Writing Tips: How To Use Writing As A Meditation Technique

Last Updated on December 28, 2020 by Matthew Sockolov

Writing as a meditative practice is a tool for deep self-knowledge and a cure for many souls’ disorders. This practice lets an overflowing and unrelenting mind manifest itself at its best and bring us back to the healing moment of the here and now. Don’t worry, you won’t need any writing help to cope with this practice at all.

There are mindfulness techniques that can be used not only in daily life as a mind-unloading and meditative immersion experience but also for other practical purposes.

Morning pages

Every morning, the first thing we do is take a pen or pencil and paper sheets and start writing. You can time it by setting an alarm clock for half an hour, or you can just take three sheets of A4 sheet paper and write without stopping until the paper is full. We write quickly, without thinking about the beauty of handwriting and the correctness of sentences.

In the Morning Pages, it doesn’t matter what you write or how you write it. If all you have in your head is “blah, blah, blah,” then that’s what you should write. You don’t have to make up a theme or beautiful complex sentences — that’s not the point of the technique. Simply write out all your experiences, all your chatter, all your judgments, all your criticisms on a piece of paper. If you want to jump from one thought to another, you have to do this. Don’t think about finishing a sentence; if you feel like jumping to another thought, feel free to follow that impulse.

The main rule is, don’t judge yourself for what you write. No one will read it. It is recommended to tear this paper into small pieces or burn it. You can decide which will bring more pleasure.

How does it work?

When all that is in your head early in the morning is spilled out, suddenly there is a ringing silence in your mind. At first, this silence may be very unaccustomed and even uncomfortable, but not for long. After the Morning Pages, there is the realization that tension and anxious thoughts are gone, and it is up to us to fill the vacuum. Yes, there is a sense of lightness afterward that will give us an extra boost of energy.

Freewriting on a specific topic

The technique of freewriting is similar to the previous one. You also write without thinking about how it will be written. But you concentrate on a specific topic that you want to clarify. The method can be practiced at any time of day. If there is a question that you can’t find an answer to, freewriting is an excellent way to help. Take a pen and a piece of paper, and at the very beginning, write down the question you would like to find the answer to. Set the timer. Start writing. You can time it for 5 minutes, you can time it for 10 minutes, and you can time it for half an hour. When freewriting, you should not expect an answer to your question, no matter how absurd it may sound, otherwise you won’t allow the flow of thought to be truly free. There are no expectations, only a flow that carries everything into the river of the great information field that contains the answer. No matter how desperate the situation you’re trying to find a way out of, free writing helps you find a solution. This is exactly the case when the mind becomes the helper, not the leader. Freewriting is a wonderful tool for all occasions.

How does it work?

Freewriting is thinking in a positive direction. You can free your head from anxious thoughts and, instead of hopelessly grinding them out, let your unconscious find a way out of a difficult situation.

Techniques for a non-dominant hand

There are quite a few mindfulness techniques associated with writing with the non-dominant hand. If you are right-handed, write with your left hand; if you are left-handed, write with your right hand. One of the ways is to start a personal diary with your non-dominant hand. You can describe how the day went, what made it happy, what upset it, what was memorable about the day, make notes about travel, just write with the hand that is not used to it. It doesn’t matter what the topic is, and the important thing is to write. You can also ask yourself what aspect you would like to discover in yourself, explore it, and see what it reveals.

Writing on paper with your non-dominant hand is an encounter with your inner child. You will see how much discomfort, unfamiliarity, and freshness is in this practice and how many discoveries can be made.

Who is this technique good for?

It is good for everyone who is struggling with the circumstances in life, who likes to complain and blame others for their misfortunes. Anyone who has ever been a victim of abuse. Those who want to connect with their inner child in order to heal them.