Australian Yoga Journal — November 2017

34

november/december 2017

yogajournal.com.au

Chris’slove and

passionfor 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 atwww.chrisdixonyoga.com

What does it mean to be

inspired?

To live inspired 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?

PHOTO: ALLA_SNESAR/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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.

Look within, think about what motivates you, and cultivate

a life of inspired clarity, creativity and genuine meaning.

By Chris Dixon

and a zest for life

INSPIRATIONAL

INSIGHTS