For the last few years I have been doing vipassana meditation and a breathing technique called breath of fire every morning and evening. These exercises have calmed me down and have increased my creativity in ways that I never before could have imagined.
Vipassana Meditation was created by the Buddha over 2,500 years ago and is still taught for free at centers and retreats throughout the world. Breath of Fire is a three minute breathing exercise that is a part of Kundalini Yoga.
Being Creative is like fishing in an Ocean. You are lucky if you can catch a fish. I consider catching a fish like catching a great idea. You can catch ideas, but how many of them are actually good and how many of them can you put together to make a project that is substantial? It could take months before you have one great song or one great script or one great flow of ideas that make you proud.
If you do breath of fire for three minutes daily within six months you will not be fishing in an ocean, you will be fishing in a fish tank. All your ideas will be right there in front of you. You will be able to grasp them more quickly and more easily. You will not spend weeks or months trying to find the fishes. You will find the great ideas in days or even hours. Imagine that? Imagine being able to hold onto and mold great ideas within days?
If you add twenty minutes of vipassana meditation daily on top of the three minutes of breath of fire in six months you will be fishing in a fish tank that is lighted. Now you are playing the game of creativity with ease and joy. Imagine being able to see all your ideas with such ease and also being able to connect the ideas?
Making a decision is a difficult trait for most creative types. We have so many ideas that we want to pursue that focus is often difficult. With breath of fire and meditation you will know which ideas to focus on and which ideas to discard. You will be able to clearly see how ideas match with each other and you will be able to clearly see how past ideas might now work with current ideas. You will become a Master of your Art.
I am now at such peace and ease with my life. My creative process is so fulfilling and enjoyable. I am OK with myself and that in itself is very important. Creative types have been known to be very hard on themselves. From Jim Belushi to Kurt Cobain to Robin Williams; we have seen our fair share of creative types being out of control. With meditation and breathing, I believe the suicide rates amongst creatives will disappear and the amount of ease and joy will increase.
One must enjoy their creative process. One must love their creative process. And one must be fulfilled in their creative process. Breath of Fire and Vipassana Meditation helps us achieve these goals.
For more information on Vipassana Meditation you can go to www.dhamma.org. For more information on Breath of Fire, you can take a Kundalini Yoga class at your local yoga studio.