THE ART OF VISUAL MEDITATION
“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”
- George Bernard Shaw
When was the last time you meditated? Last week? Last month? Never? Maybe you’re one of those ‘busy’ people who ‘don’t have time to meditate’ (a statement that has always bemused me - if you’re too busy, that’s when you need to meditate!)
Maybe you refuse to try it because you think it’ll turn you in to a long-haired, sandal-wearing vegan who prefers their ‘natural scent’ to deodorant or maybe you’re afraid of what it might bring up for you. Perhaps you have given it a go but because you kept thinking about whether you’d left the iron on or what you were going to have for dinner you declared it doesn’t work and gave up at the first attempt (Spoiler alert: there’s a reason why it’s called a practice!).
“Being anchored in the present means we can stop fretting over the past and not fear what lies in the future,”
Contrary to popular belief meditation is not always about clearing the mind, firstly because with the average person having over 60,000 thoughts per day it is nigh on impossible (thinking about not thinking is a thought!) and secondly because sometimes we need to have the thoughts in order to be able to recognise them and therefore let them go. As Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva Meditation, puts it: “ Thoughts are not the enemy of meditation, effort is.”
What this means is that the more we try to not think, the more we will think. It’s the same with anything we try to control that is beyond our means. The more we tell ourselves not to do something, the more we want to do it.
The perfect place for a bit of mindful meditation?
The answer to this is to simply let your thoughts flow. Observe them, acknowledge them but always return to the present moment. Being anchored in the present means we can stop fretting over the past and not fear what lies in the future. This is where visual meditation comes in. Technically a form of mindfulness, its purpose is to create awareness of our thoughts so that we can allow them to pass and gain clarity in the present moment. If you’re the type of person who gets easily distracted during traditional ‘eyes closed’ meditation this is especially for you.
Using art as our anchor to the present, by focussing on the details in a piece rather than the painting as a whole, we are forced in to stillness. It is only when we are still that we find clarity. Abstract art works especially well as a tool for visual meditation because our minds are not processing known images such as a horse or a familiar landscape. Intently studying the lines, texture and colours (I’ll be exploring colour psychology in another post) helps us not to quiet the mind completely but rather to filter out the noise.
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Upon entering a relaxed ‘alpha’ state our cognitive function can significantly improve making it easier to solve problems and remove any negative blocks we may be experiencing. This is because when you find a piece that particularly resonates with you it can increase dopamine levels. This is one of the four ‘happy hormones’ and contributes to feelings of alertness, focus, motivation and happiness.
Finding a few minutes to be present throughout your day can be easy and affordable. Try keeping a small artwork on your workspace or hang a larger one above it. Placing pieces of art that you can get lost in around your home can also help to bring calm and create a relaxed atmosphere. If you have space above the kitchen sink, or bathroom basin you can engage in visual meditation while doing the dishes or brushing your teeth. I have one of my own pieces on the wall beside my dining table which helps me to slow down and eat more mindfully.
There are so many opportunities during the day to pause and take a breath, there is really no excuse. I guarantee you’ll become more productive as a result, no sandals required!
Kx