Saswati Sarkar
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Written By: Saswati Sarkar | Updated : August 24, 2020 10:04 AM IST
While practising open meditation monitoring, open up to everything that is occurring in and around. © Shutterstock.
Meditation is an age-old practice with a history of several thousand years. This mind-body technique aims to stimulate our thoughts and awareness and the benefits are science-backed. A growing body of research reveals that meditation is a great stress reliever. It also has a calming impact on our central nervous system. That is why meditation can help in increasing our attention span and other cognitive skills. In fact, a study, published in the journal Mindfulness suggests that this mind-body technique can give a boost to your creative spurts. Also, you don't have to be a seasoned meditation practitioner to reap this benefit, notes the study. There are innumerable forms of meditation. But the form that has been found to significantly influence your capacity to conceive new ideas is known as Open Monitoring Meditation. Here is a low-down on this meditation technique.
OMM is a technique that bolsters our capacity to monitor our own experience sans any reaction or judgement. In OMM, we open up to everything that is occurring in and around us instead of focusing on anything specific. Through this process we become a better observer of our chain of thoughts. It also enables us to track the direction of our mind. All these increase our capacity of divergent thinking, a cognitive process that aims at generating novel ideas. OMM also facilitates a seamless movement from one idea to another, which is crucial for creative thinking.
It will be good if you practise open meditation monitoring before taking part in a task that involves imagination or creative thinking. If you get stuck in the middle of such a task, taking an OMM break will also help.
Though this meditation technique is more beneficial for stress relief, it may help in the creative process as well by calming your mind and helping you concentrate better. Also, it has been found that FAM enhances the benefits of OMM. This meditation technique involves concentrated reflection on something which allows you to remain in the 'now' and hinders your internal discourse. While you start practising Focussed Attention Meditation, stick to a short session. Five minutes could be ideal for beginners. Increase the time gradually. Choosing the right time for meditation is also crucial for its success.
Start by sitting in a comfortable position. Keep your spine straight and relax your body
Breathe from your belly and focus on your breath.
Shift your attention to another target after a while. Focus on the sensations that are involved with your chosen target.
Quieten your internal voices. If your inner monologue distracts you from your focus, make a conscious effort to switch your attention back to your chosen target.
