How can I meditate with a piece of artwork?
Meditating with a piece of artwork, also known as art meditation or visual meditation, is a profound way to engage with art, with deeper levels of ourselves, and to cultivate mindfulness, wisdom, and inner peace.
Just as there are many forms of physical exercise, each with their own set of benefits, there are many different forms of meditation which cultivate different qualities and skills within the mind/body/spirit.
Below you will find some suggestions on how to meditate with art. You can experiment with different forms of meditation and see how they affect you. It's important to note that many benefits of meditation are noticed after the meditation session rather than during the session. It can also take several sessions to start noticing benefits. Feel free to reach out to me through my contact form if you have any questions.
Choose Your Artwork
Select a piece of artwork that speaks to you. It could be a painting, sculpture, photograph, or any other form of visual art. Different artwork will have different effects on you. I recommend choosing artwork that is positive and uplifting and, ideally, was intentionally made for the viewer's well-being. Through meditation, you may find yourself becoming more attuned to how different forms of art influence your emotions and overall state of being.
At Bright Life Studio, I create art designed with this purpose in mind. It is created not just to bring beauty and interest to your space, but to nurture your spirit, support your wellness, and inspire inner healing and personal evolution. This is why I call it Transformational Art. Each painting is created through a process of meditation, intention, intuition, prayer and energy work. As a result, it has a unique effect on the viewer, with sensitive people often telling me they experience light or energy coming from my art, or have healing experiences with it.
Create your Setting
Before you begin, find a time and place where you will likely not be disturbed. Sit in a comfortable position, ideally with your back straight to maintain focus and energy flow.
Place the artwork where you can comfortably view it while maintaining a relaxed body. The more your body is relaxed the more your mind can also relax, which will allow you to access deeper levels of consciousness. That being said, ensure your mind remains alert and focused. If you are in need of rest, you might find yourself drifting to sleep!
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to center yourself.
Setting Your Intention
Setting your intention is one of the most important aspects of creating a higher-level meditation experience for expanding awareness, receiving insight, and experiencing inner healing.
When you set an intention, you are aligning your inner world—your thoughts, emotions, and energy—with a desired outcome through the use of conscious range verbal statements. In spiritual or personal development practices, it acts as a guide or anchor to keep you centered and aligned with your goal. For instance, before creating art, you might set an intention to express love or healing, which influences both the process and the energy your art conveys.
When I set my intention, whether it be for my personal life or my art practice, I ask to center in my True Self, which is a higher aspect of Self that is far more wise and connected to larger levels of reality than the small self, which is more attuned to the day-to-day dramas, to-do lists, and habitual thought patterns.
If you are of a more spiritual mindset, you may also like to set the intention to align with the Creator/Source/God (whichever term you use).
Setting these intentions is a way of setting the quality control dial for the meditation session. Without setting an intention, our thoughts, emotions, and inner experiences can be influenced by a variety of outer and inner sources and lack the level of awareness, insight, and inner transformation that we could otherwise be receiving.
Now that we have discussed some points on preparation, I will outline some forms of meditation and their unique benefits.
Single-Pointed Meditation
This technique is more akin to Zen and Buddhist meditation practices. Choose a focal point within the artwork on which to focus your attention. It could be a specific element, color, or area that draws your eye. Keep your attention on this point, for a predetermined amount of time. Set a timer. You may want to start with only two or three minutes and then build up the time to 20 or 30 minutes.
This form of meditation helps you gain control of your thoughts and begin to quiet what is called in Buddhist teachings the "monkey mind", the incessant chatter that seems to always be yammering away in our minds. Once we learn to quiet this mental chatter, we can begin to experience a whole other level of mind, a new sense of self, and a new quality of being. It is a truly amazing thing when we start to experience this kind of mental/emotional/energetic breakthrough.
It is a very helpful practice to start with, before exploring more complex forms of meditation. It cultivates an essential skill to more effectively explore the inner dimensions of the mind/body/spirit.
I remember those days with fondness, when I began this form of meditation. It was my first ever experience with a contemplative practice. I remember it being such an exciting time discovering that there was a whole other landscape of inner experience, once I closed my eyes and stilled the mind for long enough. A whole other world of subtle awareness became available once I could focus beyond that noisy monkey mind.
There is a Buddhist analogy that the mind is like a pond. When it is full of thoughts, it is like the pond has been stirred up and the mud from the bottom clouds the water. When we learn to quiet the chattering mind, we calm the water and the mud settles to the bottom. We can then see clearly through the water to what lies in the deeper levels.
Sensory Meditation
Referred to as sensory meditation or mindfulness of the senses, deliberately focus your attention on sensory experiences—what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel,
Engage your senses fully as you gaze at the artwork. Notice any thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations that arise and, most importantly, do it without judgment. Do not label any sensory (or thought and emotion) experiences as "good" or "bad." Let them come and go without attachment or reaction to them. It may be helpful to consider the sense experiences, as well as your thoughts and emotions, like clouds drifting through the sky, entering your field of awareness and eventually leaving.
This form of meditation will allow you to let go of your focus on the chattering monkey mind and become fully present in the moment. Additionally, it will help to expand your field of awareness - awareness of both the outer world and your inner world of thought, emotion, physical sensation, and subtle energy.
Reflect and Contemplate
Allow yourself to reflect on the artwork and contemplate its meaning or significance to you. Setting an intention before you begin will enhance the benefits of this form of meditation (see the section above on Setting Your Intention). Stay present. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring your focus back to the artwork and the present moment. Let go of any distractions and immerse yourself fully in the experience. Notice any insights or revelations that arise during the meditation. Writing these down can help to anchor them in your mind so you don't forget about them, and open your mind to further insights.
Higher Insight Meditation
This form of meditation is more for the spiritually inclined. Begin by setting an intention (see the section above on Setting Your Intention). Allow your gaze to wander around the art piece. It may be drawn to certain parts of the art and want to rest there, or it may want to journey throughout. Watch your thoughts and emotions. Remember that there are no right or wrong experiences in this form of meditation if you first set a clear intention. You may benefit from asking your True Self/Higher Self or Spiritual Source, "What is next for me to learn?" "What is my next step?" and the like. If a concerning thought or experience comes into your mind, you can ask your True Self/Higher Self or Spiritual Source how to understand it and respond to it. Then see what further thoughts and insights come to mind.
This form of meditation helps your mind/body/spirit gain new insights and open to new levels of healing and personal evolution/transformation.
I work with the perspective that a large part of what happens in our lives is dictated by an underlying world of subtle energy, and I keep in mind that a large part of the meditation process happens on the subtle level and may not reach our conscious awareness. For example, if we ask a question about a thought or image that has come to mind, we may not hear an answer come into our thoughts. This does not mean, however, that an answer has not been provided. Often my meditations bring through new energy and growth that does not register in my conscious range of thoughts. However, later in the day, or in the days to come, I notice a shift in my energy, thoughts, and behavior patterns, or new ideas come to mind that I never would have thought up previously.
Final Thoughts
It is truly amazing how our life can be enhanced when we meditate, leading to a greater sense of peace, aliveness, life enjoyment, awareness and support.
The forms of meditation I have outlined above can all be done with or without artwork. However, adding art to your practice can provide a visual anchor for your mind, as well as a reflection point through which your mind and spirit can engage and speak to you.
By using art created purposefully for healing, growth, and wellness, such as that offered by Bright Life Studio, and the transformational art of Keely Bays-Egri, your art meditation experience can be further supported.
If you do not currently meditate, I recommend a daily practice as the number one tool to positively transform your experience of self and life.
Meditating with artwork, in particular artwork that has been created to inspire insight, healing and positive states of mind/body/spirit, can be a deeply enriching and transformative experience, allowing you to connect with both the art and yourself on a profound level.
If you would like to talk or have any questions about meditation, feel free to connect with me through the contact form.