YES, AND is the basic rule of improvisation — deep listening and connecting ideas.
“All you have to do is listen to what people are saying to you, and then just add more information to what they’ve just said. That’s all there is to improv, but it’s the hardest thing to do.” – Ryan Stiles
YOGA is the practice of quieting the mind — deep listening to experience how everything is already connected.
“Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.” – Desikashar
CREATIVITY is the process of turning that into something that can be shared.
“In dance, in composition, in sculpture, the experience is the same: we are more the conduit than the creator of what we express.” – Julia Cameron
BEING PRESENT is the art at the center of all these.
“The art of life is to live in the present moment, and to make that moment as perfect as we can by the realization that we are the instruments and expression of God Himself.” – Emmet Fox
I use IMPROV and YOGA to unblock CREATIVITY and practice BEING PRESENT.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Harold Whitman
What do you use? Welcome to YES, AND… YOGA.
image by Deano Jones
Yoga and improv both train us to be present. In yoga, we create shapes with our bodies — but this is not the goal. In improv, we create scenes and characters that have never been written — but this is not the goal.
The goal of yoga is to feel the sensations in the body in order to become present, to unify the body and the mind. The natural result is that we create beautiful shapes with our bodies. They are beautiful because we are feeling, because we are present. If we were stressing ourselves to contort into these shapes, they would not be beautiful. They would be alarming.
The goal of improv is to playfully connect ideas. The natural result is that we create amazing scenes completely in the moment. They are amazing because we are playing, because we are present enough to connect ideas as they come up. If people saw us judging ourselves or blocking ideas, the scenes would not be amazing. They would be painful to watch.
So both yoga and improv are doors into the present moment. And when we create from this place — which is beyond the mind — our work is beautiful. We are not inventing, but channeling. We learn to deal with creative blocks by simply getting out of the way. It’s the difference between riding your bike with your eyes closed and riding it with your eyes open. Either way, there are bound to be obstacles in your path. Dodging them is not the issue; opening your eyes is.
Yoga and improv teach us to open our eyes. That’s what makes them beautiful and amazing. I hope to be able to share these passions with you — in a yoga class, at an improv class or performance… or maybe just start a conversation with me in the comments here. - Lauren Zinn
