- Five ways Yoga and Writing fit together. If you at it in a deeper sense might know how the two are intertwined.
Let us start by saying that Yoga and writing have a lot in
common. Practicing yoga before writing can bring you more productive and
fulfilling results as your mind will be in the right place and the words shall
flow effortlessly.
By putting writing and yoga together your thoughts will run more smoothly, you’ll be more concentrated, your mind will be more open to new ideas, and with all of this, your self-esteem will increase. These are just some of the powers this mix can bring to your life.
During your journey, you will notice that both Yoga and
Writing can be challenging in their own way, and the only way to overcome that
is by keep practicing while learning new methods and making mistakes. Remember
that you just have to keep trying and you will reach your goals.
Yoga is a mind-body practice - exercising the mind is as important as exercising your body. Yoga will reduce your stress and anxiety and these two points are exactly what you need when it comes to writing. Note that Yoga is much more than body practice – to know why read Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Below, you can discover 5 ways of how Yoga and Writing Fit together.
1) Asking Deeper Questions
Yoga practice isn’t just about bendy party tricks, although that’s a nice side effect. Anyone who has delved deep into yoga recognizes its power as a spiritual practice, one which leads us to greater self-knowledge. This questioning aspect of yoga makes it unique amongst physical practices but writing in general, and journaling, in particular, has long been encouraging its practitioners to question themselves, working towards finding powerful answers to the big queries in their lives.
For example during Shavasana our mind is flooded with questions. As we work towards stillness, the mind often busies itself. Practicing clearing your mind during these moments can be supported by knowing you’ll address the questions in your writing practice later.
2) Practicing Discipline
Yoga practice is all about
discipline. Rounds of vinyasas,
controlled breathing and deep, long stretches in yin teach us to practice
control over our mind. For many practitioners, yoga becomes a daily ritual, an
unmissable part of our day. By habitualising this practice, we cement it as a
part of our lives.
For many writers, discipline is one of the hardest elements to incorporate into their practice. There’s never the right moment to sit down and write, or when you do finally put pen to paper distractions spring up. Working on yoga practice strengthens mental discipline and enables you to knuckle down when the time calls.
3) Learning to Let Go
In yoga we cultivate aparigraha - the practice of non-attachment, a psychological skill
that enables us to sever ties from material attachments that is consuming our
minds.
Sometimes, when a story just isn’t working, it’s hard to sweep it aside or to let it go altogether, despite this being just the thing we need to do to move on.
4) Tapping into Our Creative Side
By creating stillness during our yoga practices,
in those moments of balance and rest, we enable our mind to unfurl, discovering
our creative potential.
Yoga is often a time for ideas to flourish, and building a writing practice gives us a place to cultivate and express this creativity. Yoga releases these thoughts, feelings and ideas. Don’t let them go, channel them into a creative writing practice that brings you joy.
5) Writers Need
Yoga
Writing is surprisingly bad for your health.
Everyone from office workers to fiction writers are noticing the physical
damage that sitting at a desk does to their bodies. Wrist cramps, hunched
posture and tight hip flexors are common complaints of anyone who spends more
than a couple hours sitting each day.
Yoga offers a fantastic solution to these aches and pains. Discovering a yoga practice that loosens the hamstrings, opens the hips and eases lower back pain will give you more energy throughout the day. By counteracting these effects of writing, you’ll be able to concentrate on your writing practice rather than letting these niggles detract your workflow.
Author Lauren Groff is a yoga writer at Cheap Essay service. She writes on the intersection between physical wellbeing, mental health and spiritual practices.