Yoga in the Gallery begins this Wednesday, September 4th! Join Sam for a unique experience at FRANK Gallery to explore the connection between mindful movement and creativity. Embrace your practice with a beginner’s mind and let the walls of the gallery inspire your perspective. Sign up in-person or online.

Imagine stepping onto your yoga mat, the smooth texture beneath your feet, the sunlight shining through a nearby window. As you settle into your practice, there’s a sense of anticipation—a quiet knowing that something new is about to unfold. This is the magic of yoga, where the body, mind, and breath unite to create space not only within ourselves but also in our lives. And in this space, creativity blossoms.

Yoga and creativity share a special connection. Both require us to move beyond the confines of the familiar, to explore the unknown, and to embrace the perspective of a beginner—a fresh lens through which we see the world. This convergence of yoga and creativity is a catalyst for inspiration, opening doors to new ideas, perspectives, and ways of being.

Embracing a beginner’s mind invites us to approach each pose, each breath, with a sense of curiosity and openness, as if we were experiencing it for the very first time. It’s a reminder that even if we’ve practiced a pose a hundred times, there’s always something new to discover. We free ourselves from the expectations and limitations of what we think we know and become open to possibilities and new perspectives.

Just like our asana practice (movement practice), where each pose is connected by the thread of the breath, creativity too is a continuous flow. Ideas, like breath, come and go, rise and fall. When we are fully present, when we are in the flow, creativity becomes effortless. As you move, you’re fully engaged in the process, not focused on the outcome. This sense of playfulness and exploration is the essence of creativity. It’s about allowing yourself to make mistakes, to try new things, and to trust that the process will lead you somewhere unexpected and beautiful.

As you step off your mat, take with you the lessons of yoga—the openness, the curiosity, the willingness to explore the unknown. Allow these lessons to inspire your creativity in all areas of your life. Remember that each day, each moment, is an opportunity to begin again, to see the world through a new lens, and to create something beautiful. Yoga and creativity are not just practices; they are ways of being. And in their convergence, we find the freedom to express our truest selves.

Amanda Dzengeleski is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher and yoga therapist in training. She has additional training in trauma-sensitive yoga, therapeutic yoga, and functional movement. Amanda deeply believes that all beings possess an innate wisdom that blooms despite difficulty, trauma, illness or loss. She is dedicated to hosting a safe and inclusive space and inviting an embodied experience for students to honor their uniqueness and learn to listen to the wisdom of their bodies.

Sam Sather, founder of Dogwood Studios, is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and an Insight Yoga Institute (IYI) endorsed teacher. She individualizes the yoga practice with appropriate modifications for participants’ unique bodies and medical histories with a focus on finding calm and improving health. She offers several live, online and in person yoga classes as well as private sessions so you can focus on your needs one-on-one.