Interview with Linda Miller [yolinna] on Whohub

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The armchair psychologist: Is creativity an act of rebellion for you?

Creativity is not an act of rebellion for me, it IS me. It is the most natural, most instinctive part of me. It is one of the only times I am not rebelling against me, I am giving in to that primal force, the force that flows through me and out of me.

However, my creativity could be perceived as an act of rebellion--I don't follow others rules of color, line, symetry. I allow whatever wants to be expressed and yes, I enjoy breaking the "rules". I have to admit to feeling delightfully rebellious when I am being creative. One of the reasons I enjoy SoulCollage (www.yolinna.com/soulcollage) so much is because there truly are no rules. So, my art is purely creative without that feeling of having to rebel for the sake of individuality. It IS individual.

What is your specialty? How do you help people find harmony?

I am a Yoga Teacher and Reiki Healer. I offer different opportunities for people to relax and get quiet enough to hear the harmony of their spirits. I create small groups through Yoga and SoulCollage where people have the chance to get to know each other on a spiritual level. I allow healing energy to come through me with Reiki and Tarot to help ease other's suffering and guide them towards peace and serenity.

Can you provide a link to a web site or blog where we can learn more about you?

What is happiness, and the main obstacle to reaching it?

I believe happiness is a feeling that all is well, that we are okay. The main obstacle to reaching it is our insistence that it is something outside of us, a destination that we can achieve instead of understanding that happiness is something within us. When we learn to look inside, listen patiently and rest, suddenly a joy comes over us where we realize that all IS well, there is nothing wrong with THIS moment so we there's no need to hurry to the next. The more we practice surrendering to the moment, the happier we are.

How do you distinguish between spirituality and religion?

For me, religion is a set of rules. Rules are important to establish structure and boundaries. Once you've set your rules, you can throw them out. That's spirituality. Spirituality comes when we open up to all there is. Religion helps create rituals and times for Spirit to come through, but it is NOT Spirituality. Spirituality is connection, an opening of your soul to the souls of all and feeling the connection to God that rests within all of us.

Give us a simple proof for the existence of the soul.

Are you alive? Are you in there somewhere? There's your proof.

In what ways has your spiritual practice affected your creativity?

This is a very interesting question! I think it could go either way, actually. Does creativity affect spirituality or spirituality affect creativity? Or are they one and the same? 15 years ago I read Women Who Run with the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It was amazing, really led me to begin exploring that creative spirit that lives inside of me. Prior to that point, I would never have classified myself as creative or an artist or alas, spiritual. Synchronistically, at the same time I discovered Tai Chi and the Tao and Osho Zen Tarot.

Osho says, "Whatsoever you do, if you do it joyfully, if you do it lovingly, if your act of doing is not purely economical, than it is creative. If you have something growing out of it within you, if it gives you growth, it is spiritual, if it is creative, it is divine... All the religions of the world have said God is the creator....the more creative you become, the more godly you become.."

For me, this all resonated very deeply. At that point, I was no longer able to separate spirituality from the creative force. It was when I learned to step aside, get myself out of the way and allow whatever needed to be expressed to use me as conduit. It led me to allowing Yoga & Reiki to come through me, a willing instrument. I began to understand that Spirituality/God lives within me, I am One with the Tao, the living force inside of all living things.

Creativity is the paintbrush, Spirituality is the Masterpiece....

If you were sent to a deserted island, which book, CD and film would you take with you?

This is a silly question! Of course the CD and film would do you no good-- who has a CD or DVD player on a deserted island? I guess it will have to be a book, so I'll bring the Tao Te Ching, it would drive me nuts to have a quote from it on the tip of my head and not be able to reference it! But I would also have to break the rules and bring a few more with me: The Alchemist, The Shack, The Prophet, The Bible and The entire Twilight series (well, come on, we can't be all spiritual, all the time!)

In moments of tension, what techniques work in calming the mind?

I wrote about this in one of my newsletters and you can find it on my webpage www.yolinna.com/meditation . Lately, I have incorporated Kundalini yoga back into my regular practice. I find the breath of fire to be particularly helpful in calming my monkey mind. It's hard to think of anything else when you are breathing in and out rapidly.

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