My Forms of Meditation

One thing I've noticed since living on my own is the vastly increased amount of self-and-situational analysis being perpetually 'lonely' has engendered...my life over the past few months has started to resemble an extended episode of 'Seinfeld'; minus the entertaining story arcs, the perpetual slap-bass and the laugh track.  And trust me when I say that I was bad enough before!  

I'm increasingly convinced that the only reason we get into relationships at all is to distract us from constant over-analysis and paranoia relating to life's minor niggles and events.  When I first started living on my own I read some introspective psychological accounts on the benefits of solitude in relation to creativity (hey, it's all fun round here, folks!) just so I could kid myself that being on my own for large amounts of time would suddenly cause my creative aptitude to zoom off into unprecedented, dizzyingly stratospheric heights.  In case you're wondering, it hasn't so far; though I remain forever optimistic.  

What has happened, however, is that I've had to find some inventive new ways of circumventing all the over-thinking I've been doing.  Or at the very least, to acknowledge that that's what they are.  I've had a brief brush with meditation a few times, but pure unadulterated proper head-clearance was never really going to be for me.  Instead I've cobbled together a few little techniques that have served me well as meditative stress-busters over the past few months.  Think of them as a new, non-patronising approach to 'The Little Book of Calm', if you will.

1. Washing Up

One of life's little secrets, I believe, is that mundane cleaning is good for the soul.  No, wait - it really bloody is!  Because it doesn't require a great deal of brain power you can zone out and put your mind into neutral whilst making sure your surroundings are lovely and clean at the same time (am I selling this well?!)  Not only that, but some of the best creative ideas I've ever had have presented themselves to me as 'eureka' moments whilst doing the washing-up...and Steven King never mentioned that in 'On Writing' now, did he?

2. Long Walks

I've mentioned it (rather smugly) before, but I believe that my not being able to drive is actually a blessing.  One: it's impossible to be lazy when you don't drive, unless you have 24-hour access to a chauffeur (official or unofficial!).  Two: it makes you a lot more hardy - I'll think nothing of, and in fact will actively enjoy, walks in the cold and rain.  Three: you get to experience the meditative pleasure of walking everywhere.  I don't think I've ever been out for a walk and not returned home feeling more relaxed and less anxious over whatever it was I'd been worrying about.  It's as though the very action of constantly putting one foot in front of the other has the effect of dislodging all the big issues inside your head, fragmenting them into manageable pieces as you walk.

3. Music

But only certain types of music; music made by people whom you imagine just know.  Fluffy music has its place; just as fluffy books do, or fluffy TV, but when I listen to music that knows, I focus far less on my own issues.  So who knows?  Well, for me it's Roddy Frame, Laura Marling and Freddie Stevenson, amongst others.  

Other things that don't quite make the cut are; reading (obviously!), moaning and drinking heavily.  Simply mix-and-match as you feel appropriate!