This article is brought to you as part of the ASCAP Member Wellness Program.

Whether you’re stressed, overwhelmed or just want to take a few minutes for yourself during a busy day, meditation can help – and in more ways than one.

While the notion of meditation might conjure images of sitting quietly in the lotus position with your eyes closed, it actually comes in a few forms, all of which can help you feel better in mind and body (and none of which requires you to be bendy enough to cross one leg over the other).

So then what is meditation, exactly? Really, it is anything that helps you ground yourself in the present moment, a practice called mindfulness, says Manoj Dias, co-founder and meditation teacher at Open. “At its core, meditation is a vehicle and practice for presence, connection, wisdom and self-realization,” he says. “It’s a systematic training of the mind to be more fully engaged with our moment-by-moment experience.”

Dias says that this presence is often accomplished by focusing (and, when your mind wanders, re-focusing) your attention on a single object of your experience: a sound, sensation or your breath. This can be as simple as setting a timer on your phone for 15 minutes and focusing on your breath, and bringing your mind back to that focus every time you observe it straying.

There’s no one right way to meditate, adds Becca Pace, a trainer with Daily Burn (an ASCAP Member Benefits partner); gentle movement, repetitive motions or guided breathing exercises are other common mindfulness practices. Even music creation in itself is meditation, says Dias, since it requires the focus, presence, connection and frequent practice necessary to experience mindfulness.

And meditating doesn’t just create mindfulness in the moment; there are also plenty of perks that can last well into the future. Below, experts explain the benefits that you can reap from a regular practice.

1. Meditation Can Drastically Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Stress is often the result of ruminating over past events or worrying about the future, according to research published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology. The goal of meditation, in contrast, is to ground you in the present moment, which Dias says can lower stress and anxiety. In fact, this 2013 study published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity found that just two months of mindful meditation can markedly reduce the body’s inflammatory response to stress. Similarly, another 2013 study, published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, found that two months of mindful meditation helped decrease symptoms of anxiety and improve stress coping mechanisms.

If you’re having trouble clearing your mind of distracting thoughts, Dias recommends using music to keep you in the moment and relieve stress. “Meditation techniques often require a point of focus or an anchor, and music can serve this role, especially for beginner meditators,” he explains. “Our senses are the pathway to the present moment, and hearing and listening can be the most potent indirect access to presence.”

2. Meditation Is an All-Natural Sleep Aid

Less stress can also mean better sleep, says Dias. Regularly practicing meditation can help you learn how to ground yourself and find a calmer headspace, adds Pace, all of which can help you better quiet your mind in time for bed.

Meditation may even help improve symptoms of insomnia, according to 2014 research in the journal Sleep. And more quality sleep means you’re better able to tackle your creative work with a clear mind and healthy body, according to Harvard Medical School.

3. Meditation Prompts Your Brain to Rebuild

Meditation isn’t just good for your mental health; it’s also good for your physical brain. A 2018 study found that a yoga- and meditation-based lifestyle was associated with improved neuroplasticity, which is your brain’s ability to form new neural connections and thus better adapt and change according to your environment.

Think of your brain like a muscle: The more you train it with mindfulness, the stronger it becomes, so that it’s better able to fuel your ambitions.

4. Meditation Might Be Your Next Creative Muse

A recent 2020 study published in the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity found that meditation is associated with creative thinking, problem-solving, and strategizing.

Getting in the habit of meditating can likewise encourage the habits and self-awareness needed to support a more creative lifestyle, according to Dias. “[It] opens our field of possibilities to thinking more abstractly or ‘out of the box,’” he says. “Further, meditation can serve as a great source of inspiration for creators opening new pathways to explore oneself and the world around them.”

5. Meditation Grounds You

These days, it’s harder than ever to feel grounded due to uncertain medical, financial and emotional circumstances. Luckily, meditation can help provide a reliable sense of calm to balance out the chaos.

“The lives of music creators are often filled with scattered schedules, income instability and rapid change, leading to unhealthy habits,” says Dias. “Meditation and mindful practice can serve as a reliable foundation for what can feel like an unbalanced lifestyle.”

6. Meditation Builds Self-Awareness

Meditation often encourages you to bring attention and awareness to your body, like focusing on your breath or physical sensations, says Pace. Over time, this can help you build bodily awareness so that you’re better able to detect and then relax tension and stress.

The same applies to your thoughts, she adds. “It's about tuning out life’s distractions to become more aware of one’s inner energy. You can focus more on the present and reduce some of the negative emotions that come with the stresses of everyday life.”

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ASCAP Member Benefits partner Daily Burn offers thousands of workouts on-demand and provides personal fitness guidance, encouragement and motivation to help those from all levels and lifestyles achieve everyday victories. ASCAP members get 60 days of Daily Burn for free! Log into Member Access to activate your benefit and find the perfect workout for you.

Watch our Stay Human: The Path to Wellness for Music Creators session from the ASCAP Experience for more insights on how meditation can benefit music creators