New, Easy Meditation for Creatives: Try ‘The Road’
Mindful Meditation for those with Wandering Minds
I’ve been meditating for years, but until recently I’ve had trouble with my wandering mind — I mean, really wandering. Many of my meditation sessions amounted to little more than me sitting and daydreaming.
I focused on my breathing. I focused on inanimate objects. I focused on my heart, my family, the earth, and my feet. I tried box breathing and pictured a box in my mind.
If you want to learn the real basics of meditative breathing, here are two posts I’ve written previously:
Breath-focus works well for most people, but if you have a creative’s mind, you live inside your head a lot, or maybe you’re anxious and you need something more specific for your meditative practice, this method might be the key you need.
I named this practice The Road, because of its visualization. This is something I invented for myself and it has elevated my meditative practice tenfold. I hope it helps you too.
The Road works for me, because it’s easier to stay focused. I am a deep introvert. I live in my head a lot, and this makes it very hard to avoid daydreaming while meditating.
To counteract this daydreaming I’ve tried different methods, but there hasn’t been one that’s worked well during long mediation sessions — until now.
How to Practice ‘The Road’
- Sit comfortably.
- Close your eyes.
- Imagine a moving road, with no scenery on the horizon and nothing at the sides, just a road, moving forever. My road ends up dark red. You can imagine your road any color you wish.
- Breathe from your diaphragm, in though your nose, and out through your mouth or nose.
- Allow the road to keep moving as you focus down the middle.
- If your mind starts to wander, acknowledge the thought, but without judgement. Return focus on the road.
I set a timer on my phone and listen to background sounds. This helps me tune-out the distractions from the background noise around me. This method has been a complete turnaround for me. I’m able to stay in-state much longer, my mind wanders less, and I feel better when I’m done with a session.
I hope this works as well for you.
