Practical Tools for Better Living
In the chaos and pressure so many of us experience in our lives these days, it can be a real challenge to find any relaxation, balance or peace of mind. It’s gotten so bad that some people have even begun to think that relaxation means wasting time and peace of mind is a pipedream!
Yet all of nature takes time to relax, renew, revitalize. We must, too, or we pay a heavy price with higher stress, stagnation of any real progress, increased problems at home or work, and even illness.
But we have many resources available to us to turn this downward spiral around. Two of the best are meditation and creative expression.
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
Meditation is the practice of stilling the mind and body to a beneficial state of pure, simple, conscious awareness, either for some purpose or as an end in itself. Because meditation involves quieting and relaxing the mind and body, it is really something we LET happen rather than MAKE happen. We let it happen by stopping what we are doing.
WHAT IS CREATIVITY?
Creativity means making or inventing something new, or transforming something into a new form. I sometimes joke that to be creative is to open up your “X Factor:” X-plore, X-periment, X-amine, X-press. It’s all about trying something you haven’t done, or doing something in a way you haven’t done it.
WHY MEDITATE – WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
It’s hard to pick up a magazine or visit the internet without seeing dozens of articles and reports on the physical, medical, psychological and emotional benefits of meditation. It lowers stress, improves heart function, improves memory function, helps muscles recover from strain… the list is long and getting longer as scientists continue to do research.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CREATIVE EXPRESSION?
Current studies, particularly among the medical and psychological communities, are finding that many of the benefits of meditation are also true of creativity. In addition, performing creative acts also may help stimulate neuron connections in the brain – in other words, help us think more clearly and deeply. Again, research is finding more benefits every year.
WHAT IS A SIMPLE PROCESS FOR MEDITATING?
Here’s a very simple 5-step technique for basic meditation:
1. Begin with a simple little ritual of setting up a quiet environment – for example, turn phones and computers off, close the window blinds for some darkness, put on some soothing music.
2. Sit on a chair or the floor in a comfortable position and relax your body and mind to the extent that you can. Don’t force anything to happen or not happen.
3. Take a few deep breaths to help you relax more deeply. Then return to normal, natural breaths.
4. Focus your attention on something that doesn’t require you to think, such as noticing the inhale and exhale of your normal breathing, or on a spiritual word like “peace,” or on an object like a candle flame or a stone. This is a process of observation – gazing at – not one of analysis!
5. Whenever you realize that you are daydreaming, or thinking about something, or your body is itchy or twitchy, just return your attention to your breath, word or object.
Do this daily for about 15-20 minutes. That amount of time has the same positive effect on the mind and body as an hour of sleep (so it’s wise not to do it too close to bedtime!). You may not notice any immediate change or effect – the results are cumulative and may take some time before you notice a difference.
HOW CAN I PRACTICE BEING CREATIVE?
Here are 5 ways you can practice stimulating your creativity:
1. Doodling. Just make little drawings or symbols on a scrap of paper while you’re on the phone or watching TV.
2. Captioning photographs. Give photos a title, or if there are people or animals in the picture, give them a script of something to say – it can be humorous, deep, nonsensical; just use your imagination.
3. Make up some dance moves. Move aimlessly to some music, letting your arms swing and your legs jump or prance about. Be silly with it. Be careful you have enough room, then let yourself go nuts. If there’s no floor room, sit in a chair and just move your arms.
4. Get enough of the basic essentials of life: Air, Water, Exercise, Nutrition and Rest. Creativity thrives on good self-care.
5. Learn something new, then go teach it. This is possibly the most important. Learning something new stimulates the imagination and teaching what you’ve learned cements it in your thinking as a real change.
The more you practice, of course, the more creative skill and ease you will develop. But don’t worry about IF you are creative; everyone is. These tools will just help you have more command of your creativity. Enjoy!