Link Love: the blogs that help me as a Creativity Coach

It’s good to show gratitude from time to time, so allow me to share some links to blogs that have really helped me as a Creativity Coach.

• I’d be remiss if I didn’t suggest my mentor Eric Maisel’s Creativity Central.
• Elsewise Media seems endless in its wisdom regarding the creative life. 
• Goodlife Zen: This blog is relevant, positively focused, and quite useful for getting at the root of creativity problems.
• Seth’s Blog: I love to follow visionaries for their ability to identify potential on both macro- and microcosmic levels. I count Seth up there with the best of them.
• Time to Write: Jurgen Wolff is a model inspiration: he writes, he teaches, he speaks, he delves into new media, and he manages it all with grace and a great sense of humor.
• Tiffany Colter of Writing Career Coach always seems to hit on something that’s been hovering inside my own radar.
• Leo at Zen Habits manages to keep it fresh, with a focus on productivity.

Opening Svadhisthana for Creativity

I’ve been taking yoga classes for 10 years and have discovered many benefits from the practice that aren’t directly related to its exercise aspects (strengthening, regaining flexibility, physical therapy, sports training).

For instance, the breathing benefit carries over positively into one’s personal life and helps with managing stress and difficult relationships. The meditative benefit feeds the human need to slow down and focus on the inner self. The channeling of energy (releasing bad energy, capturing and recirculating good energy) improves one’s overall well-being.

Then there is the focus on chakras. Chakras are energy centers found in key places in the body. There are many chakras, but the most commonly discussed are the seven that run the length of the spine.

The first chakra is the Root Chakra, found in the area of the genitals. It’s that spot that connects with the earth when sitting in the lotus position. The second is the Sacral Chakra, which is located in the lower abdomen or groin area. The Solar Plexus Chakra is located near the diaphragm. The fourth chakra, the Heart Chakra, is (obviously) found directly the left of the breastbone near the heart. The chakra I have the most trouble with is the Throat Chakra (believe it or not), which is located at the place of the Adam’s Apple. The sixth chakra is The Third Eye, which happens to be where a woman might wear a bindi, namely, in between her eye brows. The final chakra is the Crown Chakra, which resides at the crown or top of the head.

Yoga instructors don’t always discuss these because it seems the American mindset divides the self three ways (body, mind, spirit), whereas the Eastern mindset unites the three. My feeling is that you can’t have one without the others, and that an imbalance in one cannot be compensated for by an overbalance in the other. What can I say, I’m a Libran, and balance is everything to me.

You see, when chakras become blocked, they defeat the gains of yoga by preventing the movement of energy. A lack of good energy circulation can disable the most creative person.

The chakra that represents creativity is the second chakra, or the Sacral Chakra, aka Svadhisthana. It makes sense that the chakra nearest the organs responsible for creating life is also responsible for all other creative aspects of one’s own life. If you’re having trouble leading a fully creative life, it might be that the Svadhisthana is blocked and needs opening up. This second chakra builds upon the characteristics of the first chakra, which is related to basic survival. To have a functional Root Chakra, but a dysfunctional Sacral Chakra, is to survive but not to thrive, in a sense. After all, the gift of life should inspire further creativity.

To unblock the Svadhisthana, the astute yogi may first point to the sex life as a place for improvement. More sex isn’t the answer, however. Healthier sex, companioned with love, is a better option. Other solutions including practicing kegels (for women, anyway), certain yoga positions, and simple meditation, focusing on each of the chakras, but especially the Root and Sacral Chakras. The theory goes that energy from the earth (chi) travels from the bottom up (literally), so if you want to unblock the Svadhisthana, you need to unblock the first chakra first.

It makes sense that improving the circulation of this part of the body will improve one’s overall creative drive. The stimulation of the physical self leads to the stimulation of the spiritual and intellectual selves.

There are plenty of great places to learn more about chakras, including Erin Pavlina’s Spiritual Wisdom for Conscious People blog and the Kundalini Yoga & Chakras Balancing page, in case you’re interested in learning more. Chakra Workbook: Rebalance Your Body’s Vital Energies by Pauline Wills is the book I’ve turned to again and again; it discusses chakras as an aspect of color therapy and yoga. The book’s beautifully done and has a sensibility that I believe appeals to creative folks.

I’ll revisit the power of unblocked chakras over our whole lives in future posts. In the meantime, breathe, stretch, and stimulate yourself! Your creative life depends on it.