Meditation has been a motivating force for people since ancient times. The type of meditation and the effects of meditation vary from person to person. A particular kind of meditation might work for someone and the same might not work for someone else. No matter what kind of meditation it is, one of its most important contributions is a boost in creativity. And just like other forms of art, creativity is very important for music as well.

Meditation to Improve Your Music

Albert Einstein said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science.” Like most geniuses, Einstein understood that the source of creativity lies beyond the mind. And of course, it is impossible to disagree with Einstein, what is beyond the mind, is definitely mysterious.

Musicians can develop their creativity by becoming more familiar and comfortable with the mysterious place where all thought and creativity arise. For recording his legendary song, For The Love Of God, Steve Vai fasted for 10 days and recorded the song on the fourth day of the fast. He did that to take his mind to a different creative space than usual. Now, we all don’t have to starve ourselves to reach a more creative place. Meditation can also help us get there.

Now, we understand that by using terms like “beyond the mind” we can be accused of making New Age philosophy remarks (somewhat like those Instagram motivational quotes) that have practically nothing to do with everyday life. But remember that opinions are relative and may not appeal to everyone, you can still learn as an option. As evidenced by many, being comfortable in the space beyond thoughts is practical and beneficial, especially for creative activities like writing music.

Meditation is the perfect practice for any creative musician. Let us tell you about two types of meditation, both of which can lead to a great boost in your creativity.

Transcendental Meditation

Ever since the Beatles took the first step in popularizing Transcendental meditation in the 1960s, many art creators such as musicians and film directors have turned to it.

Transcendental meditation is essentially a simple practice of concentration. Students are given a mantra (a string of Sanskrit syllables) to repeat over and over to exclude other thoughts.

Transcendental meditation interrupts our habitual mental interpretation, opening a door to the creative space beyond thoughts. While applying transcendental meditation, we experience spontaneous solutions to countless creative problems. And there is no question in everyone’s mind that transcendental meditation facilitates creativity in general.

Mindfulness Meditation

The ultimate goal of mindfulness meditation is to create a non-judgmental awareness of the flow of one’s experience of the present moment.

As anyone who knows brainstorming knows, letting go of judgment is essential to the creative process. But being careful is much more than letting go of judgment. As we rest more deeply as careful observers of our experience, we begin to notice the natural, fabricated awareness that all thoughts come and go. Then we can rest more deeply in this space. By doing this, we begin to free ourselves from being attached to the mechanical, repetitive, and not very creative nature of most thinking and tap into the true source of creativity.

Einstein also said, “No problem can be solved at the same level of consciousness that created it.” This statement applies no less to us, although musicians cannot solve problems like a physicist. By temporarily transcending the noisy mind, we give ourselves the gift of entering that mysterious space from which all creativity is born, the source of “all true art and science.”