Awakening Creativity
with the Sun Yantra
BY SARAH TOMLINSON
In my counseling practice, one of the questions that I address most often is that of creativity. Often clients lack inspiration, confidence, courage, or direction, or their enthusiasm is accompanied by self-doubt, lethargy, negativity, jealousy, and even pride. The obstacles to creativity require the very things that the creative process overcomes—therefore, the remedy lies in the process.
Symbolically, the sun archetype possesses the attributes that enhance creative expression. He is the king of the solar system, the authority, and the positive force around which the other planets revolve. To access your creativity, I would like you to try the sun yantra meditation.
Yantras are sacred geometric forms used as empowerment symbols from the Tantric traditions of Northern India. There is a unique yantra for the individual planets and gods, each one offering its own set of unique healing qualities.
The sun yantra is a geometric depiction of the energy of the sun. The colors are a sunny combination of golds, yellows, and oranges. There are 12 outer petals correlating with the 12 signs of the zodiac, and the 8 inner petals relate to the universal aspects of our nature: the five elements, the physical plane, the subtle planes of existence, and the heavens. The six-pointed star at the center of the yantra provides a balanced focal point and houses the bindu, the central dot. This star is a combination of the upwardpointing triangle representing the active energy and the downward-pointing triangle signifying the peaceful energy.
Inspiration often comes out of a rhythm of rest and activity. As you find the personal balance that the star suggests, notice if you take too much rest and develop inertia, or too little rest and not have the space to cultivate new ideas. By focusing your awareness and gazing at the bindu for several minutes each day, you can absorb the radiance of the sun and ignite your creativity.
There is a sound, known as a mantra, that accompanies each yantra. The sound for the sun is SOOM.
To work with your sun yantra:
- Take the sun yantra shown here and place it where you can comfortably sit for a few minutes each day and gaze at its form. This could be a meditation spot in your home or your favorite reading chair or even next to your bed.
- Take a few breaths to center yourself.
- Gaze at the center of your yantra.
- As you exhale, repeat the sound SOOM.
After several repetitions of the mantra, close your eyes and notice the sensations that occur within. This is an openeyed meditation followed by a few closed-eyed minutes. Repeat this exercise daily for 40 days. This will increase your solar power and your connection to your creativity.
Once your 40 days are complete, place your sun yantra on the eastern side of your living or work space. Just as the sun rises in the east, its yantra is most happily situated in this location.
Working with yantras is just one method that Ayurveda, the science of life, offers us to inspire creativity and connect with the solar forces. Here are some additional practices you can incorporate into your day to support the solar yantra meditation:
» Rise a little before the actual sunrise to feel the blast of energy that the light brings as it emerges. This is a wonderful way to ward off depression and harness the inspirational solar rays that fuel creativity.
» If you practice yoga, consider Sun Salutations, a complete series of body movements designed to unite you with your creative self.
» Honor the passage of light during the day—observe the directions that it rises, peaks, and falls.
» The solar plexus, aptly named as the sunny spot at and slightly above the navel, is a wonderful place to bring your awareness. Take some time once or twice a day to breathe 10 deep breaths into the navel. It will begin to release some of the negative emotional states held as tension in the body/mind and allow for a greater feeling of self-confidence and inspiration to arise.
» Increase the vibrant colors in your day. Not only is eating from all of the colors of the rainbow good for you, but dressing in and selecting a broad range of colors starts to energize your creative spectrum. The sun resonates particularly well with gold. If it appeals to you, wear some gold jewelry. This will be especially powerful if practiced on a Sunday.
» Pause at sunset. This juncture between day and night is said to be an auspicious time to be still. Once night comes then the activities can, if desired, begin again.
May the solar force be with you.
Author, artist, yantrica, and mother, Sarah Tomlinson is a pioneer in the field of Ayurveda and healing with yantras. She recently published the exquisite Yantra Bliss Oracle Deck. YantraBliss.com