Tips for Combining Art and Yoga from an Art Therapist's Perspective

Artwork created by art and yoga workshop participant

In my MuseLetter this month, I shared three tips that might be helpful when designing art and yoga workshops. There is a quality called "flow" that develops naturally in a yoga practice as you transition from one pose to the next. Flow also emerges when creating art. Artists tend to get into a zone where the creative process takes over and the rest of the world fades into the background. Sound familiar..?


When integrating art and yoga, this state of flow needs to occur as the practitioner transitions from the yoga to the art making. Here are a few ideas to ensure this happens smoothly.


1) Set Goals - Do you have goals for yourself..? As a therapist I generally set goals for my clients (or have them discuss their goals for therapy with me). This helps to measure client progress. Goal setting has many benefits. It is the first step toward success. In relation to art and yoga, goal setting...

• Gives clarity to your vision for the session
• What do you want to take away from the session..?
• Holds you accountable and obligates you to take action
• When will this be held..? How many people..? For how long..?
• Helps you to prioritize your time 
• How long will you practice yoga..? How much time for art making..? Will there be a discussion about the art..?

2) Use Themes - When conducting art therapy groups, people are usually drawn to a group because of similar circumstances i.e. bereavement, substance abuse, and relationship issues. Themes give groups a focus, help with goal setting, and build group dynamics. When working from a multimodal approach such as combining yoga and art, conducting a group using a theme encourages gentle, natural transitions from one modality to the next by keeping the session focused.

3) Try It Out On Yourself First  - This is applies to both the art and the yoga...

• Yoga - Not a yoga teacher..? That's OK! Collaboration can be great, however when planning the art making part of the session it is helpful to have an understanding of how certain poses feel in your body. I strongly recommend having your own yoga practice. This helps with designing suitable art tasks to combine with a yoga practice.
• Art - Testing your art tasks out on yourself helps to work out any kinks before introducing them to your clients or students. It also helps to ensure you are prepared and have all the necessary supplies.

Mindful Musings: Ever Feel Like You're Holding Yourself Back?

It is with great excitement that I announce sending out my very first Art and Yoga MuseLetter this morning. After spending yesterday evening working on it, it's finally finished! It had been my intention to have this first MuseLetter ready by August 1st. I could make a handful of excuses about being to busy with my job search and wedding plans to meet my own deadlines. However, in reality there were two things holding me back: perfection and fear. In my head I get all of these creative and elaborate ideas about how fancy I can make something. The problem with this approach is that when I sit down to get the task done, I am so overwhelmed and have no idea where to begin. Ever happen to you..? 

In order to get this first edition complete, I recalled one of the first rules I learned in art school. Keep. it. Simple.

The second thing that holds me back are my own hesitations and fears. I begin to wonder if by sharing my ideas, I'm pestering people. I suppose I am just scared of putting myself out there in an intimate way. What I'm learning though is that you can't be afraid to grow. It's ok to take risks. There are times that perhaps you won't succeed, but consider the times you do. They well outweigh the times that things don't work out the way you hoped they would. Interested in receiving my Art and Yoga MuseLetter..? Simply sign up on the right side of the page for the next edition. As you peruse it, consider what might be holding you back..?

Self-Care on the Go!

Hitting the road bright and early for Toronto this morning. So very excited for the next few days, I could just squeal! My little sister has been working hard to plan a fabulous bridal shower in my honor, with my Canadian friends and family. Can barely wait! Although I am excited, I know the drive will be long and the weekend will be busy so I've made myself a little kit for self-care on the go. I find when I travel, depending on where I'm going my self-care needs are going to change, as do the contents of my self-care kit.

For this trip the contents of my self-care kit include fun, girly fiction, journal, fancy pens, piece of lush bubble bar and sugar scrub, face mask, ipad, sleep mask, and four cups of epsom salts.

Can you tell I'm hoping for a long bubble bath?

Creativity Challenge Day 3

Getting ready to head up to Toronto in the morning, but managed to fit in a little creative time. In keeping with the tradition of being a DIY Bride, I turned index cards into fashion cards for my maids. With the wedding being approximately two months away, the dresses have obviously already been ordered. The purpose of these was to provide the girls information about the shoes I want them to purchase to match their dresses.

How have you infused creativity into your day?

Ordering Information and Fabric Sample

Picture of Bridesmaid Dress and Matching Shoe

Do Something Creative Everyday: 31 Day Creativity Challenge

Le fiance had to work late last night, so I decided it would be appropriate to take myself on an artist date to paper source. Last week, I crafted handmade "Thank You's" for all of the wedding shower goodies I received. With my upcoming wedding, Paper Source has become my new favorite store. It's actually there motto, "Do Something Creative Everyday" that has inspired this post. Whenever I enter the shop, I find oodles of inspiration. Finishing my thesis, planning my wedding, and searching for a job have become my full time jobs. Some days I feel busier than I was in grad school! One of my former professors said yesterday that, "life only continues to get busier." This comment frightened me a little bit. I had anticipated my schedule opening up after graduation. Alas, this has not been the case.

With all of my pending to-do's,  it's been challenging to find those moments during the day to fit it in time to nourish my creative spirit. Being a bit of DIY bride, I have found a few moments to sneak it in while still feeling productive. This got me thinking that perhaps I need to rethink what creativity means to me. I had always considered creativity time and art making time as one in the same. However, pondering the notion of creativity a little more deeply, I have begun to consider how it might be infused in daily life. In making a greater effort to reintegrate creativity into my life, I've decided to take the month of August to challenge myself to do something creative everyday. Creative projects can be on a small or large scale depending on the day. Having travel plans this month poses an even greater challenge, but I am excited to see what emerges.

Below are snapshots from a couple of creative endeavors from yesterday and today.

Artist Date at Paper Source 

These are the supplies for my handmade "Thank You's". I'm not going to post the final product yet because I don't want to ruin the surprise for those who haven't received theirs via snail mail yet.

Decorating Planner Pad

Due to being a full-time student for the past few years, my day planner correlates to the school year, rather than the calendar year. Today, I spent some time personalizing it! 

Front Cover

Back Cover

Tabs Separating Months

Change is in the Air...

Over the past couple of weeks, I have found difficult to slow down. To not think about schoolwork, to-do's, or client sessions. After 2 years of graduate school, plus 1.5 years of pre-requisites to get into grad school, nightly homework has become the norm. With the exception of the pending revisions for my thesis, I have essentially completed my Masters Degree in Art Therapy. Tonight, as I settled down in front of the television with my beloved finance (without worrying about classwork) I could feel change in the air. 

While change is certainly brewing, a lot of days I find myself just as busy as I was while in graduate school. There is still plenty to be done, however the tasks are different. They involve making appointments, wedding planning, looking for jobs, and home organization. They like my hiatus from this blog, are all things I let slide to finish school. Although my days are quite full, I still constantly find myself pondering the question, 'what's next?'

Change has been exciting. I have had more time and space to do many of the things I neglected to do during school, but it is also a little scary when I begin to consider how I am going to make my living. There is something unsettling about uncertainty. As a therapist, I constantly find myself telling my clients to trust in the process. This is definitely easier said than done, however I am trying to be open to what comes to me. I am allowing myself to be alright with exactly where I am. To trust that this is where I am supposed to be. And that, the right thing for me is out there - it will either find me, or I will find it. 

Snow Day! Hurray!

Got busy with back to school and my beloved blog sadly got neglected. Today, I was (like most of DC, Northern Virginia, and Maryland) gifted with a snow day. Although we only got a mere five inches, it was the weight of the snow and the short amount of time, in which we received it that made for problems. Even Obama's motorcade was slowed due to the snow!

I practiced a little self-care and took time to savor having a day off mid-week. This morning was spent sleeping in and cooking a delicious breakfast, when I would normally be in counseling class. I went yoga during the time I would be in ethics, and cleaned the kitchen (including the fridge) at the time I would normally be in supervision. To it all off, I cooked a delicious beef tenderloin for beau and I. We had finished eating before either of us usually arrives home on a Thursday! Now, I sit relaxing on the couch a glass of wine in hand, getting ready for some guilty pleasure tv. What about you..? How did you (or would you) spend your snow day..?

2011 Year of Spaciousness and Creativity

The new year is officially upon us and sadly it means I need to get around to taking down my beloved Christmas tree. However, on a happier note, the chaos of 2010 is in the past. As you know, I spent much of December reflecting on 2010. This, in addition to some art making really helped me to pull together my dreams for 2011. If I were to select two words to describe my hopes for 2011, they would be spaciousness and creativity. If you haven't had the opportunity yet, why not take a moment to draw, paint, collage, or write about your dreams for 2011..?  Posted below is a photo of my 2011 vision board.

As you've heard me state repeatedly, 2010 was a year full of change. While change is good, this year has ripped through my life like a whirlwind and has left me feeling very scattered. I have a lot of projects on the go; some need to be weeded and others grounded. Collage seemed like a perfect metaphor to describe where I am presently. Collage images are scattered pieces of paper. These might represent my many ideas and projects. The canvas they have been mounted onto signifies them coming together to a cohesive whole. It should be noted that I had many other images, which had to be discarded because there just wasn't room...more symbolism! My hopes are that 2011 is a continuation of this journey I have been on since moving to Washington D.C., yet that I begin to reap the benefits of my labor. Notice how this all has been tied together with a big beautiful bow...?

A few goals for my year include: a sense of spaciousness in life, morning routine, healthier eating and consistent exercise, dream wedding, graduating from the gwu art therapy program, earning an income, learning to sew, building my etsy shop, marketing my yoga and art making ideas, and regular journaling. What's on your horizon for 2011..?

Better Late than Never....Final Reverb10 Prompts

Happy New Year! Been laid up the past few days with a bit of a cold. Wanted to finish up my reflections on 2010 before moving into dreams for 2011. Now, I am officially ready to begin 2011! What are some of your reflections on the past year..?


December 20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)


Invested more time into my Etsy shop. I tend generally do the research, do the work, but have trouble bringing things into fruition. In 2011, I intend to plunge into my endeavors and move through fear and hesitation


December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)


To continue to take risks (and take even bigger risks), enjoy life, and laugh at myself. But also remember to make time for myself - something I have to work on everyday. Bottom Line: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff....it's all small stuff


December 22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt) {Future Tool: New Year’s Goal Questions for No-Goals Creatives from Jeffrey Davis. For the next 10 days as you round out your year, we’ll share one tool each day to help you [...]


2011 has been a lot of small trips within North America. In my endeavor to feel more settled by the end of 2011, I am hoping to take less smaller trips in 2011 and to have one big trip...the honeymoon!


December 23 – New Name Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott) {Future tool: Chris Guillebeau’s How to Conduct Your Own Annual Review. \


Given my love for yoga, I think I'd like to try something yogic like shakti or prana


December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis) {Future tool: Gwen Bell – How to Create Your Personal Manifesto. 


Hands down when John proposed. It solidified our commitment to each other. I will try to keep this in mind each time I get stressed out about upcoming wedding plans

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. (Author: Tracey Clark)

This photo was taken by Tom Williams, a friend of my beau's at his 21st birthday party. The party was a lot of work and stressful to coordinate, yet when the night arrived, it was a blast! To me it represents having fun and being relaxed at the same time. These are things I aspire to each day, although I don't always get there - particularly the relaxed part.


December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins) {Future tool: Sark’s MicroMOVEment Support Sheets.


Lobster Mac and Cheese from Founding Farmers. This has been something I had been dying to off their menu FOREVER! From whatever reason though, I never got around to ordering it before this year.


December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown) {Future tool: Tara Mohr’s The Next Steps After Vision


During the snow storm last February, a few of us headed up to join the Dupont circle snowball fight. While that was so so much fun, it was slightly extraordinary given that it rarely snows in D.C. It was near twilight on our walk home and as we walked, one of us (I forget who) sporadically jumped into a snow bank in the middle of the street and began making snow angels. Everyone else followed. It was so carefree and impromptu, as we all just let go and allowed the moment to happen.

December 28 - What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. 

(Author: Tara Sophia Mohr) 

{Future tool: Gretchen Rubin’s Start Your Own Happiness Project (and be sure to visit the Happiness Project Toolbox!)

Graduate from Art Therapy + Wedding = Settled, happy, complete, and blissful

December 29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice) {Future tool: The 99%’s How to Budget for an Irregular Income.

My more consistent yoga practice over the last year, has left me more consciously aware of the importance of being present. This is something that I still struggle with, yet am getting better at. 

December 30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)   {Future tools: Lifehacker’s Free Tools to Manage New Years Resolutions and Gretchen Rubin’s Questions to Help You Make Effective New Year’s Resolutions.

Giving myself the summer off from school and teaching yoga to relax and explore new things - like starting this blog. I wish I could take two months off every year...

December 31 – Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) 

I am always afraid that there is never enough time to get everything done. This is what probably leaves me feelings so scattered and all over the place. I don't necessary think that I present being scattered to the world, however it's a major theme that I noticed throughout this reflection.