Reconnecting to Creativity through Meditation

Photo by Maahid Photos on Unsplash

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