Meditation can be an eye-opening experience.
For years, I’ve been taught to meditate with my eyes closed, but lately, I’ve been experimenting with a new method: whenever a thought comes to mind that feels important, I give myself permission to pause, open my eyes and write it down.
Blame it on my being a writer: I hate to let a good idea go.
I don’t use this method all the time. Sometimes I just need to close my eyes and sit quietly for a few minutes, benefiting from some slow, deep breaths.
I’ve also been finding it beneficial, however, to approach meditation with the intention of opening myself up to receive guidance from the Universe, especially when I’m wrestling with a heavy heart or troubled spirit. Then I make sure I have a notebook and pen handy, set a timer for 15 minutes and enter into sacred conversation with All That Is.
Listening to the wisdom the Universe offers
Opening my eyes periodically to literally “make note of” what the Universe is telling me has yielded some profound insights. Writing the messages down is like saying to the Universe, “I’m listening, and I take your guidance seriously.”
In my experience, this opens the door to receiving more guidance in the future. No one wants to talk to someone who isn’t listening. Apparently, the Universe feels the same way.
Sometimes messages that feel worth recording only pop into my mind towards the end of a meditation session, so I patiently hover in the silent darkness behind my eyelids until the timer goes off. Other times, meditation feels more like a gentle conversation with my Higher Self.
Not every thought is worth recording. If it’s just anxious chatter, I’m learning how to identify it and disentangle myself from it. However, if the thoughts sound more like the wisdom of a parent or counsellor, I pay close attention.
What is the source of this wisdom? I tend to use “All That Is,” “the Universe” and “my Higher Self” interchangeably. Ultimately, what I’m referring to is the area of the Venn diagram of lived experience where my unconscious mind and all that exists outside of me overlap.
Another name for this mysterious source is “the Muse.” While the Muse is typically referred to as a source of inspiration for artists and writers, I believe the Universe functions in a similar way during meditation: providing epiphanies, great and small, to help us create our own realities.
The appearance of the Muse in my waking life is almost indistinguishable from the whispered messages I receive while sitting in my chair with my eyes closed. It’s the uncanny experience of sensing a presence that is simultaneously far beyond me and deep inside me.
Whether I suddenly realize how to finish a blog post with my eyes open or finally understand why a conversation bothered me so much with my eyes closed, I am grateful for the guidance of All That Is, and equally grateful that I was born with the ability to record these insights for others to see.
Sharing wisdom with others
My meditation notes have served as a springboard for creative projects, such as blog posts and ‘zines. I’m also an artist, and one way I process the messages I receive during meditation is to illustrate them intuitively. There’s a gradual unfolding of shades and shadows of meaning that happens when I do this.
I’ve started sharing my illustrated meditation notes on Instagram and putting them out into the world, and it feels like an act of service to myself, as well as to others and the Universe at large. I may not have a calling as a meditation expert, but as a writer, I’m always striving to put my work to good use and touch people’s lives in a positive way.
By writing down the wisdom of my meditating self, I create a record I can come back to whenever I am feeling lost or uninspired.
In the end, however, no matter the extent to which my meditation notes mean something to anyone else, creating them gives me a sense of purpose and peace, so it’s always worth doing. By writing down the wisdom of my meditating self, I create a record I can come back to whenever I am feeling lost or uninspired.
Since childhood, writing has been a way for me to guide myself through the troubled waters of life, and meditation has become my lighthouse in the mist. If more people meditated and wrote down their thoughts and feelings once in a while, we’d be living in a better world.
Meditation continues to make my inner world a better place. As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, that’s worth its weight in gold. Intimate dialogue with my Higher Self helps me tap into my unconscious mind to draw clarity and strength that I didn’t realize I had.
We know more than we think we do, and meditation is a great way to unlock the door to this hidden knowledge. Pausing to let this knowledge drift to the surface and sharing what I learn with others is my ultimate goal as a meditating writer.
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Image 1 Couleur с Pixabay 2 изображение за Rhulk G. с Pixabay
