WEBVTT - Creativity and Meditation

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<v Speaker 1>Stay Calm as a production of I Heart Radio. Hi.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm Bob Roth, and I've been teaching people to meditate

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<v Speaker 1>for fifty years, helping them to stay calm under pressure,

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<v Speaker 1>reboot and re energize their lives, and basically be a happier,

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<v Speaker 1>healthier version of themselves. And now I want to help

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<v Speaker 1>you do the same. Welcome to Stay Calm, your daily

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<v Speaker 1>dose of calmness. Every weekday morning, I'll share a meditation story,

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<v Speaker 1>offer a simple practical tip about how you or a

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<v Speaker 1>loved one can stay a bit calmer in your life,

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<v Speaker 1>and then we'll end each episode together with a moment

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<v Speaker 1>of gratitude. My hope is that I can share what

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<v Speaker 1>I know to anyone who needs it. Ready, sit comfortably,

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<v Speaker 1>take a few deep breaths, and let's begin today's journey.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to talk with you today about Jerry Seinfeld,

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<v Speaker 1>not his humor, but about the brain and about creativity.

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<v Speaker 1>I got a phone call that Jerry Seinfeld would like

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<v Speaker 1>me to teach his wife and children transcendental meditation. So

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<v Speaker 1>the way that you learned t M is taught over

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<v Speaker 1>four consecutive days for about one hour a day each day,

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<v Speaker 1>and on the second day I was back at their

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<v Speaker 1>house and Jerry walked in and I was talking about

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<v Speaker 1>the importance of meditating twice a day, once in the

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<v Speaker 1>morning for fifteen or twenty minutes and once in the afternoon.

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<v Speaker 1>And he interrupted. He said, twice a day. I've just

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<v Speaker 1>been meditating once a day. Why would I do twice

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<v Speaker 1>a day? And I said, well, actually, the research shows

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<v Speaker 1>meditation in the morning wakes up the brain, and then

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<v Speaker 1>you do again in the afternoon when you're tired, and

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<v Speaker 1>it washes off the stress and then you sleep better

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<v Speaker 1>at night. And he was doubtful, but I said, we'll

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<v Speaker 1>just try it for two weeks. So he called me

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<v Speaker 1>in two weeks and he said, it's a game changer.

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<v Speaker 1>What he loved about transcendental meditations the rest was deeper

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<v Speaker 1>than sleep, so he had much more energy and far

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<v Speaker 1>more creativity. That's what I want to talk about right now.

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<v Speaker 1>I want to talk about the creative process. How does

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<v Speaker 1>meditation allow Jerry Seinfeld to be more creative? The creative

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<v Speaker 1>process we employ every moment of our day when we're

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<v Speaker 1>solving minute problems, little squabbles with the kids who are

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<v Speaker 1>trying to figure out finances, and there's a problem at work,

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<v Speaker 1>and for the longest time, there was this thought the

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<v Speaker 1>creativity was lodged in the right hemisphere of your brain,

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<v Speaker 1>and if you are analytical and a numbers crunchure and mathematician,

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<v Speaker 1>then you are a left hemisphere person. Well, it turns

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<v Speaker 1>out as widespread as that understanding was, it's not true.

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<v Speaker 1>Creativity is a product of networks within the brain. One

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<v Speaker 1>of the key networks and the creative process is the

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<v Speaker 1>ability to focus, to concentrate to get the job done,

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<v Speaker 1>and that is lodged in the front of the brain,

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<v Speaker 1>in an area called the attention network or the executive

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<v Speaker 1>control network. Scientists were wondering what happens when you're not

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<v Speaker 1>focused and productive, when you're not working hard. They found

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<v Speaker 1>out that there is in fact a complex series of

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<v Speaker 1>networks in the back of the brain, the middle of

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<v Speaker 1>the brain, in the front of the brain, which they

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<v Speaker 1>called the default mode network. And they were kind of

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<v Speaker 1>dismissive about that part of the brain. They said, that

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<v Speaker 1>was this sort of the wandering brain, the daydreaming brain,

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<v Speaker 1>the unproductive brain. But now they have a new name

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<v Speaker 1>for it. That part of your brain is now called

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<v Speaker 1>the imagination network, or better yet, the genius lounge. And

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<v Speaker 1>that's where innovative, nonlinear, very creative ideas bubble up. The

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<v Speaker 1>default mode network is activated. Sometimes when you're taking a

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<v Speaker 1>hot shower, or you go for a long walk where

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<v Speaker 1>you're listening to music and you've been trying to solve

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<v Speaker 1>a problem and do answer comes some change in venue,

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<v Speaker 1>some change in the activity where the mind can just rest.

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<v Speaker 1>We are not stuck with the level of creativity or

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<v Speaker 1>problem solving that we have. Now we can do some

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<v Speaker 1>very foundational things that can awaken the imagination network that

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<v Speaker 1>can actually strengthen the communication between all the different parts

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<v Speaker 1>of the brain. It starts first and foremost with some

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<v Speaker 1>meditation techniques, exercise, giving yourself downtime to not work hard.

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<v Speaker 1>One of the most significant tools for waking up creativity

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<v Speaker 1>and the imagination network. Sleep. Every day, I'm going to

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<v Speaker 1>offer a tip that we can do to contribute towards

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<v Speaker 1>a substantial calm, a transformative calm, an inner peace that

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<v Speaker 1>can help us navigate our lives. We know getting enough

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<v Speaker 1>sleep can wake up our creativity. So my tip to

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<v Speaker 1>you is get a good night's sleep by breaking your

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<v Speaker 1>habit to something called blue light. Blue light emanates from

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<v Speaker 1>your computer screen, your television screen, your smartphone. Blue light

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<v Speaker 1>suppresses melatonin, which is the sleep hormone which allows us

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<v Speaker 1>to get a good night's sleep. So I would suggest,

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<v Speaker 1>as impossible as this may sound, if you want to

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<v Speaker 1>get a good night's sleep, then turn off your television,

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<v Speaker 1>particularly if it's in your bedroom, close your laptop, put

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<v Speaker 1>your cell phone on mute an hour before bed. Don't

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<v Speaker 1>just do it once, do it for several days and

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<v Speaker 1>see if it helps. It'll sure help over time. All right,

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<v Speaker 1>let's end this time together doing something that I think

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<v Speaker 1>should be a feature of our everyday life, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>appreciation and gratitude. So let's take thirty seconds of quiet,

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<v Speaker 1>thirty seconds to take a break, just take a moment.

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<v Speaker 1>It turns out when we do that it's good for

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<v Speaker 1>our health as well. I'll be right back, all right,

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you for joining. This is Bob Roth. Keep calm,

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening today. I hope you heard something that

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<v Speaker 1>inspires that uplifts you and that you can incorporate into

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<v Speaker 1>your own life. Until next time, remember, meditate, be kind,

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<v Speaker 1>and be true to yourself. Pay all of you out there,

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<v Speaker 1>I'd love to hear from you. You can send me

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<v Speaker 1>your stories, your questions, or anything else on your mind.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>meditation Bob. You can also send me an email at

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<v Speaker 1>meditation Bob Roth at gmail dot com. I look forward

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<v Speaker 1>to hearing from you