Improvifesting: A portmanteau of improv and manifesting, meaning to create what you want through improvisation.
What if manifesting what you really want in life was as simple as Yes, And? Those two little words pack a big punch in the world of improv and they can make a big impact in your life, too. Let’s take a fresh look at this thing we call “manifesting” through the lens of improv’s Yes, And.
These days, many see manifesting as synonymous with bringing into reality something in your life, usually something you didn’t have before that you wanted, for example, a relationship or a new job.
So I wondered, how do we manifest what we really want? Is it through our thoughts, visualization, writing, actions? I began by writing as if I had already created what I wanted, visualizing and sensing into what would happened and how I would feel. I generated a lot of success with that. My first blog, Imagination Realized, has lots of examples of how I used visualization to create magic in my life. One time I actually ended up in a dancing competition!
While this method was effective, I began to notice that it’s missing the Yes. I’ve learned that I need to say Yes to what I’m currently creating before I can move on. Why? Because there are feelings caught up in there. There is powerful energy waiting to be released to fuel my next move. There is truth that will inspire and guide me. I choose to face that I am always manifesting. So whatever I’m currently creating is due to my manifestation powers whether I like it or not.
And that’s where, if I’m only using my head, I can get really hung up. I can spiral down the rabbit hole of self-loathing and beating myself up for manifesting situations I don’t like. It makes sense to me that I would rather try to skip over this part. However, the price of skipping over this part is stuffed feelings and recycled drama. It’s maybe even getting what you think you want, but not really receiving it and not enjoying it.
So how can we make this part friendlier? How do we make it fun?
By adding PLAY.
When I’m facing into something I don’t like that I’m manifesting in my life, I know I’m not ready to move on until I begin to play with it. The most effective and quickest way I know to open up to play is to magnify or exaggerate with my whole body while I express. The magic happens when I go all the way with it using movement and sound.
The other place that I would get hung up with manifesting is knowing what I wanted. Yikes! I focused so long on what I didn’t want, how am I supposed to figure out what I actually want? Again, I could easily get stuck up in my head and give up.
But with the Yes, And approach to manifesting, playing with saying Yes to what I’m currently creating inspires what I really want. I allow my whole body to play through to discover what I want, rather than using my head to make something up that sounds good. This is the And part of Yes, And. The word, manifest, actually means to show plainly through action or appearance. For instance, His courage manifested itself through the look on his face. So by this definition, if you’re looking to manifest love in your life, then you must discover your unique appearance and action (movement) of love. As they say, be the love, but you can’t just throw it on like a mask over your pain. That’s why giving space to… Yesing… what is, is the first step.
Then what? Then I update my moves!
Body intelligence pioneer, Katie Hendricks says, “The quickest way to change your mind is to change your body.”
So again I invite my whole body to demonstrate how it moves in that space of creating what I want. When I’m creating love and kindness in my relationships, how am I moving? How am I breathing? Where is my attention? Then I move, breath and notice in that space for a while.
I can now go from complaining about what I don’t want, to playing with and accepting it, to discovering what I truly want in about five minutes. It takes practice and it’s totally possible.
Finally, I wonder, “what is the simplest action step that I could take to demonstrate my commitment to creating what I want?” It could simply be practicing my new move everyday for a week, or some communication that I need to make might pop into my head. I allow my action to be easeful and organic versus making something up.
If this sounds like a practice you’d like to experience first hand, I’m hosting a playshop where I will assist you in Yes, Anding something in your life. I have two Play It Out Playshops coming up: Sunday, January 20th, 12:30-4pm and Sunday, March 31st, 12:30-4pm.
Check out all my events at http://www.playitoutimprov.com!
