A Meditation to Cultivate Creativity
Creativity flows most readily when there is space, time, and consistency, which is
what meditation helps us achieve, making it a wonderful tool for tapping our inner creative
genius, says Elena Brower, a yoga and meditation teacher in New York City and co-author
of Art of Attention. “Our privilege as practitioners of yoga and meditation is to consciously
create that space and time in which to dissolve limitations and receive our creative
inspiration,” she says. Try her meditation below, designed to help you move beyond your
usual boundaries and open yourself up to new and different possibilities. “This meditation
is a simple exploration that connects you to the central channel of your body, where
creativity lives and where confidence and clarity can arise,” says Brower.- Begin by sitting comfortably, hips elevated higher than your knees. Inhale into both
nostrils, all the way down into your belly. Feel light descending as you breathe in. Exhale
up from your belly and out through your nostrils, and feel light rising as you breathe out. - Next, add the elements of receptivity and listening through a simple mudra and
affirmation to enhance your creative clarity. Place your hands into the shape of a bowl in
front of your heart space, with your pinkies touching, palms facing up. - Breathe deeply into your belly through your nostrils and feel a quality of receiving in your
hands. Invite the source of your creativity into your physical body, noticing any thoughts
or sensations as they arise. Welcome your breathing and watch it become longer, steadier,
and more patient with each successive inhale and exhale. As you find more stability in
both your breath and your body, you produce rich soil in which to place the seeds of your
creativity. Breathe long and fully for 3 to 11 minutes—your choice. - To end, imagine you’re moving light all the way down into your belly, and bring your
hands to prayer (Anjali Mudra) in front of your heart. Exhale up from your belly and out
through your nostrils, drawing your navel centre back toward your spine, imagining light
rising and emanating brightly throughout your being and into the space around you.