The Art of Meditation

About 18 months ago I learnt how to meditate properly.  Up until then I tried closing my eyes and listening to music but it wasn't until I started following guided meditations that things really started to take off!  I'm now much better at it, don't need to be guided and have automatically learnt to switch off from distractions around me.

Its great for de-stressing as it brings a sense of calm and quietens an overactive mind (be it from the worries of the day or just too much going on in the head). I also find meditation provides me with solutions to problems and inspires creative ideas - its all to do with relaxing the mind and shutting out the unnecessary "chatter".

It doesn't need to be done every day and can last from 5 minutes to over an hour - its worth finding time for.


There are other ways to get into meditation and one of these is through art.

Last week I was in town and popped into The Works - sad to see they were closing down as they have some great book bargains in there.  I picked up a discount copy of Zen Doodling by Carolyn Scrace.  To quote from the back cover: "Zen Doodling releases your creativity while the designs' repetitive nature focuses your mind, encourages a sense of inner calm and tranquility and aids meditation".  

I doodle a lot whilst on the phone at work and there's definitely a close link with the mind because if I'm on a difficult phone call, my scribbles will be heavy and dark with lots of pointy shapes, but if I'm on a good phone call there'll be lots of swirly, flowing shapes.  

Zen doodling can be just used for relaxation or it can take the basic everyday doodles to another level so that they can be developed into surface designs and applied to textiles, ceramics, photo frames, metal, card etc.

I intended to stop at this point when talking about meditative art when, by sheer coincidence, I saw an advertisement on TV for this -

A new publication launched this week, simply called Art Therapy.  You don't even have to doodle for this one - just colour in.  The magazine reflects that colouring can enhance your concentration, free your mind, spark creativity, relieve stress and reconnect with your inner child.

The publication includes mandalas because their intricate patterns are absorbing to work with and have a meditative effect.  In fact the word "Mandala" means "sacred circle" and in Eastern cultures are symbols of wholeness and eternity.

I love how meditation and creativity are linked and this week, during a meditation whilst thinking about primroses and violets (I didn't plan it, they just popped into my thoughts!), the image of this bracelet came in to my head so I had to make it ...

Bracelet of citrine gemstone nuggets with purple and yellow quartz gemstone nuggets, using rose gold plated findings and copper coloured wire

I'm linking again this week with Planet Penny's Happy Friday