My imagination is part of my body. As a person with a vibrant inner world, I haven't always felt that way. For much of my life I saw my mind, my consciousness, as a refuge from the physical self and the world that it moved in. Conceptually, it floated somewhere outside the body, like a welcoming specter hovering just behind and above me at all times--mythically unaffected by whatever my body was doing, how it was perceived, and what was happening in the world around it.

For the past five years, I've felt that change. I became more engaged in activities I enjoyed that snapped me into my present physical self--hiking, running, yoga. As I did so, I began to examine this unconsidered separation between my body and what I consider my "self." My inner world exists as it does entirely because of the perceptive abilities of my physical form, its movement through time and space. My cognition, to include my creativity, is influenced by these perceptive abilities filtered through the squishy lump that is my brain and all the information it contains and whimsically combines. What my physical form does is intrinsically linked to my creative self because my ability to create is a function of the body. I could not do what I do or think what I think without it.

In some form, I had this conversation with Soul City Yoga instructor and fellow cerebral being, Kathryn Giuffre. We initially connected over a shared interest in writing, from which the idea of offering a hybrid yoga/writing class formed. As we continued to chat, we realized we were mirroring that separation of body and mind in the design of the class. As an experiment, we decided to shake things up, fold the yoga flow and creative flow together, shifting back and forth. 

From there, Creative Flow: Writing Through Movement came to be. This class intends to guide participants through different stages of yoga flow, moving into writing prompts and reflection along the way.  I'm curious to see how this ebb and flow from one mode to another impacts the participants' experience of both their yoga and writing practice. Does it feel easeful? Jostling? Freeing? Abrupt? What do participants notice about their yoga and writing practices as they go through the process? How does it differ from what they've done before? What feels most at home for them throughout the process? What will they take with them when they leave? I could go on endlessly.

If you're also curious and would like to join Kathryn and I for this experiment, register today for Creative Flow: Writing Through Movement scheduled for Sat, April 12th from 4-6 p.m. at Soul City Yoga | Malden. I want to emphasize that this class doesn't require you to identify strongly as a writer or a yogi. Ultimately, the ideal participant is one who is excited to be present, play, and discover. Everyone has a body they inhabit and a mind filled with fascinating thoughts and experiences. We look forward to moving and creating with you! - Jamie A. M.