Hello and welcome to this practice of yoga nidra.
Begin by connecting with the surface you've chosen to lie down on or lean back on for this spacious rest.
Perhaps even place a hand on the surface and take in its texture,
Temperature.
Notice how it makes you feel just as it is now.
And in doing that,
Also consider what your body needs in this moment to connect more deeply with the surface you've chosen.
Perhaps you discover here an opportunity to exercise your creativity already by choosing a new support,
A bolster,
A blanket.
And maybe adjusting them in a way that makes you feel good and held in this moment today,
Right now.
And as you allow yourself to lie down and settle the length and depth of your body,
Find yourself physically supported so that you can also open up your mind,
Your heart,
And spirit into a sense of creativity throughout this practice.
Get curious about any seeds of openness that might be asking you to nurture them.
With your eyes closing or your gaze lowering,
If they're not there already,
Notice how is your body as it relates to the idea of openness and creativity now.
You might find yourself exploring this by tuning into the rhythm of your breath.
And then calling yourself more and more into this openness and creativity with the long draw of an inhale.
And with the relief of the exhale,
Releasing any holding resistance or blocks that may still be present.
And just at your own pace,
Follow the rhythm of your breath in this way.
Expanding and settling.
Expanding and settling.
Expanding.
How does the rhythm of your breath itself evolve as you feel more into this open space?
Is it longer?
Deeper?
As you allow your breath to continue to evolve,
See if you can really sink into any bit of spaciousness that has opened up within your heart center.
If it feels present for you,
Here is where you might allow any wish for your practice to arise.
Perhaps something like,
I am resting in my deep well of creativity.
I allow creativity to move through me.
I am safe in my body throughout the cycle of creative inspiration,
Gestation,
And sharing.
Whatever wish arises,
Allow the words or feelings to rest themselves in the wisdom of your heart center.
Leaving your wish to stay there at rest in your heart center,
See if you can guide the softness of your attention upward toward the crown of your head.
Easefully observing your attention then as it unfolds across your forehead,
Over your eyebrows,
Nose,
Chin,
The length of your throat,
The base of your throat,
And out across both collarbones to both shoulders at the same time.
Down your upper arms,
Wrists,
Palms,
Thumbs,
Pointer fingers.
Middle fingers,
Ring fingers,
Pinky fingers.
In the whole of both hands at once.
Back to your wrists,
Elbows,
Upper arms,
Shoulders,
Collarbones.
In the fullness of your chest,
Down to your diaphragm,
Belly button,
Into your pelvis,
And out to both hips at once.
Both thighs,
Knees,
Calves,
Ankles,
Heels,
The soles of your feet,
Big toes,
Second toes,
Third toes,
Fourth toes.
Fifth toes.
In the whole of both feet at once.
Back to your ankles,
Calves,
Knees,
Hips,
Diaphragm.
In the whole of your chest,
And then sinking into your heart space.
When you're here,
Notice the quality of creativity that is there now.
Notice your relationship to the creative spirit within you.
Notice this sense of creativity in relationship to other people,
And perhaps even the world.
And here,
From the place of felt senses,
See if you can call upon any part of you that might tend to focus on creating with a specific result or expectation in mind.
An expectation from yourself or others.
Maybe there's a memory present here,
Or perhaps it's something you can relate to within your current experience.
What does this way of creating feel like in your body?
See if you can find any part of you that creates from whatever present moment you're in without expectation.
A part of you that is open to a more spontaneous approach.
How does this feel in your body?
And now switch back your focus to a part of you that might hold on to or create with expectation.
And then again,
Feel back into any part of you that really allows creative inspiration and action to come from the present moment.
Now,
With a sense of gentleness,
See if you can bring these two feelings together into one felt sense.
What does this union feel like in your body?
Allow this combined sense to now fade into the background,
Releasing it with ease.
And just as it is out of your mind's reach,
See if in this space you can cultivate a sense of creativity unique to you.
Something that emerges from your own heartfelt desires,
Wishes,
Your longing.
You sense into an authentic creativity in this space that is secure,
Grounded,
And confident while still being light and open.
See also what you notice about this way of being by observing the quality of your breath now with non-judgment,
Curiosity,
And compassion.
With that same non-judgment,
Curiosity,
And compassion for all of you,
Begin to imagine yourself carrying this feeling into your creative process.
Flowing from this place with richness and balance within you and within your creative collaborations.
And if you feel well resourced enough in this moment to explore further,
See if you can imagine this way of being carried into a context of a creative challenge you're experiencing.
Or perhaps even within the challenges of the world surrounding you.
Take a moment to acknowledge any change in feelings that arise.
See if you can stay committed to move from a place of flow.
And here can you even find a rhythm,
A way of moving in this flow that is more like a dance.
Feeling every cell in your body,
Working with your muscles and bones to curve and stretch and flex.
Aware of the challenging context and also moving with it.
Moving in a way to better understand it and have it understand you.
All of you.
Your whole essence and your whole emotional landscape.
Seeing and being seen.
Explore this exchange on your own for a few moments.
Here I am resting in my deep well of creativity.
Here I allow creativity to move through me.
I am safe in my body throughout the cycle of creative inspiration,
Gestation,
And sharing.
I am alive because of creativity.
This creative being that I am laying right here and now in rest.
Feeling the resonance,
The vibration of life.
In this present moment,
In the fingers and toes.
In the belly.
Allowing physical sensation in the neck and shoulders.
Moving the jaw.
Allowing a yawn if that feels good to you.
Stretching all of you long and wide.
And if it feels good,
Rolling onto one side and opening your eyes when you're ready.
Or if you choose to continue your rest,
Just allowing yourself to be held by creativity in this moment.
In your own time,
Find yourself upright once again.
Noticing the quality of creativity within you now.
The creativity that has always been within you.
Take a moment to say thank you to your creative spirit.
And with that,
This practice of yoga nidra is now complete.
