July/August 2010 Featured Stories
Meditate First, Paint Second
by Sally Nelson
Meditation helps to get your creative juices flowing for painting. Here are three quick meditation tips to try before putting brush to canvas.
- The breathing process: Sit or recline in a comfortable, quiet place. Breathe slowly and deeply for five minutes or more. Inhale joy, relaxation and peace. Exhale stress and tension. Focus only on the breath, releasing all mind chatter.
- Body mapping and release: Imagine a peaceful river of healing and relaxing light moving through each part of your body. Be attuned to places of tension or stress. Move this tension energy out of the body space. Observe the color, size, shape and taste of this tension energy, and invite in new energy in sync with your current values, beliefs and goals. Trust your first images about this creative energy.
- Envisioning: Envision yourself in front of your canvas or paper as inspired, joyful and eager to paint from an authentic place, which releases the old tension energy and allows the current energy to come forth easily and judgment free. Invite feelings of gratitude for listening and bringing forth your authentic self in your painting.
Sally Nelson is a hypnotherapist, teacher, meditator and artist who hosts Meta-Painting adult workshops in the Portland area. The next workshop is on July 9-11. Visit www.htmcenter.org.
Did you like this article? Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
