We are innately creative beings, but living in a state of flow when it comes to inspiration and creative output is difficult for many of us. Life has its ups and downs, and everyday stressors and to-do’s can block us from accessing our creative potential. Practices like pranayama, meditation, and yoga can be incredibly helpful in shifting energy and clearing our minds to help us tap back into our creative nature.
This practice is designed to shift your energy from the ground up, moving all the way through the chakra system starting at your root, all the way to your crown. This sequence will help draw energy upward, helping to clear your energy centers and open up to creative ideas and inspiration.
Spread your knees mat-width and sit your hips onto your heels as you extend your arms out long in front of you, planting your palms on the mat. Let your chest melt toward the mat as you root your forehead down. Deepen your inhales, filling up the belly and lengthen your exhales, relaxing deeper with every breath out. Direct your awareness to your breath and the sensation in your hips. Imagine breathing in and out through your root area, cleansing this energy with every inhale and exhale. Hold and breathe in this posture for up to five minutes.
From child’s pose, come up to a seated cross-legged position. Keep your left leg on the ground and bring your heel closer toward your glute. Plant the sole of your right foot outside of your left hip, knee facing toward the ceiling. On a deep inhale, elongate the spine. On the exhale, twist to your right, bending your left arm at 90 degrees and placing your elbow on the outside of your right knee, encouraging the twist. Hold here for ten breaths before switching sides.
Come onto your hands and knees into a table top position. Stack your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips. Keep a long neutral spine, and on an inhale drop your belly and gaze toward the ceiling. On your exhale, press the mat away and create a c curve with your spine as you tuck your chin into your chest and direct your gaze toward your navel. Continue moving in this pattern at your own pace, linking breath to movement for fifteen rounds.
Press back into a downward facing dog for transition, directing your hips toward the ceiling and maintaining a long neutral spine. Hold here for five breaths as you settle.
On an exhale, step your right foot in between your hands and plant your left foot to the mat at a 45-degree angle. Inhale, come up into Warrior I, reaching your arms overhead and relaxing your shoulders away from your ears. Keep your hips squared toward the front of your mat and stay in Warrior I for five breaths.
On your next exhale, interlace your hands at the base of your spine. Inhale, press your palms away and open up through your heart. Exhale, fold to the inside of your right knee, letting the head and neck hang heavy as you come into humble warrior pose. Breathe into your shoulders and heart space as you fold deeper with every exhale. Stay here for five breaths before slowly coming up and taking a vinyasa to transition back to downward facing dog and repeat the same postures on the other side.
Come to stand at the top of your mat with your feet hips width apart. Invite a gentle bend into your knees and relax your arms by your side, palms facing forward. Close down your eyes and take a few slow and steady breaths to settle back into the body.
As you breathe, begin to imagine that your feet have roots extending into the earth below you. Then, begin to visualize that with every breath in, you’re inhaling a warm, golden light from these roots and through your body, starting at your feet and flowing all the way up and out through your crown, extending into the sky above you. Continue to breathe and follow this visualization for up to five minutes, gathering this creative energy from the earth and allowing it to open you up to endless inspiration and possibility.
Discover all the ways creativity can show up in your life and how the doshas guide your creative spirit in Explore Creativity with Ayurveda, a four-part series with Dr. Sheila Patel, available in the Chopra App under For You.
This practice is designed to shift your energy from the ground up, moving all the way through the chakra system starting at your root, all the way to your crown. This sequence will help draw energy upward, helping to clear your energy centers and open up to creative ideas and inspiration.
Child’s Pose
Spread your knees mat-width and sit your hips onto your heels as you extend your arms out long in front of you, planting your palms on the mat. Let your chest melt toward the mat as you root your forehead down. Deepen your inhales, filling up the belly and lengthen your exhales, relaxing deeper with every breath out. Direct your awareness to your breath and the sensation in your hips. Imagine breathing in and out through your root area, cleansing this energy with every inhale and exhale. Hold and breathe in this posture for up to five minutes.
Seated Twist
From child’s pose, come up to a seated cross-legged position. Keep your left leg on the ground and bring your heel closer toward your glute. Plant the sole of your right foot outside of your left hip, knee facing toward the ceiling. On a deep inhale, elongate the spine. On the exhale, twist to your right, bending your left arm at 90 degrees and placing your elbow on the outside of your right knee, encouraging the twist. Hold here for ten breaths before switching sides.
Cat Cow
Come onto your hands and knees into a table top position. Stack your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips. Keep a long neutral spine, and on an inhale drop your belly and gaze toward the ceiling. On your exhale, press the mat away and create a c curve with your spine as you tuck your chin into your chest and direct your gaze toward your navel. Continue moving in this pattern at your own pace, linking breath to movement for fifteen rounds.
Humble Warrior
Press back into a downward facing dog for transition, directing your hips toward the ceiling and maintaining a long neutral spine. Hold here for five breaths as you settle.
On an exhale, step your right foot in between your hands and plant your left foot to the mat at a 45-degree angle. Inhale, come up into Warrior I, reaching your arms overhead and relaxing your shoulders away from your ears. Keep your hips squared toward the front of your mat and stay in Warrior I for five breaths.
On your next exhale, interlace your hands at the base of your spine. Inhale, press your palms away and open up through your heart. Exhale, fold to the inside of your right knee, letting the head and neck hang heavy as you come into humble warrior pose. Breathe into your shoulders and heart space as you fold deeper with every exhale. Stay here for five breaths before slowly coming up and taking a vinyasa to transition back to downward facing dog and repeat the same postures on the other side.
Tadasana and Standing Meditation
Come to stand at the top of your mat with your feet hips width apart. Invite a gentle bend into your knees and relax your arms by your side, palms facing forward. Close down your eyes and take a few slow and steady breaths to settle back into the body.
As you breathe, begin to imagine that your feet have roots extending into the earth below you. Then, begin to visualize that with every breath in, you’re inhaling a warm, golden light from these roots and through your body, starting at your feet and flowing all the way up and out through your crown, extending into the sky above you. Continue to breathe and follow this visualization for up to five minutes, gathering this creative energy from the earth and allowing it to open you up to endless inspiration and possibility.
Discover all the ways creativity can show up in your life and how the doshas guide your creative spirit in Explore Creativity with Ayurveda, a four-part series with Dr. Sheila Patel, available in the Chopra App under For You.