Can writing be Yoga?

Picture "Buddha Mind" kindly provided by h.koppdelaney

If the aim of Yoga to "Yoke" the different dimensions of ourselves (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical) together into one integrated being, then can writing not also be Yoga?

I often wander what happens to me in the process of writing.  It seems I loose track of time, I forget myself, the words seem to write themselves.  In modern times this is called FLOW, in the 8th limb of yoga this is somewhat similar to Samadhi.

The concept of "FLOW" has been around for a while, probably since the dawn of time. Its a state where the mind loses itself in what it is doing and becomes one with the object of focus.  The arrow and the target are one even before the arrow has left the bow. There is absolutely no way that the arrow can miss its target in time.  Once the mind is focused, it is driven, it will try and try again, what difference does it make if the target is hit today or tomorrow.  The target will be hit, its only a matter of time, because the target is already hit in the mind.

The enemy of "FLOW" is a scattered mind.  In today's society there is just too much distractions, most people do not have the self discipline to maintain a healthy sense of "FLOW" for the most important aspect of their life, themselves!  How many times do people get pulled in all sorts of different directions externally and internally?  Look at anyone these days, the mind is doing something, the body is doing something else!

Flow is required to get into deep meditation or Samadhi, to connect to the real you, the unchanging you.  A great meditation session is one where one loses oneself, but one is not asleep. Time disappears, your mind disappears, your identify disappears What remains? the light of the soul, love, bliss...Some might say this is a dream.

What is real, what is a dream? What we think is real, is only a brief moment of existence compared to the eternity of life, a scale that we cannot even possibly imagine, where the wave comes out of the ocean, finds itself seemly as a separate entity to the ocean.  It thinks itself as real, and the ocean as a dream. So it is with us, when we lift ourselves out of this temporary state of ego, we merge back into the ocean. Daily consciousness is then a dream, the state of self forgetful super-consciousness is reality!

Take this further, what is the concept of romantic love? but a state of self forgetfulness, only the other person exists for you, every second, every minute, every hour, where is mind? where is the emotions? all but tied together in infatuation for this one person.  Is not love then a true expression of Yoga?

Back to writing, in yoga you connect your asana, with your mind, with your sensations, with your breathing. Writing is not much different, feel the weight of the keypad on your fingers, feel the weight of the pen, connect with those sensations in your fingertips, see the movement of the thoughts come to life on the page, write with your mind engaged, the passion of your emotions, and the richness of your spirit.  Change your inner world in the process, and the outer world is sure to follow...

Peace

Kirpal