Writing as Yoga Practice

          Your yoga practice doesn’t end when you step off the mat and resume your day. To be in a state of yoga means to be aware of the body, mind and breath regardless of whether or not you are actively in posture. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to supplement asana and pranayama in your quest to be more self-actualized.

Journaling has long been a tool of therapists and artists alike. When we free-write, we tap into a deeper layer of consciousness where logical, linear thought goes by the wayside. The act of writing for oneself without fear of consequences or criticism is incredibly freeing, and can serve as a problem-solving tool as well as creative inspiration.

Just as we lay in Savasana after all the postures, we can come to a blank page to allow our very temporary feelings space to escape. Savasana allows us to absorb all the yoga. Journaling allows us to organize our thoughts and express our emotions in a safe, sustainable way. Because this form of communication taps into a deeper consciousness, using parts of the brain not usually exercised in mundane activity, writing hones our creativity and helps to expand our awareness of Self and Spirit.

I have kept journals since I got my first pink Little Twin Stars diary over 25 years ago. A serious Beatnik since early adolescence, there were times I believed life itself existed for the sole purpose of writing practice. You don’t have to be that devoted to journaling to experience profound benefits, however. You just have to show up. Here are some tips for starting (and continuing) an enjoyable, valuable writing practice.

1. Try using your computer as well as many kinds of pens and pencils. Word processing is sometimes better for those who think very fast or feel hampered by the quality of their handwriting. If you find yourself stumbling because the letters don’t look “nice” or “perfect” on the page, try a digital diary instead. See whether you like felty pens or ballpoints, pencils or markers.

2. Start keeping a journal in an inexpensive book. Leather-bound diaries are nice, but sometimes intimidate us. We don’t want to ruin the beautiful paper with our sheisty thoughts, cross-outs and doodles. Writing in a spiral notebook or even on loose leaf frees you to just show up at the page and get it done. Once the habit of showing up and getting it done is ingrained within you, feel free to make or buy something fabulous.

3. Once your hand begins writing, try not to stop. If you make a mistake, just skip a line and start again. If you think you will need to keep this entry for future reference you can always camouflage your mistakes with a sticker or some correction product. Don’t second-guess yourself. Just keep your hand moving until you have discharged the entire feeling, or you’ve come to the end of the anecdote.

4. Don’t become married to your thoughts. This is especially important to those who already have writing experience. Don’t judge what’s good or bad, just come to the page and do the work. Then take the opportunity to practice non-attachment. Zen writer and teacher Natalie Goldberg advocates taking the ego out of the moment in order to allow “writing to do writing.” 

          This means being present for the experience, and writing while you are writing --- not making an absent-minded half-assed effort. Go get a copy of Goldberg’s “Writing Down the Bones.” Do everything she says.

5. Unless you are trying to solve a particular problem, or you’re working on a piece you plan to publish, don’t read over what you have written just yet. Give your thoughts enough space to dissipate. You’ll be more honest, more instinctual and relaxed if you free-write without your inner editor interjecting every third word.

6.     Set a timer. Go for five minutes nonstop, then ten. Just keep your hand moving without judging yourself. You don’t have to sound awesome. In fact, don’t try to. 

   Over time, you’ll find yourself more centered and focused. Keeping a journal is yet another tool you can use to wake up and become more self-aware and peaceful. Read this article and more about writing @ kitty:magazine.

Yamas & Niyamas: The Ethics of the Yoga Lifestyle

     It's a mad tea party of a world out there! Adopting the yoga lifestyle can help you manage your stress physically, intellectually and emotionally if you're willing to expand your awareness on and off the mat. Understanding the ethics of yoga and applying these yamas and niyamas is as important as your posture practice!

Yamas: Guidelines for interacting with the outer world (others)

1. Ahimsa: non-violence toward self and others
2. Satya: truth and honesty    
3. Asteya: not stealing or coveting that which is not offered to you
4. Brahmacharya: moderation    
5. Aparigraha: greedlessness

Niyamas: Guidelines for interacting with the inner world (self)

1. Saucha: cleanliness or purity internally as well as externally
2. Santosha: contentment
3. Tapas: discipline, inner fire
4. Svadhyaya: self-observation
5. Ishwara-Pranidhana: surrender to something bigger than yourself

Saucha, Dharma & Earth Day

A big part of adopting the yoga lifestyle is recognizing the interdependence of all life on Earth.  Since today is Earth Day, I thought it apropos to address the way we affect our outer space with the choices we make in our homes.  

Saucha means cleanliness in Sanskrit.  A major tenet of yogic, conscious living, saucha means keeping things organized and sanitary for the benefit of all beings. (Saucha is actually one of the niyamas or observances of yoga as detailed by Patanjali.)

     There is a lot of pressure in today’s world not to guzzle down too much gas, not to use the wrong light bulbs, not to wash chemicals down the drain, and to eat organic foods. We all want to do the right thing and help the environment and our own health, but we are American consumers who still have to get to work and school, who can’t always afford produce and eco-friendly products that are three times as expensive as what's stocked on the shelves at the local Walmart.  

     Adopting a greener lifestyle is a noble cause we can all embrace if we approach these cultural changes the same way we approach yoga: we can start where we are and do what we can when we can.  Here are a couple of painless things to get you going:

1. Bring your own bags to the store.  Quit wasting plastic bags already! I particularly like schlepping in old fancy shopping bags. They’re sturdier!

2. You consider fuel alternatives for your car, but have you thought about all the nasty petrochemicals you use around the house?  Petrochemicals are common chemicals in things like laundry detergent. When we use them, we expose ourselves to all sorts of toxicity, and then do it again when we rinse them down the drain and into the water table. Even the local grocery store down the street carries some eco-friendly brands now, so green housekeeping is more feasible now than it was even just a few years ago. 

3. We‘ve begun using dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. These are nubby rubber balls that bounce around and fluff the clothes in less time with less heat. Laundry doesn’t smell like flowery meadows and babies’ heads around here anymore, but I haven’t had a migraine in months since I stopped layering too many artificial fragrances in our home.  *Yes, you’re right, Muffy, perfumes are indeed nasty…you knew all along!

4. Put everything in your office and media center on a power strip and shut that mug down when you aren’t computing.  Unplug the coffee maker, too. Watch your utility bill go down as you stop siphoning “phantom power” throughout the house.

Jane Goodall is a tireless crusader and pioneer for environmentalism and my personal heroine.  She speaks of the affliction of “justmeism,” the excuse we all fall back on when we want to minimize and deny our own responsibility in the very real problems we face as a species.  We all think, “It’s just me; I’m just one person, so what can I do to make a difference?” Or, worse yet, “It’s just me, what’s the harm?” 

This spring, why not clean things up around the house while you bring the spirit of saucha to your practice, gently and naturally? In yoga, intention is everything and you’ll be amazed at the results yielded by even the slightest effort in the right direction.