How Does Meditation Improve Creativity?

Meditation has become very popular on social media platforms in the last few years. Even though a lot of people are biased against it, many people are happy it is getting the attention it deserves. Meditation helps you keep focused for a longer period of time and clear your thoughts up. Also, it can help you improve your creativity but how does it help? Read along to learn more about the relationship between meditation and creativity.

but, how?

Meditation has a long history and it is a spiritual activity. However, does that mean you have to be spiritual to meditate? Definitely, no. You can try and become spiritual as you meditate but it depends on your outtake from your meditation. Breathing exercises are known to help reduce anxiety and stress and are sometimes recommended by therapists as well. As you meditate you focus on your breath; therefore, if you are biased you can at least try to do a 10 minutes meditation just to try and see if you can really be less anxious. (Of course, this does not apply if you have a diagnosed anxiety disorder, in that case, please consult a professional.) So, meditating helps you become less stressed and anxious but did you know it also helps you stay focused for longer and bring your thoughts together easily? When you meditate, depending on the style, you focus on your breath and on your specific thoughts. Despite a common misbelief that you should not think of anything while meditating, there is at least one thing you focus on during your meditation apart from your breath. However, you should try not to let irrelevant thoughts run in your mind; therefore, you should focus on a topic. For example, if you are sitting through a guided self-love meditation, you should listen to the instructor you are following and focus on specific thoughts or affirmations such as ‘I love myself’. Meditation improves over time as you practice and you get used to it and be able to sit for longer meditations. Therefore, with time and the help of meditation, you become aware of your thoughts, you start to organize your thoughts more easily, and you stay focused for longer periods of time. Briefly, that is how meditation can help you improve your creativity in the long run.

Types of Meditation for Creativity

Since it has a long history and has been defined by different people throughout time, there are several types of meditation. Here are some of those types that can help you be more creative:

1. Writing; if you are new to meditation and love to write you can practice meditation by writing whatever is on your mind. Similar to brain dumping, you can set a timer for however long you want and write non-stop until the timer rings. The important thing here is to never stop writing and if you cannot think of anything to write, you can write ‘I cannot think of anything’ over and over till something breaks. 

2. Mindfulness Meditation; if you want to become more aware of yourself, your thoughts, and your environment, you should try to do mindfulness meditations to help you become more self-aware. It is also one of the best meditations for creativity since you practice focus a lot and become more focused. 

3. Guided meditations; if you don’t know where to start, you should start with an instructor to help you get used to meditation and understand the best meditation type for you. You can join guided meditation classes and find a lot of guided meditation on the internet. 

4. Moving Meditation; if you read so far but could not stop thinking ‘I cannot sit still even for five minutes’ this is the best type of meditation for you. Not all meditation has to be practiced by sitting still, you can move your body and meditate at the same time. This meditation helps you slow down and be more mindful.

Choose the Best Type for Yourself

To choose the best type of meditation you should understand meditation types and know yourself. This may take some time because you may need to try different types and research for a while. However, even though meditation may not be for everyone after you find the best type of meditation, it will become one of your most important helpers to be creative. This is because there is an undeniable relationship between mindfulness and creativity. Be patient, give yourself time, and try to get out of your comfort zone. You deserve to slow down, be more mindful, and get more creative.

How Long Should You Meditate?

There is no such thing as an ideal time to meditate because it is very personal and depends on your lifestyle. There are a lot of people who meditate for hours but if you want to just look into what it is like and use meditation to be more creative, you may start meditating with only five minutes a day. You can increase this time as you practice, and be able to meditate for longer periods of time. Despite the benefits of meditating for long periods, no one is going to shame you if you just want to practice short meditations for creativity. Remember, you are doing it for yourself!

Author:

Yasemin Yumusak