Continuing with our feature on Accessing Creative Flow, I asked 2nd Level Zen Yoga Instructor Carla Bottalla to share with us her experiences…..

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ACCESSING CREATIVE FLOW THROUGH DANCE

To Dance…. to move in rhythm usually to music.

Five Element Cycle……movement integrating human activity with natural rhythms of the universe.

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 Dance has become a passionate hobby of late, one that has deepened my appreciation and awe of the essential energy of the universe. Dance evokes a symbolic language linking physical  with emotional images rather than individual parts. The continuity of life is reflected in the continuity of dance.

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 In the Five Element Theory each element is linked to the others as individual aspects transform and change. The cycle brings order and rhythm to life experiences. Together they constitute a unity; when divided they comprise yin and yang.

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During dance feet are placed for movement, frames are created between partners. If one area moves in excess other parts will be compromised and an imbalance will occur. Firmness and posture must be balanced with softness to avoid rigidity.

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The lines between the 5 elements are not hard and fast. Neither are those between the elements of dance.

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There is an ebb and flow within oneself and with ones partner neither overpowering the other nor remaining too passive. Mutability is integral to the whole as one person both supports and yields to the other.

 Any phase of the 5 elements can be appreciated in dance. The soul or essence of the dance (water), begins with the dancer(s) taking form or shape (wood), to reflect the style of dance yet maintaining a flow between firmness and flexibility. The power and passion linking physical and emotional expression (fire), is centered with forces creating continuity and stability (earth).

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When partners separate, pause or complete a sequence (metal), they will once again begin to move and continuously exchange their energies (water). The interweaving segments of dance: surrendering, approaching, connecting, leading, following, and extending etc., visibly animate the body, power movement and effect change.

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Collected together the parts of dance constitute unity. The harmony of the universe and the beauty of dance become apparent.

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                        By: Carla Bottalla                           

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Thank you Carla, for sharing your experiences and those spectacular photographs!

Carla’s interpretation of accessing creative flow through dance, teaches us how to experience the interconnectedness of the universe (and ourselves as part of the universe) by using the 5 Elements as the basis of our observations.

Namaste,

Elfeya Hoopes

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I recently asked Barbara Hocker, Fine Artist and dedicated Zen Yoga student for the past 5 years if she would share her experiences of accessing creative flow through her personal practice of zen yoga…

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As an artist, the two things I value most are flow and inspiration. Both seem to be mysterious states or events that happen outside of my direct control. I think this is because inspiration and flow imply a contact or relationship with something beyond our own self; whatever you choose to call it: “god”, “the ground of being”, “the Tao”, “the unconscious”, “the Soul”. We need to let go of our ego and escape our everyday mind to access flow and be open to inspiration.

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I find my practice of Zen Yoga to be a great aid in accessing flow and inspiration. Zen Yoga breathing, moving, and stretching exercises as well as meditation have the same goal of teaching us to let go of the ego and quiet our busy everyday mind, thus opening up space within us to connect with what inspires us and let it flow through us out into the world as artwork. The more I practice Zen Yoga the more sensitive I become to my own creativity.

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This is how I use the techniques and ideas of Zen Yoga in my art practice:

I have two separate parts to my practice. First, I spend time walking in nature capturing digital images as they come along to use later to create artworks. I use the Zen Yoga Daily Warm-up and a few Qi-gong exercises to warm up physically, but more importantly to connect with my Self, slow down, quiet my mind to prepare to be open to inspiration, before I venture out onto the trails. I try to approach this time as a moving meditation:

practicing mindfulness to connect with nature and allow it to inspire me.

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The second part of my practice involves printing the photographs and mounting them between layers of wax in a process that can become like a dance. While this is sometimes more technical work, it benefits greatly from “being in the flow”. I always do some breathing, Qi-gong, and Warm-up movements before I start working. Taking the time to center my body, mind, and heart, and allow my thoughts to settle before I begin working really encourages flow and increases my enjoyment of my work.

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One important thing that I have learned from Zen Yoga is an awareness of my posture and places where I hold tension as I work. Noticing when I am gathering tension and knowing how to release it has been a great benefit in the studio to prevent pain from repetitive stress or poor posture.

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It is also clear to me is that my regular practice of Zen Yoga, Qi-gong, Tai chi, and meditation prepares me to be more open to the beauty and divinity all around me everyday. It increases my energy and overall health, lowers my levels of stress and tension, and adds to my store of resources to meet both everyday and creative challenges.

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Barbara’s artwork (as pictured) is such a serene and eloquent expression of her personal experiences and interaction with nature and creative flow.

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For me, they are magical and meditative works that capture the essence of tranquility, evoking stillness and reflective repose.

Namaste,

Elfeya Hoopes