Chakra Series - Yoga Nidra for Creativity - Sacral - Swadisthana Chakra -

Prepare for the practice of Yoga Nidra by laying on your back in Savasana, Say to yourself mentally “I am practicing Yoga Nidra for the Creativity."Swadisthana is the Sanskrit name for the Sacral Chakra. Swadisthana means dwelling place of the self.

The sacral chakra initiates the expansion of one’s individuality. Water, the element associated with this chakra encourages us to enjoy the rhythm and cycles of life. Take a deep breath in and on the exhale say to yourself mentally;  “I am creative”

Get as aligned and symmetrical as possible –

We will start with a Tense and Release exercise : Tense each body part like it is frozen and made of ice an and release has been warmed and easily flows like a river without any blockages or obstructions: Tense feet like each – release and relax like a warm gentle stream, calves, knees, thighs, abdomen, chest, back, arms, hands, face

If yoga nidra it is best in the body remains still. But if you ….

Say to yourself mentally “I will stay still for Yoga Nidra”

Now relax and imagine you mat is a raft and you are floating on calm body of water, a gentle ocean at sunset.  The water has an orange hue and you are relaxed and comfortable

Say to yourself mentally “I am floating in sea of creativity”

Inhale – Imagine yourself floating easily and securely on the raft.  Gentle floating without any care or worry

Your body is nearly 70% water. Become aware of all the types of water in the body.

Sense the blood flowing through your veins, feel your heart beating, pumping life round your body. Feel saliva in the mouth, mucus in the nose, any sweat, the feeling of moisture in the outbreath. Floating,  Exhale - Creativity (x3)

Bring the breath into a steady and comfortable space

There is no place to go and nothing to do but be right here right now in the moment

Let any thoughts you have float away and disappear

See the thoughts, have them and let them float away

Deep within your DNA is a powerful artistic urge to express and communicate beyond what conscious expression can conceive

All human beings since the dawn of humanity have known the urge to create.

Noone knows why for sure but 1000 of years humans across the planet began to instinctively manifest express the artistic impulse. 

As humans we have urge to represent reality both internally and externally with paint, figures, stories, music, dance. 

There is an ability within you to allow this tremendous creative force to flow through and express itself in art. 

As surely you are human this artistic impulse is within you and is your birthright. 

You have that power to create and express yourself.

Sometimes the conscious mind gets in the way of our unconscious artistic ability. 

Allow the artistic impulses to come out. 

Remember, your creativity is in your DNA and everything you need to create is inside of you.

Feel all the points of contact between the body and your mat raft

Feel supported by the raft. Feel your head supported, shoulders

Scan in all directions listen for sounds . . outside the room…inside the room…body sounds… breath… heart beat

In the heart beat hear the sankalpa

SANKALPA

(Sankalpa dialogue if you don’t have a Sankalpa for today simple say “I am creative”)

BODY ROTATION

IMAGINE A GENTLE SUMMER RAIN –

Feel the cool and pure water droplets against your skin.

Let them gently wet you and cleanse your aura, your body, your mind and your soul.

A body part will be named and imagine a warm raindrop gently touching he body part. Cleansing and anointing you .. .

BREATH AWARENESS

Now bring your attention to the area just above your pelvic bone, under your navel, while still breathing slowly and deeply. Allow your breath to reach and energize your entire lower abdomen and lower back.

Picture a magnificent orange sun setting in the ocean; concentrate your vision on its radiant orangey hues, and imagine the fiery rays emanating from within the blazing sun moving in a circular motion towards your sacral chakra.

Once the rays reach your pelvic area, imagine them swirling and energizing your sacred area. Allow this cleansing orange energy to radiate throughout your lower abdomen, and into your genitals, lower back and sacrum. Bring the awareness to the sacrum, the 4^th diaphragm.

Visualize seashore at sunset with the waves breaking on the shore.  There is a connection with your sacrum and belly, and what you see.  As you breathe out the waves break and the sacrum and lower belly expands and as you breathe in the sacrum and lower belly contracts and the sea withdraws. 

Counting the sacral waves backwards from 18 to 0 with awareness of the breath at the sacrum

Inhaling 18

Exhaling 18

……………………………

MANTRA

Bring attention to the sacram, the flat triangular area above the buttocks

Allow the attention to find the space, and to get settled into it

Allow the mantra Vam to arise repeatedly in your mind field, silently

Allow it to repeat at its own natural speed.  Perhaps it comes 5-10 times and wants to pause, or maybe it wants to come continuously. If it pauses, allow it to return on its own time,

The mantra may move quickly or slowly

Keep the attention on the sacrum, this is very important

Continue to repeat the mantra VAM

OPPOSITES

FLOW

Remember a time when you were in flow and completely creative.  Recollect a time when you were in the zone, performing an activity fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus.  Remember feeling full involvement and enjoyment in the process of the activity. Remember being in flow as clearly as possible.  Relive it.  Make it vivid.  Experience it intensely.  Remember the experience of flow.

BLOCKED

Now, Remember a time when you were blocked.  This can be creatively or emotionally. Remember the lack of flow. Remember the struggle, the frustration, the disappointment.  Experience it and relive it.  Try to make this experience of being blocked as clear as possible.  Deepen your awareness of being blocked.  Experience the lack of creativity and the blocks.

VISUALIZATION

Visualize yourself by the seashore at dawn.  The beach is deserted it is yours – you have all the time in the world. There is a hazy mist. The sun is rising.  Feel the warm orange light on your face and body.  Feel content at ease and relaxed.

You are barefoot and you walk along the seaside. The sound beneath your bare feet is soft and warm

Feel the breeze on your face

Listen to sound of the ocean and the waves breaking on the shore

Walk slowly through the mist towards the water

A small wooden boat is waiting.

The boat is tied to shore with a strong rope at the water’s edge

The boat is comfortable and steady

Feeling completely at peace, safe and relaxed

When you are ready untie the rope and Visualize yourself stepping into the boat

Relax and let the natural currents guide you away from the beach

The boat drifts and rocks gently

Feel the waves rocking

Let the Rocking relax you

Feel the Gentle waves Lapping against the side of boat

The sun higher in the sky. The suns ray reflect  on the water

Mist evaporates and air is becoming clearer

The sun rays dissolve all the mist

Now Paddle the boat.

Experience the rhythm slow steady beat of the paddle

Beat in flow

Be at One with boat and movement

Feel the Energy into effortless paddling

Glide with surface of the water leaving ripples

Experience Ocean water is all around and now you spy a small island

Alter your course to take you to the island – no effort or strain – release energy in controlled and easy way

Move the boat closer and closer to the island

Glide effortless and slowly through the water

As it comes into view the island is tropical and beautiful with palm trees

Dock the boat on the shore of the island.

 Step out of the boat and appreciate the beauty of the island: birds chip, flowers blooming, air is clear and pleasant,

IN this place you are in the present moment – no past, no future, no responsibilities

At an opening between the palm trees there is a narrow path the leads into a forest

Decide to take the path. Begin your journey

Follow the path as it meanders – the forest seems familiar like in a dream or memory

Walk into the forest guided by a force that you trust

Feel safe, nurtured and still

You have reached the very heart of the forest

See a pond.  It is sunset now.  Orange rays of light reflect on the pond.

The Water is still

Notice a ladder with three steps leads into the water

You undress completely comfortable at ease with your body.  Love and enjoy your body.

Step onto the first step of the ladder

The wind has eased and the trees have become motionless

The world around has become calm and you yourself have become more and more still

Lower on the 2^nd step all birds become quiet with a deep  silence

3^rd step you glide into the water. Feel yourself sliding into a deep state of relaxation in the pond your thoughts simple melt away.

All is silent except for the waves for off in the distance

Timeless, Empty and Relaxed

Enjoy the solitude and inner silence

Feel safe and secure

Be right here, right now in the moment

There is no criticism, evaluation there is just is you and nature

Float in the water

AS you relax think about your creativity

First stage of creativity is having the desire.  Next is having ideas. Know that the subconscious has all the ideas you need. Getting ideas is not end of process but the beginning

Remember how it feels to have ideas.

Inhabit the idea of having ideas.  Don’t force any ideas.  Use your inspirations and influences to filter ideas and make them your own

Trust your instincts about what your subconscious is trying to tell you

Disengage the control and let the ideas flow

Let your creativity out without strain or force

Program the idea of creativity flowing

Trust that this can happen

Make whatever you want from endless ideas

Trust your control is calm, relaxed and open

Allow yourself to feel being in flow and out of flow

Realize you are becoming more open to your creativity

SANKALPA

Come back to your sankalpa

EXTERNALIZATION

Listen for sounds (heart beat, breath,   )

Feel water in the body:  blood flowing through your veins, feel your heart beating, pumping life round your body. Feel saliva in the mouth, mucus in the nose, any sweat, the feeling of moisture in the outbreath

Breathe in the DNA of all the great artists that came before you.  Feel them within you with their DNA running through you.

Know as an artist there needs to be a focus.  Drawing into every cell in your body the artistic creation, power and force and passion that flows through as you begin to create.

Feel the exhiliaration from feet, ankles ….

Feel passion flow in you.  Feel a tingle from fingers, arms, chest, shoulders, neck, jar

Feel a flow moving through you up into the top of your head

Feel all the points of contact between the body and the mat raft . . .

Feel the artistic power rushing through you to create/

Come back to breath

Extend breath from

…………………….