5 Ways Yoga Can Make You a Better Writer (And Vice Versa)
June 13, 2020
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Yoga’s current image may make it seem like an exercise trend, for young women to get flat abs and perky buttocks.
However, as any novice or advanced practitioners of yoga knows, the practice of yoga is about so much more than your body.
It’s your breath, your mind, and your spirit. You unlock your potential, challenge yourself and get to grips with all of your emotions and feelings.
You use your body to really connect with your mind, which is why yoga and writing can actually act as a ‘magical’ combination in one’s personal development and spiritual fulfillment.
Below, I’m sharing 5 ways on just how connected writing and yoga really are:
1. Both Practices Require the Same Philosophy
When you do yoga, you harness your energy and overcome obstacles in order to develop your mind and reignite your creativity.
Using this energy in writing can help you burst through any writer's block, and you’ll soon find words pouring onto the page. However, implementing your yoga practice into your daily life, in tasks like writing, can really help you when you’re back on the mat.
By using all of the skills you learn on your yoga mat in daily life, you will develop so much faster and really benefit from the philosophy of yoga.
“Yoga is a way of living your life, so switching the principles you learn on and off just holds you back, while making small steps, such as creative writing, can help your practice grow”, says Joanne Ray, a creative writer at Paper Fellows.
2. They’re Both Great Tools to Learn About Yourself
When you write, it’s as if you open up a ‘vein’ and let the words pour out. Even fiction writers would write some sense of truth in their writing, and it’s hard to access your deepest darkest feelings, or even let your imagination run wild if you’re being held back by other thoughts, worries, or distractions.
By writing, you can write all of your thoughts and ideas, and you no longer need to dwell on them. This, in turn, may help the flow of doing yoga a lot easier, as you’ll be more accustomed to letting a thought enter your mind and then float away without trying to cling to it.
This will help you focus on your breath and really concentrate on developing your practice, rather than being distracted by whatever has gone on in your day, or anything you’re worried or anxious about. You’ll have much better access to your true self.
3. They’re Both an Amazing Release
In today’s stressful society, almost everyone experiences some form of anxiety, depression, or stress – and regular practice yoga can help to allleviate them. The cathartic effects of yoga can be amplified when it is coupled with a creative practice, such as writing, which allows you to take jumbled thoughts, anxiety, and worries from your mind to paper.
Amber Coburn, an art manager from Essayroo shares her thoughts: “Writing is an emotional tool used by therapists everywhere to really access your inner feelings, and putting them down on paper is a great way of letting go of the negatives.
This is an awesome way of getting into the right state of mind for your yoga practice, which is also an amazing and acknowledged way of improving mental health. Whatever is on your mind, writing about it can really fuel the way your yoga practice helps you deal with it.”
4. Yoga & Writing Can Help to Amplify Your Skills
When practicing yoga, while there are guidelines in terms of how one should correctly perform each asana (pose), generally, you have quite a lot of freedom to make your practice truly your own and thrive.
As you maintain your practice, you’ll likely to learn to not be possessive and able to let things go without worrying.
Whereas in writing, if you can accept when a story isn’t working and give up, then you’ve probably got a good grasp on being non-possessive.
Yoga helps boosts creativity and you’ll be able to be comfortable to write with less of an idea of where the story will go. It helps to open your mind, to be more inquisitive, and yet able to handle not having an answer to all the questions that may arise. Because of this, combining yoga and writing will help you highlight which areas of your life you need to work on and focus on improving.
5. Writing & Yoga are Personal
We live in a world where there’s a right and wrong way to do everything, and as a result, we can often feel inadequate.
“Writing has no rules, you can do whatever works for you, and when you incorporate this attitude, your yoga practice can become personal too”, shared Thomas Green, an author from Ukwritings.
You have the flexibility of changing your both your yoga and writing practice to suit your needs and mood.
While it may be challenging for us to consistently take time out of our busy schedules for some self-care, setting aside time to work on your writing and your yoga practice can really be beneficial to you and your overall wellbeing.
Take your yoga to a whole new level on a yoga and writing retreat. Go to BookYogaRetreats.com and search among dozens of yoga holidays that will inspire you to put ink to paper in the most creative way!