If you’re writing a book, or you’re thinking of doing so then there’s at least one daily exercise I’d suggest you engage in. Even if you don’t do any of the others I’ve ever suggested this one is golden. “So what is this mystery exercise…?”

Meditation!

Meditation stills the mind, and when this occurs all sorts of ideas are able to flow in. Writing is a hard craft and mentally fatiguing.

Getting into the habit of practising daily meditation can work wonders on taming that fatigue and purifying the ideas and knowledge that enter your head.

All you need to do is set aside a daily timeframe of say 15 minutes, get into a comfortable position (lying or sitting), then close your eyes and empty your mind of all thoughts. This is easier said than done for a beginner. You will find that all sorts of thoughts pop up and it can be very difficult not to dwell on them.

Fortunately there are many guided meditations out there, which make the process far simpler. Usually the person speaking helps you relax your body by having you focus on the various parts each in turn. Next they might lead you down a spiral staircase counting backwards from ten to one. But remember that all meditations vary. Some are set outside, maybe on the beach, in a boat upon a relaxing lake, or surrounded by the sounds of nature. Others might involve descending in an elevator, focussing on a bright white light, or feeling the suns energy radiate through your crown charka.

Meditation doesn’t have any core goal. Instead it is a technique, or a tool if you like. Writers use meditation to improve their writing, or to develop interesting ideas.

Meditating doesn’t have to mean sitting cross-legged in the middle of a field chanting mantras and looking like an oddball. Many people still believe that to meditate you have to be a zen monk, or some kind of spiritual master. But that is not the case. Anyone can meditate and writers who meditate tend to come up with better ideas, plus they are able to stay more focused on what really matters – getting their book written.

How To Meditate

Sit on the sofa, or on the floor if you prefer, and close your eyes. Inhale deeply through your nose and as you exhale through your mouth visualise and repeat the number three, three times. Repeat this once more, but as you exhale visualise and repeat the number two three times. And one more time, visualising and repeating the number one three times on the exhale. This should be enough to instigate the process of relaxation. Then simply still your mind and try to refrain from allowing thoughts to enter. At first you will find this very difficult. The trick is to build up the amount of time you spend meditating each day gradually.

Don’t expect to meditate for half an hour on your first attempt. If you can manage just five minutes at first, that’s perfect. Once you have mastered five minutes you can then aim for eight minutes and from there on, all the way up to half an hour. I’d recommend finding the time to meditate every single day until your book is fully written. The benefits meditation provides to us and our minds is simply amazing and since I started meditating two years ago, I now do so three times a day without fail.

Before meditating ask yourself a question you need the answer to about your book. Try to be specific as the real power of this exercise is in the question itself. For example, you might have the general idea for your book decided, but you are wondering how it is going to begin. Ask yourself this question ‘please reveal to me the best way of starting my book.’ There’s no need to say this question out loud. It’s fine to say it to yourself. Once you’ve asked the question try and forget about it. Don’t dwell on it or consciously search for the answer. The answer will come and probably when you least expect it. I have found that answers enter my head at the most unlikely of times, completely out of the blue. Cool hey?!

Happy meditating!

Love & Light

The Word Queen xx