3 Creative Meditations for Better Brainstorming
- Productivity
Zach- 19 minutes read
Zen is a quality of mind cultivated through sitting meditation that compels people to think deeply. Here are 3 creative meditations for better brainstorming.
The purpose of zen is to discipline the mind. Not only does this help cultivate a quality of mind to help you feel more at peace, but it also aids in the process of self-actualization and clear thinking. Because of these qualities, meditation is a great tool for supporting brainstorming and the creative process.
Shower Meditation
Let Water Help You Relax and Free the Mind for Ideas to Flow
- Time: 5 min +
- Difficulty: Beginner
How many of your best ideas come in the shower?
Showers are an inspiring environment for creatives, and meditation practitioners have used waterfalls and other water sources for centuries to aid in their practice of self-discovery and development.
Although shower thoughts are universally acknowledged, little is still known as to why. Scientists do know that water has many positive effects on well-being and creativity. Studies show that immersion bathing improves breathing, relaxation, elevates mood, relieves muscle pain, reduces stress and anxiety, and more. And as far as the relationship goes between water and creativity, water has always been a source of inspiration.
Scientists believe that showers and baths are great places for brainstorming because of these relaxing features and playing a role in the incubation phase of the creative process. When we shower, we’re isolated, relaxed, and removed from everyday distractions. This allows us to pay more attention to our internal thoughts. Pairing mindfulness and intention with this inspiring environment can enhance the creative benefits and turn it into a creative meditation.
Steps
Preparation:
- Set the water to a comfortable temperature that’s not too hot or cold (The temperature should not be a distraction).
- Add calming scents (candles, etc.), music, and lighting to enhance and support the experience.
- Use a Waterproof Notepad to write down ideas and thoughts.
Meditation:
- Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, parallel to one another, and knees bent slightly (Stay still and plant your hand on the wall for stability if you need to).
- Gently close your eyes.
- Become present and centered by focusing on your breath.
- Use the water as a visualization tool for deeper relaxation (Imagine distracting thoughts wash away).
- Don’t hold onto thoughts – Let them flow.
- Use your breath and your brainstorming question to return to the present when the mind wanders too far.
- Gently open your eyes when you are ready.
- Explore/free write about the ideas that came to you.
Tips
- Use the water to focus your five senses on the present moment.
- Pair with a guided meditation.
- Challenge your focus with cold water.
- Practice gratitude to reach deeper levels of relaxation and improve your mood.
- Add calming scents and music For more relaxation.
- Add a waterproof notepad to write down ideas in the shower.
- Try a creative bath to relax or even work like other famous creative bathers like Dalton Trumbo and Agatha Christie.
- Pair with a body scan meditation to heighten awareness and relaxation.
- Give yourself a massage to help you relax.
- Add plants to create further creative and health benefits that support meditation.
Moving Meditation
Let Movement Guide Your Journey of Self-Discovery, Relaxation, and Creative Thinking
- Time: 10 min +
- Difficulty: Beginner
Moving meditation is an active form of meditation where movement helps ground you in the present moment and clear the mind. As valuable as sitting meditation is to experience the calming benefits of stillness, the ultimate goal is to make everything a form of meditation.
When zen schools first adopted meditation practices, monks would get sick from extended periods of stillness. Eventually, masters like Bodhidharma and Hakuin Ekaku would promote active forms of meditation to not only helps monks stay healthy in their meditation practice but also brings the benefits of meditation to all aspects of life.
Moving meditation is a way to make every activity a form of meditation where you can strengthen awareness and reach deeper levels of insight into your true nature for better understanding, self-expression, and even productivity.
Sitting meditation has many health and creative benefits. When you add these to other activities, you’re cultivating a calm state to be your best creative self, no matter the challenge in front of you.
Steps
Types of Movement Meditation:
- Walking, Running, Dancing, Yoga, Kung Fu, Biking, Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Cooking, Cleaning, Stretching, etc.
Preparation:
- If you’re new to meditation, begin with a short sitting meditation to capture the relaxed meditation state before adding movement.
- Stretch and be aware of every muscle.
- Bring attention to your breath.
Meditation:
- Begin by moving slowly.
- Bring attention to every muscle of your body as it moves.
- Focus and maintain awareness of your breath and its connections to the movement.
- Keep your body relaxed and maintain a sense of lightness and effortlessness.
- If your mind wanders, bring your focus back to your movement and breath.
- Try to make your movements and breath one.
Tips
- Walk with intention – What’s your goal or focus for the walk?
- Use calming music to help you relax and stay present.
- Make everything a meditation by remembering the key elements: Breath, awareness, attention, openness, and relaxation.
- Feel your surroundings – Let the sites, smells, and other sensations ground you in the present moment.
- Don’t rush or over-exert yourself. Stay relaxed and pause when you want to.
- Try aimless wandering with no destination or time limit involved. Just flow through the movement.
Dali Nap Meditation
Explore the Creative Realm Between Sleep and Wakefulness
- Time: 10 min +
- Difficulty: Beginner
When it comes to creative brainstorming, Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí practiced a unique technique with meditative qualities known as Hypnogogic Napping.
Dalí was not a fan of sleeping, but he did see the value in exploring his imagination in the boundaries between wakefulness and sleep, also known as hypnagogia, described as ‘dreaming while awake’ and can trigger divergent thinking. It was in this relaxed state that he discovered many of his creative surrealist ideas. However, like most people who experience these aha moments in sleep only to forget them upon waking up, Dalí developed a way to capture them.
Hypnogogic Napping
He called this technique ‘sleeping without sleeping.’ While napping in his chair, he would hold a key above a metal plate. Eventually, he would drift off to the state between wakefulness and sleep, Hypnagogia, where his mind was more open for unique connections to form, and his imagination could flow freely. Once he began drifting into deeper levels of the sleep cycle, his hand would relax, and the key would fall, hitting the plate and waking him up. Still holding the memories from his Hypnagogia state, he would write down, sketch, and explore the ideas that came to him.
Just look at his lifetime of work, and you can see how successful this technique was in strengthening his creative thinking and imagination.
Creative Benefits of Napping
- Improves learning
- Improves problem-solving and creative thinking
- Supports the formation and consolidation of memory
- Regulates emotions and improves mood
Steps
Preparation:
- Relax – Lay down or sit in a comfy chair.
- Set an alarm or try Dali’s method of holding a key above a metal plate.
- Fine-tune this once you know how fast you can fall asleep.
- Aim to nap for only 10 to 20 minutes.
- Keep your creative goal lightly in mind to guide your subconscious in its hypnagogia state.
- Keep a notebook nearby to write down ideas fast after waking up.
Meditation:
- Focus and maintain awareness of your breath.
- Let your body completely relax.
- Upon waking, immediately write down all your thoughts.
Tips
- Create a restful environment that’s quiet, dark, cool, and comfortable.
- Train your mind and lucid dreaming abilities for creative nights of sleep by starting a bedside journal habit.
- Always keep a pen and paper at your bedside and write down ideas that wake you up, dreams, and feelings about your night’s sleep.
- Nap in the afternoon to refuel your creative energy and utilize the 3 pm slump to boost productivity and creativity.
- Try a caffeine nap for more energy after waking up. Caffeine takes about 30 minutes to impact the mind and body, so if you time it right with your nap, you can increase alertness after waking up.
Zach is an international writer, photographer, filmmaker, martial artist, and creator of Creative Enso, the Zen art of creative living. His goal is to empower and inspire creatives to live healthier, happier, and more creative lifestyles.
