Spiritual Tools of an “Enlightened Entertainer”, Part I

Insight Meditation

Meditation in its simplest terms is a tool that allows you to connect with your Authentic Self, Higher Self, Buddha Nature, God-Self (or whatever term you prefer). The form of meditation you use isn’t nearly as important as the purity of your intention and the clarity of purpose — to connect with your ultimate ground of being.

I won’t get into a whole meditation program here. Suffice it to say that if you decide to master the art of meditation, you might want to take classes or read books dedicated to it. Nevertheless, this will lay out the basics if you’re just getting started, and perhaps give you a few new insights if you already have a practice in place.

There are many kinds of meditation, maybe an unlimited variety. Insight Meditation, or Vipassana, as it is also called, is pretty simple. There are no mantras, like in TM (Transcendental Meditation), however, you can use one if you choose. The basic practice here is to close your eyes, follow your breath, and maintain dominion over your attention as you sink beneath layers of mind-chatter, into the exquisite stillness of your spirit -- a stillness so profound that even one moment of it can transform your life.

This “stillpoint” is the fountain of all creation

It’s like plugging into the Universal Energy Source for a recharge. It has the power to heal, awaken, and deliver works of genius through you. It is the “Ark of the Covenant,” the “Secret Place of the Most High,” the “Muse,” the “Kingdom of Heaven,” the “Garden of Eden,” the “Land of Milk and Honey,” and “Paradise” — all wrapped into one! It is the realm where all great songs, scripts, books, films — all masterpieces — reside.

Tap into it and you cannot help but create powerful entertainment products appropriate to your unique purpose.

So how do you do this thing called Insight Meditation? Find a quiet place where you can sit upright in a comfortable position, without distraction for a period of time. You can start out with as little as five minutes, and work up to a full hour or more.

Eventually, you won’t even need a quiet place. You will gain enough mastery over your attention that you will be able to meditate in the middle of a noisy movie set, stage production, music studio, hectic office — anywhere you feel the “urge to emerge.”

Once you’re comfortable, close your eyes and begin to watch your breath breathing in and out. Don’t control it. Let it do what it wants. It might be shallow at first, then grow deeper or vice versa. There might be moments where it stops altogether, then starts up again with a series of quick shallow gulps. Just let it be and watch it.

Watch it going in and out of your nostrils or mouth, or watch your stomach rising and falling. If your mind wanders into fantasy, planning, or other tangents, become aware of what you’re thinking, then bring your attention back to the breath. You may have to do this over and over. Your mind will wander off and you’ll need to bring it back again — like training a puppy.

When you first begin — and on stressful or “cleansing” days — your mind may sound like a circus. When you’re learning to get still inside, your mind may feel like it’s spinning out of control. In some respects, that’s exactly what it’s doing — losing control. But that’s a good thing.

An untrained mind is usually flailing about in a panicked frenzy

We just don’t notice until we get quiet and pay attention. Not to worry. At some point, your mind will relax and you’ll find yourself in a state of peaceful receptivity — at least until the next cycle of growth, where you’ll wonder if you’ve made any progress at all!

As you gain some proficiency with the process of watching the breath, you’ll be able to widen the focus. You’ll be able to watch bodily sensations arising, thoughts unraveling, emotional patterns emerging, and finally even hear the “still small voice” — your intuition, Higher Power, or Authentic Self.

The ability to observe your thoughts and feelings without engaging them is a powerful skill that will be important as we get into the work of uncovering the limiting beliefs holding you back from expressing your full potential as an artist / entertainment professional.

What’s more, just by watching the content of your consciousness, you’ll begin to break up these old patterns — literally pull them up by their roots. And what will you find underneath these limited perceptions — a universe of creative genius, wisdom, and freedom waiting to be released into the world.

Part II will be coming in our next newsletter…

Until then, Stay Inspired!

To Your Soul Business Success!

Derek Rydall
Founder and President, EnlightenedEntertainer

www.EnlightenedEntertainer.com, derek@enlightenedentertainer.com

www.ScriptwriterCentral.com, derek@scriptwritercentral.com

© 2007 Derek Rydall

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