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—Meditation and Creativity—

I’ve practiced meditation for several years now. I find it to be a calming, insightful practice that stimulates creativity and it has helped with my writing and digital artwork. For more information on the practice, see this older article I wrote.

That said, I had a revelation about it quite recently that I feel is important to anyone reading this—be they a writer, artist, meditator, or an average joe.

When we ground ourselves in stillness, we draw inward and banish the noise of the outer world. In this fashion, we move to our inner universe. It’s here that nothing from the outside should penetrate this sacred place—ideally anyway.

—My Background with Meditation—

During the past few weeks, months, maybe even years—I’ve forgotten how long—my allowance for outside noise gradually increased outside my notice. It became so bad that I couldn’t focus, too anxious thinking about my projects and work. Even my sleep got messed up. I didn’t create that special place of rest and healing that I so desperately needed.

My point is when we do something like meditation or any other healing or resting ritual, we sometimes become forgetful of what that inner universe is really like. I feel so blessed to have reawakened to this notation—and I pray that, to anyone reading this, that you, too, treasure and respect your inner self.

Meditation is so beneficial to the body, but we can’t just sit down and force it to happen; it’s a natural, passive process that takes us on a journey inward.

—Tips on Practicing—

Here are some tips and methods to begin this practice, if you feel so inclined:

1. Relax – Let go of whatever your ego wants you to think. Drink deep the chalice of stillness and mindfulness. Fight against the urge to think about anything, even your story. Regulate your breathing or chant mantras to redirect your concentration. There are dozens of ways to implement meditation.
2. Time – Between writing, reading, family obligations, and a day job, it’s especially challenging to find the time to meditate. Our busy society discourages this–yet, without time to rejuvenate the subconscious, burnout is inevitable. Block out part of your day dedicated to meditating, even if it’s only 5 minutes a day. Your subliminal brain will thank you. Some people meditate better at night when the rest of the world sleeps, others in the morning. Find an ideal time that works for you.
3. Space – Establish a quiet area where you won’t be disturbed. Be sure it’s comfortable and dark. If you need to, ask your living mates to not enter for a designated interval. Defend this personal space from any miscellaneous disruptions, if possible.
4. Dedication – Meditation, like writing, doesn’t come quickly. With your routine established, stick to it. Some days may feel unproductive, while others will. Work your way up to 20 or even 60 minutes a day if possible.
5. Tools – Implements like music, essential oil fragrance, or colors can enhance meditation. Everyone is different; experiment, and find what works best.
6. Write After Meditation – The brain enters a different state after prolonged relaxation. During this period, creativity and productivity may be at its highest. Take advantage of this episode to work on your piece or jot down notes. Many legendary writers such as Shakespeare utilized this to produce their masterpieces.

—Some Additional Insight—

In ancient India texts, the act of writing corresponds to the fifth chakra Visudda, also known as the throat chakra. Your throat has a compact bundle of nerves at the neck. These contribute to the acceptance and expression of originality of voice. The main obstacle of the fifth chakra—which most writers struggle with—is doubt and negativity. Through meditation, confidence is restored, and the nerves purify.

The fifth chakra works with the second one at the navel, called Svadhisthana, or the sacral chakra.  This energy center controls pleasure and creativity. When the body isn’t producing sexual energy for biological reproduction, the life force goes towards the abstract, or creative ideas. Blockages in this chakra result in creative stagnation or exhaustion. Through meditation, the nerve endings restore their creative-inspiring state.

—A Spiritual Conclusion—

This is but a fragment of the information out there. Feel free to investigate the source links below. Writing bears an imprint of our soul, one that we transmute from the abstract (spirit) to the concrete (words). The physical and astral unavoidably connect, and neglecting one over the other cannot work for success.

Thank you for reading and I’ll leave you with this quote:

“He doth entreat your grace, my noble lord,
To visit him to-morrow or next day:
He is within, with two right reverend fathers,
Divinely bent to meditation,
And in no worldly suits would he be moved
To draw him from his holy exercise.”

William Shakespeare
The Tragedy of King Richard the Third