May in The Yoga Portal
On Being a Vessel for Creativity
I first listened to Rick Rubin’s book “The Creative Act: A Way of Being” two years ago. Each morning before leaving my adobe home in search of fresh tortillas for breakfast, I lined up a new chapter of the audiobook and let his voice fill the path through agave fields and grazing sheep until I finally reached the tortilleria, handing the store owner 20 pesos and a kitchen towel.
With every listen my perspective on creativity and what it meant to be an “artist” shifted, and one quote still rings out to me, “To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention.”
With this definition, all of us who practice mindfulness are artists. We all pluck meaning from between the seams of every moment simply by paying attention.
Meditator or artist, we both renew our childlike wonder and appreciation. Our imaginations unstick us from the quicksand of survival and suffering, reminding us that there is a different way to be in the world especially if we wish to change it.
Empty space and ritual are fertile ground for creativity. This month, mindfulness, yoga, and cannabis will draw maps on your return to your creative mind. Here, you become a vessel for creative spirit to pour through.
May in The Yoga Portal is a hand that pulls you beyond the initial discomfort of creating something new, showing you that empty space or a blank page aren’t something to be feared, but a place for endless potential. If the mind can create fear out of nothing it’s equally ripe to create beauty. In becoming a vessel for creativity, free from control and criticism, you receive the gift of your authentic nature in return.
This month is for the people watchers, the notetakers, the slow walkers, the playlist makers, the nature lovers, meditators and movers, and the artists who don’t claim the title Artist.
I hope you’ll join us this month in The Yoga Portal 𓂃
“To live as an artist is a way of being in the world. A way of perceiving. A practice of paying attention.”
Live Virtual Classes – included in The Yoga Portal membership or pay per class
Moving Meditation – May 12, 7-8PM pacific
Our Moving Meditation falls under the full moon in Scorpio and is a communal practice to restore the art of paying attention. Join us in the virtual realm for a ritual to explore the waters of the mind with the guiding hands of cannabis and yin yoga.
Scorpio is linked to the subconscious, to hidden memories, karma, and spiritual lessons– the deep well of the subconscious self that affects all parts of your being. This virtual container will guide you to become a vessel to hold this moment, pouring out anything that has been weighing you down.
Class opens with a grounding meditation, creating space for cannabis to pull in the tide of mental chatter and still the waters of the mind. You will be guided through postures focused on the upper back and shoulders to ease tension from any loads you’ve been carrying, as well as postures for the kidney and urinary bladder meridian which are associated with water element. Through the calm surface of your body and mind, your true nature is reflected back to you.
Mind Maintenance – May 25, 7-7:45PM pacific
The new moon in gemini and our month’s theme on being a vessel for creativity unite with a guided meditation that will attune your ears and eyes to the present moment.
To meditate is to give your full attention to the moment in front of you and the same is true for being an artist. You can become a vessel for the present moment and creative spirit to be filtered through, just by being still. Join us for a mindful meditation of witnessing the beauty that rests within each moment, only seen through the discerning lens of a mindful artist.
Tools for Integration
Grab a copy of our unofficial book club read, Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Practice with this month’s handpicked classes to become a vessel for creativity