What does inspiration look like?
To live from a place of inspiration is to be connected with your deepest sense of creativity, purpose, and zest for life. It is to recognise the movements of nature inside and outside yourself. It is to be in touch with that which gives life its deepest meaning, and to be in communication with those aspects in yourself and in others. From its Latin roots, the word itself means to be ‘divinely guided’. Refreshingly, the word ‘inspiration’ is also very simply defined as ‘breathing in’.
Yogic insight
Perhaps the first step, as well as an important tool along the way, is your ability to look within. The practice of yoga and meditation encourages a quality of ‘direct-felt’ experience as the primary means to create clarity. Yoga assists in settling the mind, creating connection in the breath, cultivating space in the body, and ultimately a sense of freedom within the Self. This is a practice that runs deep, and has the capacity to take you to the depths of your inspiration and devotion to your journey of Self-discovery.
Meditation creates a precious opportunity to slow down, reflect, and observe what is going on in your inner world. This inward observing can help create the conditions for change to occur, making it possible to rearrange your state of mind, reorganise old patterns of behaviour, and integrate new more inspiring ways of being in the world. — Start with a regular practice — what insights are you receiving on the mat?
Tapping into what makes you tick
From accessing that space within, you’ll begin to open up to what makes you come alive. What fills you with an unquestionable sense of enthusiasm for life and makes you feel like anything is possible? Sitting with these questions can hold the key to bringing more inspiration into your life on a regular and ongoing basis.
By getting to know what your core motivations are and exploring these questions, you can begin to prioritise the things that stimulate your inspiration, and you can start to devote more time to each of those things on a daily basis. -— Try making a list, or writing down some of the activities, people, places, and experiences that make you feel most inspired, and how you can create more room for these in your life.
Baby steps
Just like any skill, living a life inspired is a practice that can be improved upon by simply committing yourself to it and being open to exploring. What are the conditions that you thrive in? What stimulates a sense of internal growth for you? Can you prioritise that?
Keep things accessible and practical so that an inspired life isn’t a far-off dream, but instead, a close reality that begins with one step forward. You may find inspiration by going for a walk out in nature, taking up a new art-form, dancing, or sharing a cup of tea with someone you love. There’s plenty of room to keep the process creative, so always remember you can explore in a way that feels most genuine and meaningful to you. — Keep doing those things that inspire and nourish you.
When things fall apart
It’s only natural that at times you may feel entirely uninspired or that your progress is unrecognisable and unnoticeable. That’s perfectly okay and it’s a part of the patient journey of discovery. Continue to check inwards, take time to meet with friends and mentors who inspire you. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you can begin to see and feel improvements in the quality of your life, and in your relationship with others.
As you cultivate this practice, you’ll open up new ways to stay inspired, and in the blink of an eye, everything can align perfectly with undeniable clarity for you. Follow that thread forward. This clarity of inspiration will slowly become a touchable sense that the world is at your fingertips and is awaiting your gifts to be shared.
About the author:
Chris’s love and passion for yoga seep through the seams of his life, extending from each class he teaches, to the moments he spends on his mat exploring and discovering the depths of what a yogic practice and lifestyle have to offer. Catch Chris on the mat for workshops, trainings and retreats at www.chrisdixonyoga.com
