Tag: fitness

Wednesday Workout: Thinking Burns Calories?

Posted on by Joy Held

Yes, the brain uses energy to do its jobs like regulate heart beat and send messages to the nervous system, but did you know that thinking also burns calories beyond the brain’s normal usage? Our brains like the energy produced from eating carbs but it also thrives on fat. Go figure—literally. These nutrients are necessary for the brain to function but in proper portions.

 

Don’t get excited and think that sitting around writing all day will be all that’s necessary for the daily workout we need. Thinking hard, sorting through a novel’s plot problem, or deciding the best way to organize an article encourages neurons to produce the magic brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that create new brain cells that make it easier to learn new things and to think in general. However….physical exercise has been proven in recent years to up the numbers considerably where BDNF is concerned. Physical exercitation accompanied with aerobic activity increases BDNF production making it easier to figure things out. So we still have to get physical to get thinking better which in turn contributes to everything writers need to stay healthy and productive. Workouts equal better thinking.

For more information, read Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John Ratey, M.D. and the evidence will hopefully provide the jolt we all need to start or keep exercising because it’s good for our bodies as well as our thinking.

 

Try scheduling a workout sometime between writing sessions. Notice how thinking is any different before and after the exercise and let me know your results.

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

http://www.joyeheld.com

 

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Avoid These 7 Workout Mistakes

Posted on by Joy Held

1.No pain, no gain– Listen to your body. Know when it’s had enough. This takes a great deal of practice, however, to know the difference between whining and warning. Better to pull back before something gets hurt.

2.Timing-an erratic workout schedule confuses your body and your brain. Try to exercise close to the same time each day.

3.Not enough exercise-it takes the body and brain up to twenty minutes just to warm-up and be ready to exercise. Devote enough time to your workouts to make them productive.

4.Talking too much-more confusion. Focus on the workout for the body and don’t complicate things with comments or running conversations. Do focus on breathing.

5.Too much water-Drinking fluids during a workout can cause stomach cramps because when the liquid hits the stomach blood rushes to digest it. This drains valuable oxygen from the muscles which need it for energy. Drink before and after a workout but try to avoid drinking during the session.

6.Not enough recovery time-Plan exercise routines of varying intensities and space them out over several days.

7.The wrong clothing-Wearing improper clothing will interfere with the body’s ability to move safely. No jeans or big floppy shirts that cover your face when upside down in Downward Facing Dog pose. You need to breathe!

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

http://amyshojai.com Amy Shojai

 

Visit my new website Joy E. Held

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 

Be well, write well

Wednesday Workout: Plank Power

Posted on by Joy Held

Hopefully, you know by now that sit-ups are soooo yesterday. They only irritate the hip flexors and don’t do anything whatsoever for the rectus abdominis or the transversus abdominis which are where the real abdominal work needs to be done. Enter hatha yoga poses to save the day (again.) When the grunt-and-sweat method produces nothing but smelly gym clothes, people look around to see who has accomplished what they want to be and look like and copy them. Usually without giving the successful programs and people any credit. Fitness gurus are promoting an ancient yoga pose to build deep abdominal strength instead of multiples of useless sit-ups and crunches.

It’s called the plank pose (Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana, Sanskrit for utthita=extended; chaturanga=four limbs; danda=staff or stick.) Yogis never do crunches. In twenty-five years of practicing hatha yoga, I have never done a sit-up in yoga class, yet I can hold plank pose and all it’s variations a plenty long time. And it burns the twenty-two year-old college athletes in my classes who have lifted weights and chugged protein sludge daily for five years and they can’t hold plank the first time they try it for more than 15 seconds. When they drop to the mat with a thump and a loud grunt, they remember I’m old enough to be their mother and I’m still holding plank and talking about its benefits and beauties and they get irritated. Sixty seconds later, I SLOWLY lower  to my stomach, sit up, smile and begin my brief explanation of the abdominal muscle system and how, while they may have a six-pack in their refrigerators, they will never have a true one on their bellies without working diligently on the transversus abdominis muscle hiding behind their flabby rectus abdominis out front. Once I say “core”, the lights go on and they listen.

What’s so great about forward inclined plank pose? It’s practically the all-around exercise. The only thing it doesn’t offer is a twist for internal organ. Wait, yes it does. The extremely advanced variation where you wrap one arm around your back, bend your leg, and grab your toes behind your back is a twisting variation of plank. It’s probably out of your range at present, but never stop reaching! Plank pose develops the abdominals by calling them into action because when you are balancing on your arms as required in forward plank, the spine’s natural orientation to gravity is negated. Gravity pulls the front of the body and the spine to the earth and our work in plank is to pull those elements up and away from the gravitational pull. The muscular effort required to do this, simple as it sounds, builds strength and stamina in the whole abdominal area. The other reason it works is because the spine is kept straight and this frees the abdominal muscle group to do its job which is to hold you up. Just suck your belly and chest up to your spine and wait. It’ll happen.

Need a milder version that still works the abs? Balance on your forearms instead of your hands. Either way, don’t let your chest or belly sag toward the mat and work up to holding the pose for 60 seconds. What’s fun is trying the exciting variations of plank pose we do in hatha yoga all the time. Reversed inclined plank and side plank have even more options. That’s the neat thing about yoga. There is always a way for anybody of any condition to try any part of it.

Plank a yogi, I mean, thank a yogi for an amazingly simple and challenging pose that produces results.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

Be well, write well.

Wednesday Workout: You ARE Independently Wealthy

Posted on by Joy Held

The practice of yoga is founded on the principle that we are each naturally endowed with what we need to survive and thrive during whatever time period we exist on Earth. Each of us lives a unique life and serves a particular role in the grand scheme. Some prosper longer than others or are equipped with what seems like better health than others. In yoga the goal is to live a life of health and devotion to the divine, self, and others that honors whatever time we have been allotted. Therefore, we are each expected to make the best of and appreciate what we are born with, and we are all independently wealthy in a sense because we have exactly what we need if only we will respect our basic gifts.

The basic gifts are:

                Breath

                Muscles and bones

                Mental ability

                Immunity

Breath: Yoga teaches breath practices known as pranayama just the same way yoga teaches physical poses or asanas. The belief is that we are each supplied with a certain number of breaths to take. It is important to make each breath productive and to recognize its value. No one knows in advance how many breaths they have received so it’s important to take care of the breath and honor it. That’s why yoga classes provide so much instruction and reminder about breathing. The breath is just as much a tool as the physical body. Use it wisely.

Muscles and bones: The wild, wild westernization of yoga has expanded its perspective in many ways. Purists are somewhat disheartened by the ideas but I believe the variety contributes to the evolution of yoga. It must continue to grow right along with the progresses of mankind. One of the changes in yoga has been the implementation of equipment. Props (blocks, straps, blankets, etc.) help students find unique ways to participate in some poses but  yoga is founded on the concept of wholeness, and whatever muscles and bones we are each supplied with is what we are expected to work with when it comes to yoga. This way we are considered rich in ourselves because we strive to strengthen what we have instead of reaching for what we cannot ever realize.

Mental ability: Advanced yoga pose variations look complicated and they can be intricate, but an upper level pose is really just a twist (sometimes literally) on the basic mental attitude of the student. Basic yoga poses such as Standing Mountain Pose and Triangle pose represent the basic thought processes of a simple idea leading to a more convoluted concept. Meditation is the opportunity to recognize a simple thought and understand its place in more intricate thought processes.

Immunity: The human immune system is fascinating. It strengthens us against disease. While some immune systems are born weaker than others, there is some degree of immunity natural to everyone. Yoga contributes to the maintenance and development of our immunity by calming the nervous system. With breath control (pranayama,) physical actions (asanas,) and mental calmness (meditation,) we are working with our individual gifts to be the best we can be.

Do you realize how wealthy you are?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 Be well, write well.

Thursday Thought: Stretch, Breathe, Write! by Lucie Simone

Posted on by Joy Held

Thursday Thought: Guest Post From LUCIE SIMONE

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Thursday Thought: Stretch, Breathe, Write!

By Lucie Simone

If you’re a writer, you’re probably juggling a lot of responsibilities, and maybe even a day job, while managing to squeeze in a few hundred words in stolen moments. It can be a little overwhelming when you’re trying to bang out a first draft and keep up with your daily routine. And I know the last thing you want to do is add yet another activity to your regimen. But if you give yourself just a few minutes each day to relax and recharge, you might find that getting through the rest of your chores is a breeze. The next time you find yourself pushed beyond your limits, stop, sit, stretch and breathe. And within a matter of minutes you’ll be feeling brand new.

Here are a few simple stretches you can perform sitting right at your desk that will promote calm and clarity:

 

  • Sitting tall on the edge of your seat, take a deep inhale as you reach your arms overhead, spread your fingers wide and stretch through your fingertips. Exhale and lower your arms to your sides. Repeat five times.

 

  • Sitting tall on the edge of your seat, clasp the back of your chair with your hands and inhale deeply as you lift your chest, stretching your biceps and your pecs. Continue breathing deeply for five breaths.

 

  • Sitting tall on the edge of your seat, plant both feet firmly into the ground, place your right hand on your right hip, inhale and reach your left arm toward the sky. As you exhale, bend to your right, allowing for a nice stretch of your side ribs. Hold this position and breathe deeply for five breaths. Repeat on the other side.

 

  • Sitting tall on the edge of your seat, plant your left foot firmly into the ground and straighten your right leg, keeping the foot flexed. Place your hands on your hips and take a deep inhale. Exhale and fold forward, keeping your back straight and your chest lifted, allowing for a deep stretch of the back of the legs. Hold this position for five deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

 

  • Sitting tall on the edge of your seat, cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just above the knee (not on the knee), flexing the foot. Take a deep inhale, and as you exhale, lean forward over your legs, hinging at the hips. Hold this position for five deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.

 

  • To finish, sit tall at the back of your seat with your feet planted firmly on the ground. Rest your hands on your thighs, palms facing up. Take five deep breaths as you close your eyes and allow the mind to open.

After just this short practice, you may feel a sense of inner peace and calm come over you. You may also have more energy and more clarity to get you through the rest of your day, maybe even get some great writing done!

Lucie Simone is both a yoga teacher and an author and has merged her two passions into her Yoga for Writers workshop. This class will be featured at the East Valley Authors Writers Retreat in Monrovia, CA August 14th and at the Emerald City Writers Conference in Seattle, WA October 29th. For more information, please visit her website at www.luciesimone.com.

#####

Happy Note: Book signing and hatha yoga demonstration Saturday, June 25 at Borders in Vienna, WV, 2-4 p.m. Will I see you there? Bring your yoga mat!

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Time To Leave Your Comments!

Posted on by Joy Held

Arrived Friday afternoon. Four hours of car does awful things to my mood, energy, etc., but the hotel has a dynamite fitness room. I checked in and changed clothes to my workout duds. The recumbent bike and some Sun Salutations saved the day and the evening was great.

There are scads of bookmarks and other goodies that I’m collecting for the prize drawing. All you have to do is leave a comment once this weekend and you’re entered.

Book sale and signing in a few. Have to run.

Be well, write well.

Joy

Wednesday Workout: Rembering to Exercise

Posted on by Joy Held

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Yes, there are days so packed with whatever we can actually forget to exercise. Here are some tips for working exercise into your schedule so a day never goes by and, “D@^n, I didn’t exercise!”

1.Mini-exercise breaks: there are “teachable moments” in school and there are “exercise breaks” in your day. Right this minute, take a deep breath in and out five times in a row while raising your arms overhead as you inhale and lowering them as you exhale. I’ll wait…

That was an “exercise break” and it probably took only one minute. Do that ten times a day at your desk and you have accomplished ten minutes of exercise. Change up the movement daily. Tomorrow stand up and march in place or do knee lifts for a minute ten times during the day.

2.Actually find ten minutes when you can leave the desk or situation and take a walk. Getting outdoors for those ten minutes increases the benefits in many ways. Two ten minute walks a day is twenty minutes of exercise. Please don’t talk on the phone while walking.

3.Keep a stress ball on your desk and in the car. While the Internet is doing its typical spoiled brat routine or you’re sitting at a stop light, squeeze the stress ball ten times in each hand as many times as you can. Make a quick mark on your desk pad of how many squeezes you have (wait, that didn’t sound good,) of how many repetitions you’ve done. Repeat until you have 100 squishes recorded for the day. Carpal tunnel folks squeeze the ball slowly and try it palms up and palms down to see what works best for you.

Combine all these ideas on days when the schedule is really packed and at the end of the day you can successfully check off your workout for the day.

How do you squeeze in exercise on the really busy days?

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Wednesday Workout: 7 Habits of the Highly Successful Workout

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Habit 1: Make a Plan

Physical activity and exercise are essential to our health and well being. Our bodies have innate schedules we are born with such as digestion and sleep patterns. Exercise is most successful when we plan to exercise and we stick to it. It is super beneficial to exercise close to the same time every day as much as possible.

Habit 2: Set a Goal

Create a general and realistic desire for a physical activity plan such as maintaining good health. Exercise is part of that goal. Go ahead and set weight loss goals or plans to exercise 30 minutes six times a week, but be cautious about setting goals that create unrealistic expectations. This creates stress and exercise is supposed to help alleviate stress.

Habit 3: Do What You Can Do

Start every workout with the mind set to only do what your body is capable of doing that day. Some days are better than others. Learn to listen to your body’s signals. “Today I feel good enough to run two miles.” Sometimes you will hear a different message. “Today I need to take a long, slow walk and do some gentle stretches.” It’s all good.

Habit 4: Reward Yourself In Healthy Ways

Pre-arrange to reward yourself with recognition for sticking to the exercise plan. It’s perfectly fine to celebrate a month of not missing a single exercise date with a tiny splurge. And for those folks who exercise a lot, taking a few days off now and then is also healthy. Moderation is the key to all the habits.

Habit 5: Listen to Qualified Guidance

Every workout should be the result of your active choice to gather good information before hand. This means reading several books about the exercise styles that interest you, taking classes with a good instructor, or finding an exercise buddy to workout with.

Habit 6: Be Open Minded to Change

Your body and your exercise regimen will and should change on a regular basis. Don’t get in a rut by doing the same things over and over. Your mind will lose interest and tempt you with ways to avoid exercise. Keep it interesting with a variety of fitness choices every week. Mix things up with yoga twice a week, walking twice a week, strength training once a week, and sprinkle in some cardio on the exercise equipment.

Habit 7: Be Kind To Yourself

It’s very possible to overdo it with physical activity and exercise by not listening to the signals or setting unmanageable goals. Be kind to yourself if something happens to set you off course in some way. Always, always, always support your workouts with positive self-talk. Your body hears what you say and think, so keep it positive!

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance! Like this blog? Share it with someone you think would like it as well. 

Be well, write well.

Wednesday Workout: Housework Is Not Exercise

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

“I’m going to clean this dump—just as soon as the kids are grown.”

                ~Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck is probably the reason I love being a Mom but hate cleaning. She always wrote about hating housework. I read her in the local paper when I was young and to this day think of her column about changing the toilet paper roll every time I do it. She’s the one who asked many years ago why she was the one person solely responsible for refilling the toilet paper when the house was full of other capable people who could accomplish the chore just fine. But any time she sat down, well, being the only one “in charge” of the changing, sometimes she was caught without. Why didn’t the person who used the last sheet recognize the condition and refill the roll instead of leaving it to her? Bombeck never discovered the answer to my knowledge and neither have I, but I keep extra rolls really close by because it happens all the time. Why me?

Cooking and baking are very spiritual, satisfying activities for me, but I really would rather not have to clean house. I love a clean house, and I’m good at cleaning, but it taxes me to the point I have nothing left with which to exercise. And I love exercise. However, I’ve never quite bought into the concept of housework as exercise. The idea is flawed in many ways.

1.Exercise is enjoyable. Cleaning house is not. Who wants to clean hair off the floor behind the toilet for heaven’s sake? The bending required isn’t healthy and neither are the fumes. No physical benefit and no improvement in breathing technique. But I know the gunk is there and eventually I have to swab it out at the expense of my exercise for the day. Ugh.

2.Exercise has recognizable rewards like tone muscles and improved attitude. House cleaning has little if any rewards. I no sooner am dumping the mop water down the drain as a person or a dog is coming in the room with dirty feet or paws. “I just mopped!” is greeted with, “Looks nice, dear.” Grrrrr.

3.Exercise has many success stories. There is no one to my knowledge (if they existed there would be a reality TV show about them) who has lost weight, toned up, and kept off the pounds from cleaning house.

“I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes—and six month later you have to start all over again.”

                ~Joan Rivers

Household chores must be accomplished, however, and many writers have designed a routine to think about writing projects while folding laundry and mentally working out plot problems while running the vacuum cleaner. But these jobs don’t count as exercise, so it’s off to the gym! Have you achieved fitness by cleaning the house? Prove it!

“Women with clean houses do not have finished books.”

                ~Joy Held

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Thursday Thought: National Poem In Your Pocket Day

Posted on by Joy Held

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 Even if you aren’t much of a poet yourself, you can take part in the very civilized and very literary National Poem In Your Pocket day today (April 14, 2011.) The promotions explain it this way:

 The idea is simple: Select a poem, pocket it, carry it, and share it with family, friends, and coworkers throughout the day.

 The Academy of American Poets sponsors this activity and have free poems to download just for your pocket.

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/406

 Here’s what I’m carrying in my pocket today:

“To Save The Glen”

How soft the morning mist of Glens,

How quiet the raging, howling winds.

The Id repose to praise and thanks,

But all are not amiss these ranks.

La Sola rise to mark the start,

In trade and deed to show our smart.

September 11 steals the stage,

The Universe convulsed with rage.

A mighty clash of dark and light,

The former struck, the latter fight.

Visions and words impart the horror,

Innocence and peace denied the Moor.

Thy sheath is bared; they steed is clothed,

Our light is set to right the loath.

The Glen erupts, the light blaze bright

Now Heavens ROAR with rockets might.

So, Id must choose twix light and dark—

To save the Glen or lose our mark.

~George A. Gunter, Jr. (1933-2007)

 What poem will you share today?

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Be well, write well.