Inspiration for a Meditation

Sometimes I wonder if indeed we are not too fixated on our thoughts. We claim to have trouble meditating or letting go of the here and now (i.e. our problems). A battle goes on when we sit down and try to just clear away our thoughts. They bombarded our little amount of time we have put away for just relaxing. Then we dwell unproductively.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can chose to focus on something positive. Coming from an art background, I have always personally been inspired by beauty (my own inner definition) and can easily find myself absorbed in various forms of art. Thomas Moran is particularly meaningful to me with his landscapes of the American west as seen in the 1800s. His color palette and composition bring harmony to my thoughts.

Relaxation can be as simple as going to an art museum like the Stark Museum of Art. They feature many works that deal with the American west, native American culture, and for the birders out there , several originals by James Audubon. Maybe it is the curve of a wing, the gesture of a tribal dance, or the rich detail of landscape that romances your inner peace. Try a number of types of art. It could be three-dimension, even. Whatever works and takes you away from the day-to-day and allows you to find harmony within, well that is just fine. Meditation does not mean sitting in a formal garden in the lotus position and humming. Meditation can be just letting go and becoming absorbed into something, allowing it to transform your consciousness.

Plus, if you spend a little relaxation time at the Stark, you will be helping the Stark Foundation with its mission statement of improving the quality of life in that area by encouraging and health, along with human services - not to mention that you will gain a little local color and culture with the arts.