What is the story behind Prime and Flow?

December 17, 2021 / PRIME AND FLOW / By Hanan Akl

I grew up loving and practicing art. Even though i was born into an art-inspired family, deep inside i was conditioned by society that one can’t make a living from it. A part of that is actually true.

I decided to pursue Visual Design in university to ensure I find a job, build a career and of course have a decent income over the years. It’s a common belief among many people that art cannot help you earn a good living. So I always treated it as a hobby on the side, until one day I realized its healing power.

Growing up as a teenager, I was very shy and self-conscious. Though i was very disciplined, still I had low self-esteem, anxiety and self-confidence issues. That by itself, limited my ability to freely express myself in the creative fields. When I was 20 years old, due to conscious and unconscious reasons to me, I had a breakdown. At that time, I was enrolled in university and on a semester break.

I was literally tired from always being the A student, always being disciplined and also from being self-conscious. I felt there was something within me that needed to be unrestricted and it seemed like it was at a breaking point.

Yes, it was definitely a childhood trauma that I didn’t deal with as a kid, that came back up in my life at that time. It was also a bunch of pre-conditioned thoughts i had about myself and about life in general.

It was a bunch of things that i had to deal with all at once.

So I took a break from university, and went through a depression phase that lasted for almost 5 – 6 months. The depression itself was caused by few sleepless nights which were caused by anxiety and a sense of overwhelm mixed with fatigue. The sleepless nights turned into a serious insomnia which then led to a depressed state.

I did a few therapy sessions with psychologists, tried pranic healing and finally reached a point where i wished i did not exist. Whatever I hated about myself before, got exaggerated. Whether it was my self-esteem, body-image, social anxiety, etc…

Using certain tools like journaling, letter writing, salt baths and some meditative breathing practices, one day and with one thought everything flipped. It wasn’t easy to go through the steps or actions. Journaling felt like a punishment, salts baths like a waste of time and breathing practices like a homework.

But slowly through doing the inner work, I started feeling better and back in control. So I realised that I am the ONLY one in charge of my wellness and happiness, unlike what i had thought before… that the source is outside. The moment I realized just this thought, everything changed.

I stopped the anxiety medications and the following day I painted the most expressive abstract painting I had ever done. I felt free and untamed. No planning, no thinking, just painting.

After that, suddenly I was a on a big high, a total shift. I felt joyous and vibrant while being in charge of my own feelings and thoughts again. I started pursuing all the things I loved that I had put on the side just to lead a “normal” lifestyle. For instance, I have always wanted to try yoga and meditation, to feel better and at ease with my body. So I did more of that. I always wanted to paint and draw more and so I did that too. I enrolled in a transformative Isha Yoga called program called “Inner Engineering” designed by Sadhguru. I traveled to the IYC ashram in India a few times, participated in an intensive silence program, volunteered with the foundation and did tons of inner spiritual work.

Yoga and meditation helped me sustain this level of vibrancy within me without falling again in the traps of the logical, unhappy mind or even society. The Isha yogic practices helped me dive deeper into understanding my inner being and equipped me with the needed confidence and tools to face any life challenges.

During this time, I was at the start of my career in Visual Design. I worked with multinational agencies and design studios. My spiritual journey helped me deal with work deadlines and social pressures. But my calling was to be of more service to society as a designer so I began working as a consultant with NGOs.

Life, keeps giving you challenges. The more prepared you are, the better you can face them.

After working as a consultant in design, i began to really wonder what is it that I wish to build or grow in this life in a consistent but passionate way? just like you grow a plant or even a child. The answer was always related to the fields of “art and wellness”.

So in 2019, I felt the urge to create this platform or idea and started documenting my art practice more and more. Also created few products like the Lunar Calendar, Planner and even Lunar Jewelry.

Plus, I ventured into researching and applying the art of Feng Shui, the law of attraction, living with the moon cycles, ayurveda, etc… I saw the magical results unfold in my own life.

With a wellness inspired lifestyle, I was able to remain balanced, self-motivated and confident to express and use my talents openly.

This is how Prime and Flow came to life… as a safe space to help women go from a restricted to a creative flow, using art and wellness tools, so that they can confidently offer their talents to the world while living connected to nature and self.

We can fully release our creative gifts when we are in a balanced state of inner flow. If you are unhealthy, drained, in a state of fear, guilt or low self-esteem, you won’t be able to unleash all your creative potential. You will be afraid of judgement and will always look for solace or confirmation from the outside.

Whereas, if you are the flow that you need, if you are enough for yourself, then you will have trust in whatever you create, because you’re creating it from a balanced mindset and soul. You’re creating it from within, not from the outside or the reverse.

If you work against the lunar cycle, then projects or life in general may feel like a struggle. But if you use the science of Yoga, Feng Shui, sacred geometry, the lunar cycles, etc… then setting intentions and manifesting them will be a smooth ride and a fun one too. Instead of being filled with disappointment, gratitude will instead be the guiding force in your life because the universe will respond to you with many many gifts in return to trusting its flow.

Thank you for reading!

Have you had similar experiences? Would love to hear your thoughts…