Welcome to this meditation on innovation and lateral thinking.
As we begin now,
Move into a gentle,
Comfortable seated position.
Nothing fancy,
Nothing too complex.
Just something that feels really easy and natural and comfortable for you.
Allowing your hands to rest on your knees or your thighs.
Turning inward now by closing your eyes.
And on the next exhale,
Feeling a great sense of release and openness through your body.
On the next inhale,
Feeling an expansiveness within you.
Breathing in and out now.
Not changing the pattern of the breath in any way.
But just welcoming it.
Inviting it.
Being curious about the movement of the breath in and out.
Setting an intention for yourself to cultivate a really curious and open mind in this moment.
Breathing out any blocks within your body.
And breathing comfort into those parts of your body where there might be discomfort.
Breathing in for a count of four.
And breathing out for a count of four.
Breathing in for a count of four.
And breathing out for a count of four.
Gently and slowly allowing that rhythm to continue.
Feeling the breath slowing down.
Settling into a really comfortable place.
A really easy,
Natural flow.
Where there's nothing else to do right now.
Nothing else to worry about.
Just being present with the breath.
Just being curious about that breath.
And in front of you now in your mind's eye,
Imagine you're in a canvas up on an easel.
There are paints laid out in front of you.
You can put anything onto this canvas you would like.
No expectations.
No rules.
Allowing yourself just to see what emerges.
Seeing the colors.
Seeing the shapes.
This canvas is that space of innovation and lateral thinking in our mind.
A place of creativity.
A place of new ideas.
The magic of this creative canvas is that you can erase anything as you go.
You can start over as many times as you want.
Or you can keep the parts that you like on the canvas.
Adding to it.
And seeing whatever it is really vividly emerging.
Trying not to hold onto too many expectations of what you'll see.
Not trying to make something beautiful or something perfect.
But allowing that canvas in your mind to show whatever is right.
Whatever inspires you.
In whatever colors.
In whatever textures.
Showing those moods and feelings deep within you.
Those moods and feelings that emerge only in a state of deep relaxation.
As you continue designing on this canvas,
You might notice yourself getting stuck or repeating patterns that you don't want to see.
And that's fine.
All you need to do is acknowledge that.
Then erase anything on the canvas that you need to.
And carry on.
Creating it exactly as you would like it to be.
Allowing yourself to go as slowly as you need to.
Not rushing.
Not forcing.
But simply filling that canvas in a way that looks and feels right to you.
And if your mind begins to wander,
That's fine.
That's what the mind does.
All you need to do is bring your attention back to your breath.
Letting that movement in and out.
And then returning to that canvas with fresh inspiration and ideas.
Trusting what emerges.
Not judging what emerges.
And knowing that you have the ability to choose what you keep and what you erase on that canvas.
And now letting go of that image of the canvas in your mind.
Begin to reflect on a few questions.
What did you discover about your creative process during this meditation?
How can you apply the mindset of innovation and lateral thinking to your personal and professional life?
What specific actions can you take to cultivate more of this curious and open mindset?
And how might you collaborate with others to create with them in ways that are as open and enriching?
Remembering that every moment is an opportunity to approach the world with curiosity and openness.
And that real innovation comes from that willingness to be open.
To experiment.
To try and to start again.
Now beginning to return gentle movement to your body.
Starting with your fingers and toes.
Then circling your wrists and ankles.
Giving a bit of a stretch with your arms up to the sky.
Rolling your shoulders around.
Then opening your eyes.
Before getting out your journal and spending a few minutes now reflecting on what you've learned from this process.
And what you can take with you into the rest of today and into tomorrow.
