Celebrating the Out-breath in Creative Practice
The out-breath – it’s as good as it sounds!
Ahhhhh….. do it with me. Exhale. Ahhhhh….Isn’t it a nice feeling? Let’s do it again. Breathe out everything you have. Let all the dust, fatigue and old energy exit your body and make space for the new.
This month we’re looking at breathwork, and how it can help us in our creative practice. And specifically, I want to focus on exactly what we’ve just done – the out-breath. It’s so good for us on so many levels, with links to release, relaxation, relinquishing control and re-setting our minds and bodies. so let’s dive in and explore. First though, a reminder on our journey to date through the eight-limbed path of yoga, through the lens of mindful creativity.
The journey to date: Part 1, Yama and Part 2, Niyama
If you’ve been on the journey of this latest resource series, you’ll know that we’re bringing the holistic practice of yoga into the Mindful Creativity mix. The first of eight blog posts and resource in this series focuses on Yama and explores ideas of balance and equilibrium. Read Choosing Equilibrium and download my free workbook to help you explore this one – a really helpful theme to explore as you look to build a sustainable and fulfilling art practice. The second of eight explores the practice of Niyama, with a focus on exploring clean self-expression.
Part 3, Asana: In part 3, we looked at how physical yoga postures can help us feel more grounded and connected to our creativity. You can read the blog post on Exploring Mountain pose here – and download the free resource at the same time!
Which brings us to Part 4, Pranayama (breath control). ‘From a purely spiritual standpoint, pranayama practice is intended to balance the mind and body to help the aspirant prepare for meditation’, says one of my own yoga teachers Michelle Young.
In our case, I like to think that breathwork helps us prepare for creative work by providing us an entry-point into a state of mind that is calm, peaceful and centred. So, while we may not be progressing into meditation directly from our breathwork, we are progressing to mindful art practice, which is a meditative practice all of its own.
Calming cycles
What I particularly love about breathwork is that it’s a cycle. The original formula for breath control is a 1:4:2 ratio. Inhale (Purak, in Sanskrit) for 1 second, retain the breath in the body for4 seconds (Kumbhak, in Sanskrit) and exhale for 2 seconds (Rechak, in Sanksrit). (1)
That same cycle, over and over again, is what helps to flush out our body. Slow breathing in particular activates the parasympathetic nervous system and triggers the ‘rest and digest’ process that is naturally embedded in the 8 million breaths we take each year! (2)
Extending the rest and digest analogy to our creative practice, through the out-breath
Have you ever noticed that when you’re immersed in the final stages of a piece of creative work, you start to hold your breath? For me, I’ve just come to the end of writing my second novel and have been holding a lot of things in my head – deadlines, storylines, expectations, characters, production ideas, illustration ideas – it’s a lot. And yes, I’ve definitely been holding my breath. And coming to the end of some big deadlines, I’ve definitely felt the pleasure of the exhale and the subsequent, glorious, release of energy that we hold close when working on something. Here are some ways I’ve been using the ‘creative exhale’ to rest, digest, and process my creative work and what it means for me!
Remembering that everything is cyclical. Just like the breath, what comes around, will come around again. I know that just around the corner, there’s a whole new set of milestones and deadlines. So, the out breath and the joyous celebration and relaxation that comes with it is a way for me to remember to pace myself, and balance the hard work with enjoyable activities.
Mixing up restorative activities. I’ve been experimenting with different things because every day things are different. It’s great to know that as humans, we can adapt and flex to create the right experience in the moment. If it’s cold and rainy, I might choose an afternoon snuggled under my favourite blanket with a show or a book, If the sun is shining, I might get out for a walk on the beach. I’ve been exercising my right to improvise.
Thanking my body. When we’re doing creative work, we use our bodies in ways we rarely think about. It’s not just the five senses that help us make art, but also the subtle systems that make up our energetic ecosystem. And even when we sleep, our subconscious selves are working away – processing, figuring things out, so allow us to connect the dots in new ways the next day. We also have our intuition and imagination hard at work, alongside empathy, insight and awareness, all filtered through to our consciousness through our bodies. So, I’ve been reminding myself when I feel tired that I probably am tired on multiple levels. The outbreath is the perfect opportunity to let it all out, and say thank you to your senses and your body for working with you to achieve your creative goals!
Expanding time. Just like a long breath out helps us detoxify our bodies, so does a really good period of rest. So, I’ve been going all out. I’ve indulged in real, holistic, all-round rest. Cleared my schedule. Turned off devices. Shelved all expectations of myself. Told my nearest and dearest why I needed time out. And then I simply just allowed myself to be. A note here – rest doesn’t just happen instantly. Sometimes the wind-down can take time. Don’t force it. Watch the clouds. Listen to the birds. Do simple things. Go to bed early. Have another day of rest. It might take a few more hours, or days, than you think, to start feeling rebalanced.
I’m feeling good – and I hope you get the chance to enjoy the out-breath soon too!
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What is Mindful Creativity?
Hello, my name’s Jordan. Mindful Creativity is a great way to relax, unwind and enjoy creativity to enhance our sense of wellness. If you’re looking for a way to connect with your inner voice as you develop your own personal creative practice, it might be just the thing for you.
My Mindful Creativity blog, resources and tools provides ways for you to deepen into a more nourishing creative practice!