Yoga practice combined with art making can afford you greater relaxation, enhanced breath capacity, improved self-awareness and greater capacity for insight. When blending yoga and art therapy, you clear the space for artistic expression—making room for expansion, acceptance, creativity, and growth. When principles of alignment, flexibility, strength and creative self-expression are applied thoughtfully the capacity for change, growth and healing is limitless.
Yoga and art are both experience-based rather than intellectually-based. Your mind can convince you of many things, but your body and creative intuition know the truth. We find that emotions are stored in the body. By doing yoga, a person can access deep emotions and by then creating art, one can find a means of expression on a fundamental level. These tools are protective as well; while the mind can cycle repetitively through trauma, our physical and intuitive selves only present what the person is ready to deal with.
As a result of yoga and art therapy treatment you may enjoy a natural form of self expression, even when there are no words for what you are experiencing, heal trauma, depression, anxiety, grief and other challenges or conflicts, find the ability to make positive lifestyle changes and recognize and eliminate the obstacles to your joy and freedom.
The Process:
Lay out your yoga mat and have your art supplies within reach. Use whatever you have around, or get a watercolor palette, paintbrushes, water, paper towel, oil pastels, markers… etc. Anything goes! Trace a circle shape (use a bowl or a plate) onto a large sheet of watercolor paper to create an art piece. Have the paper handy so that you don’t have to get up after yoga.
With your materials handy, go right into your creative process. Start drawing, painting and work your way out. Feel free to think out of the box and do not judge the process, be open to what comes up. Stay present to your breath as you create marks on the paper. Have some good music playing, and experiment with syncing the movement of your hand to the music.
One more way to combine yoga and art is through making mandalas. Research shows that creating physical mandalas reduces rumination and anxiety; coloring symmetrical and repetitive patterns in a circular shape facilitates detachment from negative thoughts and emotions.
Have a pen and paper handy and write stream of consciousness whatever is on your mind. Don’t judge your thoughts, just literally write — do this for at least two minutes, or as long as you like. It’s a great way to clear your head and drop into the present moment.
Always remember, when in the artistic state, one enters a state of tapas which, according to yogic principles, involves self-discipline, austerity, and the attempt to achieve union with the higher Self.
Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar who was an Indian yoga teacher and author, founder of the style of yoga as exercise known as “Iyengar Yoga” and was considered one of the foremost yoga gurus in the world once said, “Life without tapas is a heart without love.”
Combining art and yoga leads to co-creation and union with a higher Self—a strong step forward on the path of healing.