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Writing as Meditation

Write, Journal, Novel, Create or Compose Your Way to Inner Peace

Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Jan 16, 2008

Many writers find peace, self-awareness, and clarity through writing:

Advice from Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way) and

Henriette Klauser (Write It Down, Make It Happen).

There are many forms of meditation, ranging from the esoteric to the

most ordinary of daily activities. One of the most profound forms of

"unconventional" meditation is writing. From published writers, to

amateurs, to those who "don't write" but keep a diary or journal,

putting thoughts on the page can be an important way of clearing the

mind and connecting with spirituality and inner peace.

Julia Cameron: The Right to Write and The Artist's Way

Julia Cameron is a film director, author, and the creator of the inspirational writer's workshop, The Artist's Way. She often discusses writing as a spiritual pursuit, and believes that everyone has an artistic side; most people just don't know how "to let themselves be creative."

Cameron sees art and creativity as part of our destiny and purpose as human beings: "Our creativity is our gift from God. Our use of it is our gift to God. Accepting this bargain is the beginning of true self-acceptance."

Julia Cameron encourages not only writers but anyone interested in exploring their creativity to write daily "morning pages" – three pages of free, spontaneous writing done early in the morning to open the mental pathways and clear up anything floating around in the subconscious or conscious mind.

Writing down our thoughts, in whatever form, is a profound way to discover exactly what we think, feel and believe. Julia Cameron teaches that by allowing ourselves to be genuine on the page, we open doorways to being more real in the rest of our lives.

Henriette Klauser: Write It Down, Make It Happen

In Write It Down, Make It Happen, Henriette Klauser discusses another facet of writing – its ability to help a person express what they truly want and to manifest it.

Typical meditations help to clear the mind and create harmonious, congruent patterns of thought and energy. Like any meditation, writing can be helpful in creating clarity of purpose and manifesting those intentions, dreams and desires.

Henriette Klauser teaches people that there is no right or wrong way to do writing! Keeping a journal, writing a novel, or jotting stray thoughts on scraps of paper are equally valuable in helping us find our center, developing our thoughts and beliefs, and learning how to resolve problems and create the lives we want to live.

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Meditation

http://meditation.suite101.com/article.cfm/more_than_one_type_of_meditation

More Than One Type of Meditation

Meditative State & Benefits Possible in Writing, Crafts, Movement

Victoria Anisman-Reiner
Dec 29, 2007

Meditation doesn't have to mean yoga or breath exercises.

Writing can be a powerful meditative practice; so can

knitting, painting and even washing the dishes.

(kokyu = dynamic meditation ?)

We often think of meditation as visualization or relaxation exercises. Most novices fear there is some enlightened standard to live up to, imagining rooms filled with yogis sitting silently in lotus position. Yet a meditative state can be achieved through writing, crafts, needlework, and even household chores if the right kind of focus is present.

What is Meditation ?

In the most practical sense, meditation includes anything that helps put the body and mind into a different state of awareness and enables relaxation and/or personal growth. Anything done with intent and focus that is capable of stilling the mind and providing mental clarity and connection with the inner (true) self can be considered meditation. Meditation often helps with emotional balance and grounding.

Ideally, a meditation practice is something that is done daily.

Traditional Moving Meditations

• In certain Sufi traditions, dervishes (or “whirling dervishes”) dance or spin to reach a meditative or ecstatic state.
• Native American medicine traditions speak of a spiral or frenzied energy associated with the animal guide, Quail, and meditative practices achieved through movement and dance.

In these and other traditions, movement and dance are used as repetitive practices to bring the mind and body into alignment and connect meditatively with something outside – or deep inside – of the human body and spirit.

(= ritual)

‘Unknown’ Meditation

Most of the Western world is out of touch with the concept of daily meditation, but it would be a mistake to assume that the only route to meditation is through Eastern religion.

In any culture or any country, there are hundreds of examples of daily events and rituals that can be meditative if the right kind of focus and attention is paid to them. From household chores, to creative work, to self care, life presents hundreds of ways to enhance our awareness and relationship with the inner self, if we learn to be present.

Common Types of ‘Unknown’ Meditation

Writing. Whether you write professionally, keep a journal to record your thoughts and impressions, or simply jot notes or lines of poetry onto scraps of paper, writing is a profound way to connect with the subconscious and give voice to things that might otherwise not be expressed or processed. People who write daily may find they are calmer, clearer, and react with less stress to situations that may arise during the course of the day.

Movement. Exercise helps put aside the pressing needs and demands of the mind and forces the body’s needs and voice to take precedence. Dance, jogging, yoga, or anything that gets you out of your head and into your body can be a valuable meditative practice.

Washing the dishes and other household chores. Do you find dish-washing – or any other household chore – just a little bit soothing? Anything that provides a moment of calm in a sea of hectic daily duties can be a kind of meditation.

Crafts, needlepoint, painting and other creative work. Do you knit, crochet, crosstitch, paint, draw, sew, collage, cut and paste, or color ? Any creative endeavor can be meditation.

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