you have time). Allow the breath to turn evenly into each inhale and exhale (known as Samavrtti pranayama in yoga) for the same duration of time. Count if you need to. Believe it or not, this is also yoga. In fact, breath work or pranayama, is the foundation for all asanas, or poses.
Unwind:
While still seated, begin to unwind your shoulders and neck. Inhale and tense and lift up your shoulders to your ears, then exhale and deeply release. Do this 10 times. Then roll your neck around while breathing deeply, stopping and breathing into any tight places you discover. Roll into the opposite direction for the equal amount of time. I know as artists this simple yoga practice is needed almost daily. Continue on by doing some simple spinal twists while seated. Place your left hand on your right knee and twist all the way to the right, with your head moving and gazing behind you. Notice your neck. How does it feel? Be gentle and breathe into it. Do the opposite direction to balance out the pose for the same amount of time. Take as much time as you need with this. You may also want to do this on the floor so you can involve the legs. Even lying on your back and doing simple windshield-wiper movements back and forth with your knees from side to side can do wonders for the spine.
Move:
Get on all fours, or hands and knees on a yoga mat or carpet. Lift your spine like a cat, with your neck dropping down and then lower it and inhale, while lifting your head up. Exhale again as you arch your spine, and then inhale as you drop it down in a subtle U-shape. This is the famous cat-cow pose, which is great for loosening the spine. From this pose lean back with your buttocks on the floor and knees bent for child-pose. Have your arms stretched out in front of you and hold this pose for a few minutes. Breathe deeply into this asana, then come up and just move your spine organically as it feels good and breathe. Do this for several minutes. Lift up into downward facing dog pose with your feet on the floor and hips raised to the air, so you are in an inverted-V shape. Hold this pose for 5 breaths. This pose helps to align the whole body and is the building block for many sequences in yoga.
The main purpose with yoga is to unwind and breathe, to link movement with breath. This is a very simple beginning I have shared, but it also can do so much.
Here is a link for a great summary of 10 yoga poses to do everyday.
Breathe well, enjoy, and Namaste.
About the magical Alena:
It started long ago, this fascination that Alena had for all the little things that she could find outside. She and her childhood friends would romp around from sunrise to sunset, creating little worlds of creatures and plant life that would come to life through their illustrations and paintings. Today Alena does what she loves best, living life as a working artist, author, and teacher. She is deeply inspired to teach others the creative process and how to find their own unique voice though art making. Alena is also a Reiki Master and certified Flower Essence practitioner, who also has a passion for holistic healing in its many forms. She has designed and created custom art for numerous business entities. Some current and past clients include: ABC Studios, Target, Urban Outfitters, Galison/Mudpuppy Stationary, Project Iris, Papyrus, Monique Lllulier, Lark & Loon, and the City of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her prints and gift-wares can be found throughout the US and abroad. She has exhibited her paintings in galleries in major cities throughout the United States and has received press from several publications including Dwell, Soul/Body Connection, The Washington Post, ReadyMade, Redbook, ME Home Companion,Victoria, and Natural Health magazine. Find out more about Alena, her work, and workshop offerings at her website.