Author: Ashley Corlis

Standing poses give us stamina, build strength and harness our power. Goddess pose gives us power and strength to stay rooted in our truth. When harnessing creativity, a lot people feel held back from expressing themselves because of their own inner critic. Goddess pose gives us the strength let go of the voice of the inner critic and to trust our inner goddess, the divine feminine, to harness our ability to create and be creative.

Take a wide-legged stance. Turn your toes out and heels in. Take a deep breath in and reach your arms up to the sky, as you exhale bring your hands in prayer as you bend your knees. Place your hands on your thighs and note that your toes are in line with your knees. Lift your frontal pelvic bones slightly toward your heart as you spread wide across your collarbones. Take a few deep breaths here harnessing your power to stay rooted in your truth. Feel your feet connect to the earth and notice the strength in your legs and hips. Feel the strength and power in your abdomen. Feel any sense of opening in your heart. Trust your inner strength.

To come out, straighten your legs and turn your feet to parallel. Step your feet together.

Namaste,
Ashley

Being a creative means knowing when to take a creativity break. Although we like to think of ourselves as machines, constantly cranking out one idea after the other, it doesn’t work that way. People don’t effectively work that way. It’s nice to take a mental break and do something else, but it’s even better to take a physical break as well.

A mental break is when you step away and work on something else. You do busy work. Pay bills, schedule meetings or help your children with their homework. Yes, you are taking a break from your creative work, which is important, but you’re not taking a mental break. Relax. Take a nap outside on a warm day. Sit by the pool. Get a massage. Give your body a break.

When we take time to give ourselves the break that we need we come back energized, happier and ready to take on the creative process revived. Listen to you body and know when it’s time to put down the pen and put your feet up.

XO,
Natalie

Alternate Nostril Breathing is a great way to feel more balanced, ground yourself and re-charge your body, mind and spirit. This breathwork is extremely grounding and soothing to the subtle body. It helps to dissolve blockages in our subtle body. In our subtle body, we have three main energy channels, called nadis, known most commonly as: Pingala, Ida and Sushumna. The Sushhmna is the central channel that runs up and down along the spine. The right side of the body houses the pingala and is described as: masculine, warm, passive, yang, exciting, rational and mathematical. The left side of the body houses the ida and is described as: feminine, lunar, cool, active, yin, calming, inward-directed, emotional, subjective, intuitive, and spatial. This breathwork allows us to unite these two sides and hopefully allow our energy to flow more freely through the Sushumna.

Begin in a comfortable seated position with an upright spine so your breath can move easily through the body. Rest your left hand on your lap. Hold up your right hand. Place your thumb on your right nostril and your ring finger on your left nostril. Let your pointer and middle fingers remain at the bridge of your nose.
Seal off your right nostril and breathe in through your left nostril. Then alternate, seal off your left nostril and breathe out your right nostril.
Keep your left nostril sealed, and breathe in through your right. Then alternate, seal off your right nostril and breathe out your left. Keep the right nostril sealed, and breathe in your left. Then, alternate, seal off your left nostril and breathe out your right nostril.
Keep alternating between each nostril inhaling and exhaling. If it feels natural, try to pause inbetween each inhale-exhale and exhale-inhale.

Try this for about 1 minute.

Namaste,
Ashley

Did this help? Any inspiration? Let me know in the comments!

Often times we get so used to our normal routine that it’s hard for us to break free from it. We do things a certain way because we know what results they will bring, and we like that. When someone comes in and does it differently we are jolted, upset or frustrated. This could be something as small as your husband making the bed differently than you do, your housekeeper putting away your clothes in the wrong drawers or your manager fixing a few words on your presentation. Everyone does it differently, the challenge is learning to accept that and to not be bound to your routine.

Break free from your routine. Take a different path to work. If you paint in a studio, try painting outside. If you write at your desk at home, take your computer to a coffee shop. Mixing up your routine, even in the smallest way, will help you think differently and may lead you to thinking about your creative project differently. Often times we think outside of the box when we are physically taken out of that box.

XO,
Natalie

http://www.natalienotions.com
Let’s Connect: @NatalieNotions

Today we honor our freedom. Our freedom gives us the right to create. What will you create today?

Namaste,
Ashley

We all love our technology and social media “connecting” platforms. The way we connect with each other and ourselves is changing every day. I don’t need to go on about how technology is making us more disconnected from real human connection, we all seem to know and get that by now. But what is it doing to our creativity? Is it really inspiring us to be more creative?

Just like anyone else I use the internet to do research. I research a topic I’m writing about, I look up what brands are doing on social media to gain inspiration and insight, and I follow people who are doing things I admire. Without realizing it all of the time, this connecting is actually making me disconnected from my true creative self. It’s pulling me away from my thoughts and into someone else’s. It’s always great to get inspiration from somewhere, but it’s even better when you can get it from yourself.

Try to find time to disconnect this week. Don’t check your Facebook, update your Instagram or see what’s happening on Twitter. Instead, put the phone down and revel in your own thoughts. Let your creativity lead you.

XO,
Natalie

Beginning is hard. However, if we don’t begin, how do we create? Doing this meditation allows you to practice beginning again. Starting over. You’ll find that every beginning is unique and different. Just like every moment is unique and different. So let’s begin!
Find a comfortable seat. Breathe deeply in, and breathe deeply out. Notice your breath in, and notice your breath out. As you breathe in, count your breath 1. As you breathe out, count your breath 1. As you breathe in, count your breath 2. As you breathe out, count your breath 2. As you breathe in, count your breath 3. As you breathe out, count your breath 3. Continue like this. If you lose track of your count or if you find yourself distracted by your thoughts, begin again at 1. This may happen many times, over and over. We are practicing the art of beginning!

How did this work for you? Leave in the comments below.

Namaste,
Ashley

This pose is called Viparita Karani, most commonly known as Legs-Up-The-Wall-Pose or Waterfall Pose.
This asana (pose) is great for relaxing the body, mind and heart by relaxing the nervous system, pacifying your arms and legs (which are usually in motion) and giving yourself an opportunity to slow down and breathe. The element of creativity is water. Water is flowing and fluid. Being able to “go with the flow” is part of our creative nature. In the moment of deepest relaxation, our true creativity can be awakened and set free. Enjoy the deeply calming benefits of this posture and allow your creativity to flow.

Begin by sitting down next to a wall, right hip against the wall, knees bent in toward your chest & feet on the ground. From here, lay on your left side with knees hugged in toward your body and your bum against the wall. From this side lying position, roll onto your back and lift the legs up the wall. If you feel comfortable, remain here. If this feels like a hamstring stretch, move your bum away from the wall slightly and bend your knees any amount so your legs feel relaxed. Now that your legs are comfortable, let your arms rest by your sides and breathe deeply. This pose is an inversion, and your legs may feel slightly tingly after being here awhile- this is normal- it’s just your blood flowing in an opposite direction. Feel your whole body relax as if it were made only of water, adapting to any shape; flowing and fluid like a stream moving around a rock in its path. Imagine that your feet are the top of a waterfall, and your legs are the water rushing down into the pool of your belly. Feel your belly soften. Notice how your belly rises as you inhale and how your belly descends as you exhale. Feel the chest soften and relax. Notice any sense of relaxation in your jaw or in your mouth. Feel the depth of your eyes relax in their sockets. Feel your eyes gently go out of focus. Feel any sense of space in between your eyebrows and across your forehead. Feel the crown of your head relax. Feel back of the head get heavy. Feel the whole body surrender into the shape. Fluid and flowing like water. Remain here for 10 min or so. When you come out of the pose, notice how you feel and jot down the first thing that comes to mind on a piece of paper.

How did this exercise help you?
Let me know in comments below

Namaste,
Ashley

There’s a reason why people make vision boards and collect images of their desires. Visualization is one of the best tools to opening up your creativity and passion. Make a list of your desires and start collecting those images. Tear them out of magazines, take a photo, pin them to your Pinterest board or draw them. Gather images over the week or few weeks and add them to a desires folder. If you’re feeling crafty, make a vision board collage. Glue the images onto a poster board and hang it in your office or somewhere you will see it everyday.

I’m always daydreaming about taking a trip, so I have old postcards pinned to my cork board.

XO,

Natalie