Yoga as a Form of Art

Artistic expression comes in many forms, kinds and manifestations. The embodiment of art can be psychical just as it can be visual or sensory. From which comes the motion that spiritual sports such as yoga in my vision are branches of a form of physical art just as paintings are branches of the form of the visual kind.

To be in the flow of artistic expression in a sensual and spiritual relationship one has with one self, just as when a painter is engrossed in the eloquent stroke of his brush and the mindful state in which he remains during his process. The yogi’s fluent movements to the rhythm of the breath while a different state of mindfulness finds its place, is a concept directly linked to the previous.

Yoga and Art are two concepts that are both intertwined and singular in nature, with the rise of Art therapy during the practice of yoga, which I have had the pleasure of delving into during my time in India, I found that the art therapy yoga in fact includes the transcendence of the spirit through the physical body into the hand which is then used to draw what the inner self is willing to express. This was an experience I learned a lot from, it grants a channel to the inner self while one may not have reached a state of awareness in which he is conscious of the soul directly. It is used to start the conversation between the bodies within us.

In addition to art being linked with yoga art therapy, yoga in itself is a form of art. The elegant continuous rhythm of a series of asanas much like a dance is used to guide us to a higher state of physical flexibility. Sometimes one may find themselves so engrossed in a painting that they stand before it for long minutes stretching into hours finding stillness within themselves just as how within yoga we are taught to discover stillness and find that balance between movement and immobility. In other words and to put it simply, yoga is art. Just as dance is art. Just as music is art. Art is all around us and when one is engrossed in a state of such creative expression one can find a lot about themselves and their inner being, We can find happiness in creating something beautiful just as we can find happiness though the expression of that creativity into any other form of the above mentioned processes of “art”.

If you liked this blog, check out our other blogs like: "Sitting too Much? 5 Ways to Get Moving," "8 Different Types of Yoga: Explained to Help you Choose", "8 Ways to Show Yourself Some Kindness", and "The Secret of Self-Care: Approach over Action."