When I stepped into my first yoga class at a Bally’s gym in the late 90s, I was there for the exercise class. I was making my way through the group classes, hoping to find something I liked.

As a kid and a teen, I would work out or get involved in sports only when it was ‘required’ or ‘expected’ of me. Basketball was fun until it was a competition. In middle school, I quit after a few practices. I’m sure the B-team didn’t struggle due to my absence. Running the mile for gym class usually meant Jill and I would start out at a slow jog together until we hit the area where the trees covered the coach’s sightline, where we would walk as slowly as possible.

So, years later, when I found myself going back to the yoga class again and again, I knew I had found a form of movement that I liked.

An added benefit: I was learning how to feel comfortable doing things that were new and uncomfortable. I started to try out other things I’d been avoiding: step class, weight lifting, hiking, and…sharing my writing with people.

Ok, so that last one wasn’t a physical endeavor, but it just goes to show how yoga can help you begin to tap into your creativity.

I loved writing from an early age. I started keeping a diary/journal when I was 8 or 9 years old, and I haven’t stopped yet.

After starting yoga, I joined a writing class at a community center. It was such a blessing. I was introduced to the works of Juila Cameron and Anne Lamont. I knew I wasn't alone when I saw other writers struggling to find the right words. Communication in all its forms is the only way we can share our internal experiences with others. We believe that so much of our internal experiences are unique to us alone, so we feel alone... Until we share and find out that we are not alone.

Challenge yourself to tap into your creativity. Maybe you’ll find that in movement. Dance. Practice Yoga. Maybe you’ll start your own journal. Write about how you feel after yoga. Write to try to discover what you are feeling; let the words flow.

Enjoy.

~Tina Haapala

Resources*:

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Scribd

Journals

Mukha Yoga

Bowflex

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