This morning I meditated for a half hour before coming to my desk to write this, and, as ever, that made all the difference. Not that it means this will be the most brilliant blog post you’ve ever read, nor even the best blog post I’ve ever written. Simply that it got done, without all the fussing that can go into such endeavors. For me, “sitting,” as we call it, sets a tone for everything that comes after it in a given day—it gives me that “just do it” attitude that we all know is crucial to a productive writing career.
When you calm down and watch your mind for a half-hour first thing in the morning, it tells you, in no uncertain terms, what needs to get done that day and prepares you to do what needs to get done, no questions asked.
I’ve been practicing Zen Buddhist meditation seriously for about two and a half years, about the same amount of time I’ve been freelancing. And while some days, weeks, and months feature more regular morning sitting than others, I always come back to the cushion as a crucial part of not only my spiritual life but my work life. In a profession so prone to chaos, a half hour of sitting grounds my day—whether it’s going to involve writing a major assignment, doing a bunch of disparate interviews, teaching someone else about writing, or working on a book.
Here, just a few ways meditation can become a valuable asset to your freelance writing life:
- It dispels writers’ block. If you can quiet down and “listen” to your own brain for a bit, you can actually “hear” the words and ideas stuck swirling around in your head. Though it’s not technically part of the “right” way to practice Zen meditation, if I sense that I need to work through a writing problem, I keep a notebook near my cushion and jot down the ideas that come.
- It sets the tone for your writing day. For me, the beauty and challenge of being a freelance writer is putting in a full, concentrated day in my office without going to an office. It’s creating distraction-free, quiet time to sit at my desk and work. Meditation in the morning concentrates these ideas in one intense half-hour, making the transition to the workday a natural one.
- It clears your mind of other crap. Not completely, of course. It’s not magic—it’s just meditation. But even a “terrible” day on the cushion can help your writing. The worst sits are the ones that stretch seemingly forever (but are somehow the same half-hour or so for which you always set the timer!), full of obsessive thoughts about the worst parts of your life. But, hey, great! Now you’ve gotten that out of the way for the day, and you can get onto the business of writing.
Ready to at least give it a try? (It’s a great New Year’s resolution.) I’m not a teacher, but I can point you toward some resources: Here’s a very simple way to start. You can check out Transcendental Meditation, which is a creative-celeb magnet with devotees such as Jerry Seinfeld and Paul McCartney. Here are some helpful soundtracks with guided meditation. There are loads of books on the subject; I like Jack Kornfield. And finally, you can simply look up your nearest meditation center (Buddhist or otherwise) and show up. Many have beginner’s instruction available regularly, or will happily spend a few minutes talking you through it.