We hear it being said a lot, that change is inevitable. We hear it being said too, to go with the flow. Easier said than done. When things do not go our way, when unexpected things happen, when we feel completely and utterly out of control, as things often do, we often resort to fear-based emotions and actions. We cling, we attach, we try to possess. We feel desperate and hopeless. We bargain or beg, either in our thoughts or even in actions, just for things to remain the same, for things to be familiar, for the safety net to stay in place.

But fear is the enemy of creative action. Fear holds us back. Fear keeps us from exploring the space and openness to change our circumstances and situations, and even more importantly, our hearts and minds. Imagine if things truly stayed the same in all of those times we didn't want change. A lot of the joy and happiness we experienced since then would not have been possible. New people, new situations, new interests would not have the space to flourish and grow.

Let us learn to let go of fear-based thinking. What is it that I currently resist? What am I afraid of losing? Is fear driving my actions? Can I instead look at the same situation from a place of loving kindness towards myself and all who are involved? Let us take the highest of the creative actions-- to go with love; to think from a place of love; to speak from a place of love; to act from a place of love. To move from fear to love means that we are not stagnant; we are not static. We do not possess that which is transient in nature; we can only be grateful for all that we are able to receive. Our lives are constantly changing. We can decide to resist out of fear, or accept from a place of love. To choose love is the greatest creative action we can take.

I read about two completely different actions taken towards the homeless. The first one is that a restaurant had a refrigerator put out on the street, and they kept extra food there that anyone can take, so that the homeless can eat with dignity and not have to look for scraps in the trash bin. The second action in a completely different setting was putting spikes on side walks so homeless people cannot use that space to rest and sleep. These two examples addressing the homeless show how our actions can be creative or destructive, how they can help or how they can destroy.

In yoga philosophy, we differentiate between the Self and the small self. The big Self refers to the highest of who we are, the highest potential, our light, our ability to connect to others and see others as we are. The small self is the dark ego who in its fear desires to protect one fraction of its identity; it is attached to separation; me right you wrong; us versus them.

What then is creative action? Is it to do something perfectly and creatively without any regards to the motivation of the action? From the yogic perspective, this definition is incomplete. What defines creative action is action that springs from our highest Self. All actions coming from separation, putting others down to lift ourselves up, is from the small self. All actions coming from the intention to unite, to alleviate the suffering of others, to treat others as we would like to be treated, comes from the higher Self.

Going back to the two different examples, it shows that where we operate from (self vs Self) determines the kind of action we end up taking. Unfortunately, homelessness is a prevalent problem in the world today. Take creative action. Feed the homeless, support programs that give jobs to the underprivileged, do something. Do this not to separate (I am better than you), but do this to unite (I am you). Creative action arises from union, from yoga.

Can you imagine taking a vow of silence for a certain period of time? Say, one week? How about a month? How about a year? Many of us would dismiss the idea as a near impossible feat, or at least crazy and unnecessary.

A 27-year-old personal trainer by the name of James Aspey chose to be silent for 365 days. He chose to be voiceless so he can raise awareness on behalf of the voiceless animals. He is an animal rights activist who wants the world to know that chickens, pigs, cows and all other sentient beings deserve the right not to be harmed.

What he did is a perfect example of creative action. He did not have a lot of money. He was not a celebrity who had followers by the millions. He took action by taking stock of what is already available to him, and made the best out of it. Instead of focusing on limitations, he worked with possibilities.

In our asana practice, we are confronted by many limitations of our physical body. Perhaps we struggle with an inversion because of fear of falling. Maybe we have difficulty doing forward bends because of tight hamstrings. We all have something. Creative action is to see the same boundaries not as barriers but as opportunities to find creative expression. We work with what we have and we make the best out of it. We all have something; Creative action is to be not limited by it but to be freed by it.

Just as we can turn our asana into creative actions with the right intention, so it is that we can turn our everyday actions into extraordinary ones. Whenever we practice and recommit to the promise of "May all beings be happy and free", we pledge to use what is available to us to bring the most amount of happiness in the world. It could mean going vegan to save animals from being harmed. It could mean extending our kindness to those who least expect it. It could mean being conscious of the environmental impact of our choices. When we take stock of what we ourselves can do in a world where many things seem to be out of our control, we take personal responsibility to create instead of destruct. And then, we can truly say we are taking creative action.