✨ Even Writers Get The Blues ✨
Feeling blocked? Upset? Try this color meditation for writing wellness
Have you noticed all the headlines about mental health these days?
Prince Harry opens up about his 20-year mental struggle…Mental health issues on the rise even as Pandemic eases its grip…Alleged cop killer suffered mental illness after losing job, mother says…The most common postpartum mental health issues and how to spot them.
I grew up during a time when the words breakdown and depression were shamefully taboo and anyone who showed signs of mental illness were to be shunned by polite society.
Today’s a different story.
Now people are jumping aboard the mental illness bandwagon on a daily basis, eagerly sharing their anxiety tales on social media to a supportive chorus of “Really? Me, too!”
Speaking of stories, I’ve been doing a lot of research about depression because my protagonist in Moonwater Beach discovers that her late mother — the beloved town nurse — was secretly bipolar. It’s a sobering discovery when you learn the woman who was devoted to the welfare of others was in tremendous pain.
Managing stress
Ernest Hemingway was an alcoholic who died from a self-inflicted bullet. Virginia Woolf suffered from depression and ended her life in a suicidal drowning. A chronically depressed Sylvia Plath committed suicide by sticking her head in the oven. I’ve also read that Edgar Allan Poe and Charles Dickens suffered from mental illness.
Compared to them, I’m pretty lucky. I’ve had my share of personal anquish but I’ve never struggled with major depression, although I have been sad, stressed, angry, and frustrated at times. But isn’t that part of the human experience? Fortunately, my low moments do not last long because I work through them with meditation and writing.
So how can you take charge of your own mental health?
The first step is to face the stigma and realize you are not alone. Here are some interesting statistics I learned about mental illness from the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6–17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Fortunately, there are many options available to address mental disorder, beginning with professional treatment. Some people deal with their disorders by practicing music and art therapy, meditation, yoga, breathwork, and daily journaling.
We all have stress, but much of it can be managed by improving our diet and exercise habits. However, long-term stress can be harmful, which is why we should seek professional guidance.
Blue Sky Color Breathing
Are you feeling tense? Maybe angry? Whenever I’m “seeing red,” I do some Blue Sky Color Breathing.
Blue is a cool and calming color, the perfect go-to hue when you’re dealing with a stressful situation. Like flying in a plane with a child kicking the back of your seat or standing in a long line at the supermarket.
Color breathing is a very simple technique which you can use to direct color energy to yourself or to another person.
All you need to do is to imagine a specific color and then breathe that color in and out. You can also visualize directing a color to the area of the body that needs physical, mental or emotional improvement.
It’s really quite amazing and it’s free and nobody has to know you’re doing it.
I used this breathing technique one day during my dental appointment. With my mouth wide open and the light pointing down on my face, I remember closing my eyes and breathing in and out blue and it was very helpful to me. And my dentist was none the wiser!
Wherever you are at this moment, glance around you. Do you see a shade of blue that you feel drawn to? If you don’t see one, just think of your favorite shade of blue.
After you have made your choice, I want you to focus on that blue. Imagine that you are being drawn into that blue, that you are actually becoming a part of that color, just sort of melding into that color, like you’re swimming in blue.
I’m not a physician, but I do know how to breathe and that is why I’m happy to share my Blue Sky Color Breathing meditation for temporary anxiety relief.
First, let’s do a writing prompt. Complete this sentence (being as specific as you can):
The person or thing I am upset about is _____________ because…
Write for as long as you wish and be sure to apply these thoughts as you listen to the meditation.
Close your eyes and think of the clearest blue sky that you can imagine.
Each time that you see a cloud — whether it’s a white or dark cloud — think of it as your thoughts. Think of it as your anxiety or your grief, your anger. But don’t dwell on the clouds. Just notice them as they drift by…drift by…drift by…
Breathe in that brilliant, gorgeous blue from the sky. And breathe out the blue sky.
Once again, breathe in the blue…and breathe out the blue.
Breathe in the blue…breathe out the blue.
Use the Blue Sky Color Breathing whenever you want to clear and calm your mind, whenever you need some instant Peace.
By the way—did you know that blue is the color of integrity and communication? Two excellent qualities for writers!
Blessings,
Eleyne-Mari
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As a certified meditation teacher, I am delighted to learn of this practice, Eleyne-Mari! Thank you so much.
As a certified meditation teacher, I am delighted to learn of this practice, Eleyne-Mari! Thank you so much.