Meditation and relaxation: two practices so similar and so different from each other.

As I wrote in previous articles, in this blog I want to tell the importance of manual creativity as a way of well-being and help you transform your hobby in a flow meditation.

Why is so important to me bodily awareness while you are creating?

The reason is that I have been involved in body awareness for almost 30 years as a therapist and I teach relaxation and meditation since 2010. In all these years I discovered and experienced that creativity is in the body and that you can really flow with it only if you listen to your body.

As listen to your body can be a deep journey into yourself, so can macramé and the creative path. Body learning is the most important tool you have at your disposal while working with your hands knotting and creating with macramé (or other manual techniques).

Meditation or relaxation which to choose?

In the common language these two terms are often used as synonyms. In practice, these two techniques are associated with each other. The confusion is easy and can only be clarified after trying both.

I always invite to try different styles and not to remain anchored to a single discipline. Through different experiences your body can experience different way of communication and listening.

There are different approaches and methodologies both in meditation and relaxation.

Some relaxation practices focus almost exclusively on the body and the perception of muscle tension (body scan) and others on imaginative ability. Some meditation practices work on the concept of here and now while others work on the concept of “here and elsewhere” (guided creative visualizations).

Every practice, whether meditation or relaxation, has the overall goal of connecting with yourself, with your inner world and with your inner artist.

Posture is an element that differentiates the two techniques and is not to be underestimated. The relaxation practices prefer the lying position while the meditation techniques is about sitting. There are exceptions, however.

Posture and any pain in the body could be one of the key points for choosing one technique over another.With my articles I will guide you to discover all the nuances of body listening and how this can be useful in your creative practice.

P.S. Listen to your body doesn’t mean necessarily do meditation or relaxation sometimes it’s about slowing down and breathing. Next week I’ll show you the importance of breathing with a free guided meditation.