Creativity helps to support our mental health and well-being by allowing for a connection to self-expression. Modern research suggests mindfulness-based meditation practices can help us contact creative flow by:

• allowing for purposeful, attentive mind-wandering
• enhancing focus
• reducing judgement and fear
• encouraging open thinking patterns (Henriksen et al 2020)

Age-old yoga and mindfulness philosophies have always reminded us that when we intentionally pay attention to present moment experience with kind curiosity and care, we create the space to connect with our innate strengths, including creativity.  When we can bring a caring, mindful presence to whatever it is we are doing, we naturally create the conditions necessary for creative intelligence to flow through us.

Looking for a quick creative boost in the middle of your day? Consider trying this mindfulness meditation practice known as the Sky of Awareness. Invite a fresh perspective, and explore what arises.  Enjoy:

1. Taking a few moments to settle into a comfortable seated posture, eyes closed or gazing gently to the floor, allow attention to rest softly upon watching the breath just as it is.  You could also choose to gather attention around an intentional word, mantra, or short prayer as a grounding anchor.
2. Using your anchor for support, invite attention to broaden, imagining the mind as wide and expansive as the Sky.  Opening attention up to include sounds, allow their pitches and tones to come and go in this vast Sky of Awareness.
3. Also held in this Sky are sensations within the body. These too, like sounds, have the quality of arising and falling away.  Returning to your anchor as you need, explore the quality of bodily sensations available right now in the company of sounds, just letting it all be.
4. You may have already noticed that the broad Sky of Awareness also holds space for thoughts, mental images, and emotions.  They shift and change like varying weather patterns within this expansive Sky.  Instead of ignoring them or pushing them aside, see if it is possible to allow them to come, linger, and move on, along with sounds and sensations.  Allow for the unfolding of life just as it is, remembering your anchor is always available to return to whenever you need it.
5. Once you are feeling ready, gather attention back to the breath, or whatever supportive anchor you have been using. Notice the quality of your presence and rest here for a few more moments. Invite a sense of gratitude to yourself for exploring this vast Sky of Awareness within. Thank you.
   

by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, Mindfulness educator and author of Finding Om

With the holidays upon us, there are sure to be many opportunities to share wonderful foods with the little ones in our lives. A playful and engaging activity to explore together can be a pause for Mindful Eating. When we are mindful, we are paying attention to experiences with all of our senses, on purpose, with curious interest and care. Here is a 5-minute practice you can try with some favorite festive treats.
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1. Decide what food you might like to explore. It could be a fruit or a veggie, a pretzel or a cracker, or maybe a delightful praline (as featured in the new release, Praline Lady by Kirstie Myvett). Anything goes!
2. First, let’s explore this snack using the sense of SIGHT. What does it look like? Use all the descriptive words you might find. 
3. Next, let’s explore with TOUCH. Hold it in your hand. Is it light? Is it heavy? Is it soft? Is it hard? What textures do you feel with your skin?
4. Now comes HEARING. Does your snack make a sound? Hold it to your ear. Is it talking to you? Does it make a noise when you gently shake it in your hand or squeeze it? Maybe you have to unwrap this treat. Does its wrapper make noises as you remove it? 
5. How about SMELL?  Gently hold your treat to your nose, and notice if it has a smell. Is it a pleasant smell? Is it a smell you do not like? Hmmm, does the smell make your mouth water? 
6. We’ve looked. We touched. We listened and smelled. Finally we get to TASTE. Take a small bite of your snack. Before you chew, get curious. Notice what the snack feels like inside your mouth. Do you detect a taste even before you chew?  Now bite into your treat, and chew slowly. Notice all the textures and flavors in your mouth. Does the taste change as you chew? 
7. When you are ready, let yourself swallow your snack. See how far you can follow its sensations, maybe even down to your belly. Notice how you feel now. 
8. We have used all five of our senses, and we can still use even more. We can use the 6th sense of our heart and mind.  Take a moment to notice what memories this snack reminds you of. Can you invite some gratitude in your heart for this food and the hands that prepared it? What does that feel like?
9. If you have another bite or a different snack, is the experience the same? What are the ways it is different? What does it feel like to slow down and share a snack in this way?

There are so many ways to explore! Have fun with this, and notice what you uncover together. We can’t wait to hear all about it!

by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, Mindfulness educator and author of Finding Om