When nothing seems to be working...
How do we move forward when things get hard?
Action creates motivation…
Action creates motivation…
Action creates…
I keep repeating it to myself, and even though it’s a mantra that tends to work for me quite well, lately the motivation and creativity have remained elusive.
After returning from Europe and taking much-needed refuge in my little farm in the woods, I hoped to just focus on writing. I am wrapping up the draft of my cozy fiction novel, but instead of flowing through the words, I am mostly trying not to fall into a deep black hole of despair. 🙃
Although I feel like I have set up the right environment for creativity, the Troll of Hustle Culture decided to visit and started whispering in my ear: “You should be writing your book faster, producing many more yoga and meditation sessions every month, or really, you should quit it all and get a real job, because none of what you're doing matters.”
Wow, thanks, Troll.
This shitty voice can get quite persistent if I allow it space in my mind.
The only way to quiet those voices is to replace them with a more supportive and kind narrative, one that is actually true and will help me move forward again.
Periods of boredom and lack of inspiration are just part of a natural cycle, especially after a phase of intense activity or change (like traveling for 6 weeks or a creative burst of 80,000 words).
However, sometimes there are deadlines (often self-imposed to keep me accountable) to meet, yoga classes to teach, dialogues to type down, and entire paragraphs to rewrite or delete.
Can you relate?
Life doesn’t wait for when inspiration strikes, so try to remember that to find yourself again you must stay committed to your intentions and keep moving forward, even when nothing seems to be working.
The only way out is through, said Robert Frost.
So to help push through, here are some tools that I hope will support you if you’re feeling stuck and uninspired somewhere in your life, too.
1. Music the Healer
If you have stress or anxiety, or a Troll like mine that sometimes clutters your mind, music can be the quickest way to come out of the loop of the monkey mind.
Here is my latest playlist:
My favorite track right now is 3WW by Alt-J.
I’ve been playing this song while practicing yoga, baking, and even writing this newsletter. It just gets me in a funky mood! ✨✨
2. Change the Environment
You’ve heard me say this before and I’ll say it again, but changing the environment you’re in is one of the best ways to reconnect to a sense of flow.
Depending on where you are, you may have to get quite creative. For example, when I’m in Barcelona it’s as easy as going for a walk in the city and spending a couple of hours doing my work at a coffee shop.
When I’m in the US, however, my choices are quite different: I go for a nature walk around my neighborhood, or sometimes I just switch my workspace from one room to another, or from indoor to outdoor, which can be enough.
3. Revamp Your Daily Routine
I try to be intentional about the work that I do, hence having a clear intention helps me stay on task and aligned.
A daily spiritual practice, or Sadhana, can be a great companion to living a creative life. It can help in setting intentions that will support you when you feel like you’re no longer in flow.
My new course just launched on the EkhartYoga Academy and it’s designed to help you design and sustain your own personal practice, one that feels aligned with your lifestyle and helps you grow.
4. Practice Movement & Breathwork
So whether you’re feeling up or down, inspired or stuck, a little movement can always be beneficial.
Revitalize your day with this 15-minute gentle yoga session with yoga blocks, filmed on a beautiful rooftop setting in Barcelona designed to enhance your focus, elevate your mood, and energize you:
What do you do when you’re in the middle of a project and you feel stuck and unable to keep going?
Leave it in the comments and let’s inspire each other!
Until we meet again, pause often, breathe deeply, and stay kind - especially to yourself.
Much love,
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Music is a healer! I have playlists for everything and every Breathwork journey I facilitate has a curated playlist around our intention.
I’ll have to check out your playlist!