Author: aryask@gmail.com

As I entered the second week of my Expressive Arts training in the Alps of Switzerland, there was a need to rediscover myself in a fresh way. It has been quite challenging. I've had to face some critical questions like, what does it mean to grow as an artist? What does it mean to surrender control and fully trust what emerges? And what is the role of beauty in the creative process? I’ve played with such questions for some time now as they form the basis of my thinking, but I have had to face them on an entirely new level and test my capacity to be present and grow through the uncertainty. What better way to do this than deep in the valley of giant mountains? The metaphor is appropriate as I…

Dreaming across time, Being led by unseen forces, To unforeseen places, After a long and dark daze, I stopped examining, I started listening, began seeing, A wet planet ensouled in the cosmos, Silent echoes across the Milky Way, Only then did things make sense, Only then did change become easy. In space, spinning with laughter, Dreaming.

When asked, “when are you least creative,” students in my workshops often respond with: stress, anxiety, or negative thinking. Not that we need science to tell us breathing is important, but validation does not hurt. Studies in neuroscience show the benefits of mindful breathing in regulating stress and anxiety. In the front area of the brain (the Frontal Lobe), science has discovered a neural circuit that is associated with the inner chatter that takes up brain space. This region is called the default circuit as it tends to anchor our thought process to preordained patterns. When studying the brains of people who practice mindful breathing, the default circuit deactivates and new neural circuits begin to resonate. In short, conscious breathing oxygenates and inspires the brain. This is among my favorite discoveries in…

There is something magical about simply being in the moment. No thought; no effort; just breathing and feeling the aliveness of your body and the environment; letting the mind freely associate without attaching to any judgment or belief. All your problems dissolve and you marvel at the qualities of light, sound, and textures that occupy your space. If this moment is life's pearl, then creativity is the ocean that gives it form. One might ask, “What about my goals and ambitions?” Of course, goals are important because they create hope and adventure and challenge us to grow. But, without the proper perspective, goals can also be illusory and lead us to make bad decisions. Even though I aim to complete my book by a given date, writing is not my…

In an age where knowledge moves at the speed of light, 99% of what you know is useless and irrelevant. What really matters is being able to adapt to the moment without depending on a fixed plan or preconceived beliefs. 1% of what you know fits the moment and can be summoned with passion. Know your passion well enough but not too well. Be willing to let it completely dissolve and remerge without a familiar structure. Can you handle the uncertainty? Engaging the 1% space is about facilitating a soulful dialogue with no ulterior motives, politics, or negative chatter. It is simply unfiltered expression of the self. The goal is to completely re-discovering yourself at a moment's notice with the body as the primary medium of engagement. Facilitation is the…