Cultivating creativity with Vedic meditation

In my teaching, I've noticed a lot of creatives seem to migrate my way. Many are writers, designers, musicians, photographers, and artists, while others, who might not have such obviously creative roles, still project a creative personality – I see it in the way they dress, their thinking and their interests. I categorise myself as a creative, so on an energetic level it makes sense that these people would gravitate towards me.

But there’s something else at play here too, and that’s Vedic meditation itself. In my experience, Vedic meditation is an incredible tool for helping one tap into, cultivate and strengthen their creativity.

This comes from a couple of different factors but before we go any further, I want to get clear on the fact that creativity is not solely for people who draw, design or write. Creativity, in my view, is less about what you do, and more about how you see the world and your actions. It’s simply a perspective, a lens through which to view things – a wide, long lens that looks at things from multiple angles, to see various possibilities. This could be the way you get creative with a spreadsheet at work, the way you arrange a meal on your plate, the shoes you pair with your outfit, or the attitude you bring when exploring a new city.

So, how does a regular Vedic meditation practice boost our creativity?

1. A stressed, anxious or fatigued mind and body is not in a position to create. When our nervous system is busy just trying to keep our head above water, it takes a lot of energy, leaving little leftover to put towards creative endeavours or solutions. We’re in survival or maintenance mode, rather than creation mode. Vedic meditation helps us move out of survival mode and into creation mode.

2. A deeper sense of intuition. When we’re just hurtling through life, constantly impacted by what’s happening around us, the mind gets very loud. It becomes impossible to move into your intuitive place, and that is ultimately the home of your creativity. Why? Because your intuition is always about evolution and knows exactly the right next step for you. Evolution, by nature, is creative.

3. Expand your consciousness. David Lynch said it better than anyone when he described creative ideas as being like fish. The small fish swim up the top, in the shallower layers of the mind. The big fish, or big creative ideas, live down in the deeper depths, so if we want to reach them, we need to learn how to go deep. When we practice Vedic meditation, we travel beyond the surface level thinking aspect of our mind, and experience the depths, and the deep place within where creativity and intuition lie.

I’d love to know, do you identify as a creative person? If not, what would it take for you to start seeing the world with fresh eyes and a different perspective? And how might opening up and getting creative with a new lens shift the way you approach day-to-day life?