Meditation Can Make Your Writing Better

Something You Should Meditate On

Meditation has been cited again and again as an incredible benefit that regulates emotion (including stress) as well as improves verbal reasoning, attention span, and can even improve your writing.

Here's how meditation can help you in your writing:

• It opens the door to inspiration and valuable ideas by unburdening your mind.
• It unlocks your most original, true-to-yourself thoughts to provide a fresh and honest perspective.
• It helps you objectively analyze problems and personal obstacles that can be shared with your audience.
• It improves your memory, which can help you call up engaging anecdotes and insights.
• It regulates emotions and helps you become more self-aware, which can help prevent writer's block.
• It makes you a better listener when interacting with your audience.

Ultimately, meditation helps you tap into your creativity and unlock your greatest ideas by fostering a post-meditative state that is reflective (gives thought), creative (breeds innovation), and productive (creates value).

Meditation isn't easy - at first. Don't feel bad if you can't sit still for more than 3 minutes when you initially begin. It takes practice. Allow meditation to become a part of your routine and you will build momentum.

Basic Meditation Tips

To get the full writing benefit, meditate before you write. Meditation will help you become more alert and open your imagination to great value.

1. Find a comfortable and quiet space. I know, this can be a monumental task. Remember that old adage: "where there's a will, there's a way."
2. With your eyes closed, sit on the floor (or on a cushion on the floor) in a cross legged position. Rest your hands in your lap or you can choose to rest your hands palms up on your knees or thighs. Alternately, you can lay on your back on the floor with your palms facing up and feet shoulder-distance apart. This is what yogis call Savasana or "corpse pose."
3. Check for any tension you may be holding. Gently shake your head up and down, left to right to release neck tension. If you're seated, allow your head to rotate forward slightly so the crown of your head is up.
4. Breathe evenly to relax. Imagine your breath is a calm ocean wave coming into shore and receding back from the shore.
5. In your mind, repeat a mantra. This can be a phrase, a question, a problem, or any obstacle you are trying to find a solution to overcome.
6. Be patient and unembarrassed. Allow yourself to be in this meditative state: let go of distractions. Your solutions, answers, and ideas will come to you.

You can meditate anywhere from 5, 30, or 60 minutes. When you come out of your meditative state, don't immediately get up or you may risk a dizzy spell. Simply open your eyes and allow your breathing to return to its normal state for a minute and then get up. If you have meditated while laying on your back, roll onto your side for a minute and then come to a seated position. Once your breathing has returned to normal, feel free to get up.