The Breath of Inspiration

We are totally thrilled to welcome Lisa Rough as our guest author this week. More about Lisa below.

We are all artists.

That’s what I tend to believe anyhow. We simply practice our art in different ways.

I think we’re all born with the innate ability to chip away a piece of stone here or add a splash of color there. We are all capable of crafting change, sculpting and refining our truths, and doodling on the walls of the dark caves of our spirits. Yet our culture tames these abilities from a very early age. We’re taught to equate artistic talent with creativity, value competition over self-love, and seek perfection rather than sacred process. Unfortunately, this means that many of us live uninspired lives, where the expression of self goes on the backburner, and we focus instead on getting by, surviving, and checking items off of our ever-growing to-do lists.

But whether or not you call yourself an artist is really no matter. The truth is, you don’t need a box of Crayola crayons or a fancy set of paints to create a life that fulfills you (even though I highly recommend keeping some handy!). The trouble is that many of us rarely slow down long enough to breathe life into our visions and imaginings, honor them in their fullness, and allow them to sift into life as we know it. We all tend to forget that we are creating a masterpiece and tweaking it each time our alarms go off in the morning, so that in a constant effort to be better, thinner, wiser, and richer, our lives grow dusty as we overlook how we are blessed, how we are empowered, and how we are enough in this very moment.

According to the dictionary, to “inspire” is to inhale or to breathe into or upon.

I invite you, right now, to deepen your breath and take a peek around you. Chances are, you’ll see something that warms or delights you. It could be the sun shining through your window and creating that scrumptious warm spot on the floor, or it could be a photograph of your family or a fuzzy purple blanket. Whatever it is, gaze at it with soft eyes and breathe it in, noticing how the air fills your lungs first, and then trickles down into your belly. Go ahead and soften your abdominal muscles, allowing them to expand and pop out. For many of us, relaxing these muscles can be uncomfortable, perhaps making us feel bulky, exposed or vulnerable, especially if we’re used to sucking it in, covering it up, and keeping it trimmed down to squeeze into society’s definition of beautiful and sexy. But to keep our breath shallow means that we keep our souls uninspired. We don’t allow ourselves the fullest expression of who we are and what we are capable of.

The breath is sacred. Without it, you clearly wouldn’t exist. But beyond that, the breath isn’t simply an exchange of gases… it’s an exchange of energy and light… of inviting in what sustains you and letting go of what no longer serves you. It enables you to choose. It enables you to design a life on your own terms, one that tickles your fancies and honors your gifts. It enables you to be a creative being who feels empowered enough to make a difference, both in the world at large, and in your very own personal landscape.

You are an artist, and your breath is your medium.

Breathe passion and action into your ideas and brainstorms. Breathe out the notion of failing.

Breathe magic into the mundane. Breathe out s’pose-tos, shoulds, and have-tos.

Breathe in wildness and messiness. Breathe out the worry that you might appear as though you’ve lost your marbles.

Breathe in adventure. Breathe out the fear of getting lost.

Breathe in trust. Breathe out the effort to keep all your ducks nice and tidy in a row.

Breathe in your brilliance. Breathe out your woundedness.

Breathe in the freedom to find your own way. Breathe out stuckness.

And as you open your eyes to your magnificent journey, behold the masterpiece that you’ve created.

About Our Guest Author

Lisa Rough is a creative life coach and self-taught artist living in the mountains of North Carolina with her family. She’s also a writer and is in the midst of working on her first book.

As a coach, Lisa offers a immense compassion and dedication, backed by a multitude of experiences she has collected along the way…. she has a master’s degree in counseling and psychology, is certified in teaching yoga, has created and sold art that is in private collections all over the world, and has cultivated oodles of compassion and humor from being a stay-at-home mom.

www.SacredCircleCreativeCoaching.com