Welcome to this short meditation.
In this Thalke meditation we will focus on what comes up from our subconscious when thinking about an interesting concept that would benefit from an extra input.
For that purpose I love to share with you the technique of evolving associations.
So first I will explain what I mean by elaborating a concept,
Then we go into a guided meditation for approximately 5 minutes and after that we close together.
Sometimes we have an idea about a work of art and it smoothly grows into a good concept.
When that happens we experience an energy flow.
Then the creation evolves without an extra effort from us.
But more often that's not really the case.
A lot of times we have a concept,
We start working on it and then it starts to falter.
You wonder if it has something to do with the technique,
With the composition or the size,
With the colours,
The material.
Well it's quite possible there is nothing really wrong with the choices you made but that something is still missing in the concept.
Something on a deeper level.
In that case a meditation can be helpful and the monkey mind and the sensations in the body are perfect partners to show us the way.
We will welcome them when they show up during meditation.
I am not talking about visualisation here because we will not follow or act on what arises.
We will only notice and let go.
Thoughts,
Images,
Sensations like smelling,
Hearing,
Feeling,
They appear at a certain moment,
Out of nowhere.
They come from our subconscious.
They are linked to our experiences,
Our social context,
Triggered by what goes on in our life right now and related to dreams and fears we have.
When in meditation they come and go.
In this case we will accept them as allies to elaborate our concept because,
As we will take our concept in mind,
There will be a link between that concept and what shows up,
Even if it doesn't look like at first sight.
I suggest we let go all the first thoughts,
Images or sensations that will appear quite quickly when we start the meditation.
They are too much related to our actual daily life.
We notice them and let them go.
We start taking notes the moment our mind and body are in a calmer state and what pops up comes from a deeper level.
We accept ourselves the way we are at this moment,
With love and self-compassion,
No judgement.
Before we start,
It's important to find a location where you can sit comfortably without being disturbed.
And make sure you have pen and paper or tablet at hand to make quick notes during the session.
For this meditation I will invite you to take a concept for a work of art in mind,
One you would like to meditate on to find out what is lacking.
If the concept is too complex or too extensive,
Try to catch it in something that symbolises it.
A word,
A sketch,
A sound,
Whatever works best for you to keep your concept in mind during the session.
And at the same time,
You also keep in mind what your artwork will express.
So you tell yourself,
My work expresses,
And you add exactly what you want it to tell.
A little word about the technique of evolving associations.
It goes as follow.
You put your concept or its symbol on the left side of your page,
Followed by a small right arrow.
When you stop the meditation to add a note,
You put it on the right side of the little arrow,
And then you add another little arrow after your note.
Then you continue the meditation with the last found association in mind.
So one thought will lead to another one,
And lead to another one.
This way we will create a chain of associations.
If you need to prepare,
Just pause this audio for a moment.
You can also pause it during meditation when it goes too fast for you.
Meditate on your own pace.
Enjoy your practice.
I will guide you.
I invite you to sit up tall.
Close your eyes.
Take your concept or the symbol for your concept in mind,
And say to yourself,
My work expresses,
And you add exactly what you want it to tell.
You take a few full breaths to prepare,
Until we are in a state of relaxed attention.
When the first thought,
Image or sensation arises in your mind or body,
Notice it,
And let go.
We return to the breath and to our concept or symbol.
When you are aware of a new one,
Again,
Give it a little attention and let go.
We repeat the note and let go act until the state of our mind and body starts calming down.
Time is our companion.
If something arises that is too elusive,
You are free to let it go and wait for a new one.
Just keep your concept or its symbol and the message in mind for now.
But don't do it in a rigid way.
If it fades,
So be it.
You can recall it each time you return to your breath.
When a thought,
Image or sensation arises that is less obvious,
That has no direct link to your daily life right now,
Notice it.
Then give it a name or a short description,
Write it down or make a quick note.
But without disturbing your meditative state too much.
Then return to the breath and to your new note.
Remember the sentence if you like.
Keep gently breathing.
Then return to the breath and to the note.
Breathe until a thought,
Image or sensation arises,
Notice it,
Name it and make a memo.
Even if you don't see a connection at this moment,
Just take a note and then you return to your meditation with that note in your mind.
Then return to the breath and to your new note.
Remember the sentence if you like.
When you notice an image,
A thought or a sensation coming up,
Name it and make a note.
Then return to the breath and to your new note.
Remember the sentence if you like.
Keep gently breathing.
When you find your mind wandering off or a sensation in your body,
Notice it.
Give it a name or description and make a quick memo.
Then again return to the breath and to the new note.
Remember the sentence if you like.
Just keep on breathing in a relaxed way.
When something arises,
Notice it and make a quick note.
Then again return to the breath.
Let your idea go,
Just remain in a calm state for a while.
We are grateful for whatever did arise during this session.
We close the meditation for now.
Now you can look at the quick notes and sketches you made.
You can pause the meditation and take all the time you need to add more information.
Try to recall the atmosphere,
The energy,
The brightness,
What came along or shortly after,
How did it look or sound and so on.
Don't judge,
Just observe.
I suggest you look at the notes and think at the same time.
Ah,
Interesting.
I wonder how this note will connect to my concept.
Don't throw away input too soon.
Maybe notes that look the same on first sight have another perspective or feeling attached to them.
When finished,
Put your notes aside and let time take care of it.
Something will come out,
Whether it's the perfect extra input you need or a fresh start to think about in another meditation.
We skip the first things that appeared because they come right out of our actual daily life,
With all our thoughts and feelings of this moment.
So they are not useful for our purpose.
The interesting ones can start coming forward when the more obvious ones got a bit of attention and could disappear for now.
Then there is space for more subconscious ones to come forward.
In case you experience that after the last notation there must be more or if you wonder where a longer chain will lead you,
Then prolong the meditation.
And sometimes our mind is so busy and our body holds so much that we really need longer meditations to get to a deeper level.
So feel free to continue.
It could be interesting to let your concept and these notes rest for a while and then do this meditation again on combinations that seem interesting to you.
It's your practice.
Feel free to explore.
I hope this meditation helps you to let your concept evolve into a creation that has something interesting to tell.
Thank you for meditating with me.
I wish you a deeply inspired creative day.
