A Clear Mind Leads To A More Pleasant Experience

You won't ever find me sitting with my legs crossed and arms out in the generalized view of how one meditates.  Instead, you'll find me drawing, painting, playing music, swimming, exercising...  All of these activities allow me to clear my mind.  My meditation is about clearing my mind of the distractions that cause me to stumble through my daily activities.  My art is a product of my meditation.

One of my favorite places to clear my mind is under water.  When I can hear my own heart beating and the blood flowing through my body, it's easier for me to focus and forget the outside world.

I'd like to share a method of "mind clearing" I enjoy and find very effective for quick results when the day requires nearly all of my available time.  My work can be very intense at times and the intensity can be sustained for many, many hours and last well beyond an 8 hour work day.  (I'm not sure what an 8 hour workday feels like anymore...)

OK...  HERE IT IS:   Mind Clearing Method - The Sponge

     How do you do it?

First -  Find a place where you can be alone (at least mentally, if not physically.)

     This can be anywhere, your car, cubicle, bathroom, shower, outside, bedroom...  As long as you can eliminate distractions fully.

Second -  Control your breathing.

    This helps eliminate distractions and brings your thoughts to you and your body.  Breath deep, deliberate and slow.  Concentrate on breathing in, full breaths into your belly if necessary.  Then, out... let it all out, but there is no need to strain to push all the air out.

Third -  Imagine a sponge, the kind that is used to absorb liquid, not the sea creature.

   Now, when you breath in imagine the sponge filling.  Breath out and imagine the sponge being squeezed out/empty.  Do this until all of your attention is on the filling and emptying of the sponge.

Fourth -  Visualize clean water coming into the sponge and dirty water coming out as you breath in and out.

     This is when you start to really feel the affects of the meditation technique.  At this point you are able to control how fully you will clear your mind.  It is where you can adjust the level of focus depending upon the struggles that are causing your mind to be muddy.  

     As I breath in, I visualize the sponge filling with clean thoughts as it expands.  When I exhale, I let all of the "dirty" thoughts flow out of the sponge, down the drain.  Breath in, and more "clean" thoughts fill the sponge.  Out, and the "dirty" thoughts come out a little more diluted.  It's important to visualize the "dirty" thoughts (I visualize water) coming out more and more "clean."  The goal is to clean the sponge (your mind) of the distractions (dirt.)

When the sponge is clean, you are done.  Well, unless the dirty water (thoughts) didn't really go down the drain.  This is what determines how long you must "meditate."

Hope this helps.

Please, share your meditation tips.  I'm sure there are many ways that work.

©scott garrette  2013

Back in the Game

It's been six months since I've been able to write anything. I took on another job beginning in June of 09, and have only had time to create. Finally, after six months of working long hours for others, I've found the time and energy to create and write to you about it.
This series of stripes was created in the month of May 09, just before my responsibilities increased dramatically. Starting with a pencil line sketch and adding color with watercolor paint to help bring my visions to life. I see these works as meditative pleasures... maybe more pleasure for myself, but hopefully for others. When you look at them, and let your eyes and mind begin to evaluate the arrangement of color, line and texture, you'll see certain shapes jump forward, others move back and around to front again. A whole universe within simple lines and color emerge.
There is plenty of room for interpretation, but it is left to you to make the connections, follow the lines and determine the outcome within yourself. Each piece is 'finished' by each viewer... in a different way.
Look at these lines. Is this unfinished, or 'in progress'?... maybe the empty space is there for a reason. Now focus on the green area. Moving up from the bottom, are the colored shapes (lines) pushing forward, or in front of the green? Is there any implied movement? Where are the defined shapes? Are they shapes joining together, or falling apart? Where does your eye take you?

There may not be anything profound about these pieces, nothing revolutionary... but when I take the time to gaze onto the paper with these lines and color, I feel a peace that is necessary for happiness and sanity.