Morning pages as a therapeutic exercise

Since being a client in Counselling 13 years ago I always found writing to be a good daily connection exercise. I did it constantly at points but at other times lost it. It was in the last couple of months though I really connected with the idea from 'The Artists Way' by Julia Cameron to actually do 'morning pages' where you write every morning as a real ritual.

I've been doing it on my laptop where each morning before anything else I get my laptop out and just write consistently for 20 minutes. I set my alarm 20 minutes early just for it. The book actually says to write 3 pages but I've enjoyed 20 minutes personally since this is the time spent in meditation which usually puts the brain into the therapeutic alpha state and I think of writing as being a meditation in its own right in terms of encompassing a focus and a relaxation. I'm not sure whether the brain goes to alpha brain waves but what I find is just a general clearing out. The idea is to just write whatever you are feeling, or noticing.... just like a stream of consciousness coming from the gut and your intuitive guidance. Maybe if something happened the night before which was funny or annoying or whatever... It doesn't matter... you just write that thing which is first on your mind and just let it flow from there. I've found it amazing as it has lead to constructive decision making, processing of emotions and just a general clearing up and a kind of self soothing too. I'd recommend people to try it. In The Artists Way it speaks of an unlocking of our creativity which this exercise as a kind of central thing to be doing.

People sometimes report life changing impacts from doing this for 12 weeks.

How has this worked for you? Would you ever try this? What self connection exercises do you find helpful? Would you try a 12 week challenge of doing morning pages ?