Posts 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.)

Writers wrestle in solitary confinement to create work worthy of distribution to the masses.  We listen to our guts writhe and dare to write down the utterances.  We literally tap into the deepest seams of human components and release the secrets of the spirit in print for everyone to see.  Such creatures would be “pedastalized” in a truly free and creative world.  But we aren’t.

Writers are eccentric.  Writers are different.  You never know where a writer’s mind is even if you are standing in front of her looking into her eyes.  Significant others just get used to it. Even though the whole world relies on some aspect of a writer’s abilities, the writer is sectioned off “to work”, but really to put us where they can keep an eye on us!  Lest we indulge in daydreaming, talking to ourselves, or something worse like the historical bad writer habits of alcohol or drugs. 

Almost everyone knows of Hemingway’s alcohol problems or Poe’s drug abuse.  Why does the world have this negative image of writers?  Because history has a passion for emphasizing the foibles of the greats in an attempt to claim, “He was a great writer in spite of his flaws.” 

Flaws.  Imperfections.  Blemishes.  This is the stuff that makes us individuals, that makes us lovable, that gives writers a different perspective on the world.  A writer’s vantage point is precisely where her voice emanates.  What makes a writer is someone who notices that their voice and their turn of mind come from the same immeasurable place.  When I wrote my first short story in grade school from the outlook of two shoes talking to each other in a dark shoe box, I heard my voice for the first time.  Writers can see, feel, think, smell, and hear the worlds of other people and objects.  It’s what we do.

“I’m a writer.  I use everything,” said Truman Capote.  To truly be a writer, regardless of genre, you must ‘muse’ everything in your world and in your mind to the advantage of your craft.  It’s a task that comes easier for some writers than others.  It’s a question of listening and being open to what you hear.  How can you evolve into the grand writer you desire to be?  By leading a daily life devoted to expanding your body, mind, and spirit in every sense of the word.  By following the way of Writer Wellness.

The idea of Writer Wellness happened to me because of a hectic schedule and the natural instinct to “use everything” around me to create my writing.  When I was expecting my first baby, I published a magazine article about continuing to run a dance studio while pregnant.  When a guest artist taught classes at our local community theatre, I published an article about his career on Broadway.  When my life got wonderfully full of children, a household, work, and writing deadlines, I organized a system that would allow me to listen to my inner and outer worlds and maintain my writing voice.

Writer Wellness is composed of regular practices of journal writing, exercise, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play.  For example, depending on my schedule, my daily journal entry may be three pages long or just the front of an index card.  Exercise is either walking the dog, yoga practice, cardio equipment, or walking.  I ALWAYS find at least five minutes a day to close my eyes and meditate.  The food I eat is simple and grown as locally as possible.

Writer Wellness evolved from a personal habit to a community program and then into a book.  I follow the principles and guide others to do the same.  It’s a simple, developmental approach that any writer can try in any degree.  The results are tumultuous productivity and long term good health.  And triumph over flaws by using what you know as a writer to make your life and writing better.

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.

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.)

The food you eat equals the energy you have to burn. Food in, energy out…supposedly. What happens more often than not is more food/energy in than we burn off daily. This is the cause of weight gain. There is no secret to losing weight. The human body requires food to produce energy to function. When someone eats more food/energy than they need on a daily basis, the food/energy is converted into fat and stored for a day when the body “might” use it up. It’s an ancient process that all people experience. It’s called survival.

Our bodies need energy to operate. Food is the source of the energy. Energy from food is what our bodies utilize for basic metabolic functions like batting your eyes and pumping blood through your veins. Our bodies cannot function without the energy provided through the foods we eat and digest. The problem arises when we drive by a fast food restaurant and think, “A cheese burger would really hit the spot right now,” even though it’s only been two hours since we ate a taco salad for lunch. It’s okay to eat every two hours because that practice keeps metabolism in high gear (burning calories) and that helps us loose or maintain weight. The problem arises from eating a cheese burger at noon and again at two o’clock and then a full course meal at six after an afternoon snack of popcorn.

The secret of the universe is balance, but people don’t know what balance means these days. That’s why the principle of energy balance doesn’t make an impact on our thinking or our diets because we don’t have a clue what it means. What is energy balance?

To maintain a certain weight, people need to burn or expend all of the calories they eat in a day. This is energy balance. To lose weight, people need to burn or expend MORE of the calories they eat DAILY. This is a tough job. 

This sounds like The Hunger Games, if you ask me, but it doesn’t have to be. We don’t need calculators or scales or premeasured food. We need more exercise. The number of people who sit for a living is staggering I’m sure. If you include telemarketers, the most sit-worthy group in the working world, I’m sure the percentage of people whose jobs require them to SIT hour after hour is astronomical. When you sit for a living, fat has nowhere to go but down…into your bum and thighs. The only hope we have for redirecting the calories is exercise. Exercise daily for thirty minutes and eat every two hours if you want to, but watch what goes into your energy calculator. Too much energy in coupled with too many hours of sitting for a living equals too many pounds of body weight which can lead to all sorts of trouble. Heart disease, obesity, cancer, brain sluggishness, and size 24W pants to name a few problems.

Where is my recumbent bike?

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.

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.)

Some days it’s funnier to be a writer than others. And writers are famous for thinking something is funny when other people don’t see the humor. For instance, we get a giggle out of misspelled words on business signs. We think running out of ink while printing off a query letter is paramount to disaster and we think the telephone is a torture device meant to keep us from ever having a thought without interruption. And psychoanalyst is another word for jealous critique partner. So on those days, it’s convenient to have a writerly joke to lighten the mood.

***

Three guys are sitting at a bar-

Guy#1 “Yeah, I make about $75,000.00 a year after taxes.”

Guy#2 “What do you do for a living?”

#1 “I’m a stockbroker. How much do you make?”

#2 “I should clear $60,000.00 this year.”

#1 “What do you do?”

#2 “I’m an architect.”

They turn to the third guy sitting quietly, staring into his beer.

#2 “Hey, how much do you make a year?”

#3 “Gee, ummm, I guess about $13,000.00.”

A screenwriter comes home to find his house burned to the ground and his wife in the yard sobbing.

“What happened, honey?” the man asked.

“Oh, John, it was terrible,” she said while crying.”I was cooking and the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in seconds. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out. Poor Fluffy is…”

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.

She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row on row of writers chained to their desks working in a steamy sweatshop while being whipped with thorny lashes.

“Oh, my,” said the writer. “Let’s see heaven now.”

In heaven she saw row on row of writers chained to their desks working in a steamy sweatshop while being whipped with thorny lashes.

“Wait a minute,” she said. “This is as bad as hell.”

How many romance writers does it take to change a light bulb?

Just one: “He grasped the round, cool shape of the tantalizing bulb between his fingers and squeezed ever so gently then expertly guided the tip into the waiting socket. He felt the connection and slowly began a mind-blowing twist of the bulb until it settled into the perfect place. And they both knew the satisfaction of ……

Well, you get the idea.

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.

Monday Meditation: Stillness

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’ll never forget the first time I saw a Tibetan monk fall asleep sitting up. His group was visiting our local art center and building a sand mandala dedicated to peace which was then carried to the Ohio River and added to the flow to send the peaceful notion downstream. The fellow who fell asleep on a bench in the art center was older and not working on the mandala at the time. But I watched him closer than I did the artisans because the stillness in his body was enviable. How could he fall asleep so quickly and so soundly in the middle of the afternoon on a hard bench? In a matter of moments he was bent over and snoring softly. Of course, he woke up when he fell off the bench and hit his knee on the linoleum, but he went into a deep sleep quickly. Jet lag? Or the practiced ability to calm his nervous system.

Is sleep meditation? No. Sleep is sleep. Meditation is conscious relaxation. The monk was not meditating although that’s probably what he started out doing. Close eyes. Count breaths in. Count breaths out. Then, oops, snore. I tell my yoga students that the only sound I’m offended by in class is snoring. It means your brain is bored and went to sleep to avoid the boring situation. And that you got up early after staying up late on the Internet, but sleep, while necessary, is not meditation. And I don’t think my yoga classes are boring. So don’t snore in my yoga class. And talking means you aren’t concentrating on your breath, so keep talking at a minimum too. Because meditation is more than sitting still and breathing. Yoga is more than physical exercise. Sleep has nothing to do with practicing yoga, but yoga helps you sleep once you’ve learned the basics. Confused? Breathe and stay with me. Don’t fall asleep.

The basic principle is stillness, but that’s a harder concept to achieve than we think sometimes. We know what stillness means, but can we really achieve it for any length of time and why would we want to?

Stillness is to be free from disturbance. That in itself sounds almost impossible in this day and age. Technology has contributed to attaching one leash after another on us to the point where no hour of the day or night is free from disturbance because someone somewhere has access to your peace and quiet via the telephone, the TV, the computer, the noise in the street, and on and on. How can we possibly achieve stillness of body and mind when others are free to yank our chains at their wills? We must have the discipline to set boundaries. We set limits to when and where and who can interrupt our moments of stillness and refuse to be disturbed (unless they are sure the cruise missile is definitely aimed at the house and has already been launched. Then they can cross the boundary and disrupt our stillness.)

But other people are offended when we set boundaries and prohibit them from crossing the line when we need peace and quiet. Keep two thoughts in your mind about setting boundaries: 1)I am a valuable human being deserving of respect and consideration; 2)Boundaries are healthy and keep me safe from issues at times I cannot and should not deal with them.

When you aren’t meditating, the boundary lines are different and folks can come across and pester all they want. You are rested and secure in your mind and can handle whatever they have to throw at you. But when it’s time to be still and rest the body, mind, and soul, let no one enter. How?

Turn the phone off. Put up a sign, “Meditation in progress. Be Kind.” Lock the door. Put the pets in their room or crate. Notify people in advance that you aren’t available at this vulnerable time. Keep a schedule so others will get used to not interrupting you. Show the same respect to the boundaries of others.

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.

 

Centuries of people on-the-go have resorted to holding hot, greasy meat and melting cheese with some sort of “edible napkin.” Sliced bread, bread bowls (known as “trenchers” in the Middle Ages,) and circular flat breads have helped people eat a wide variety of foods tucked inside. The bread holds everything together to makes it easier to eat and adds carbohydrates to the meal thereby filling tummies much quicker.

John Montague, 4^th Earl of Sandwich (England), was supposedly a notorious gambler who often refused to leave the gaming table to eat. One late night he ordered his valet to bring him meat between two slices of bread to eat while playing cards. The legend goes that others around the table ordered, “…the same as Sandwich!” Even though there is extensive record of people holding meat and cheese between bread before the illustrious Earl, the name sandwich stuck to our stand-by luncheon menu. 

Flatbread is an international phenomenon: Mexican tortillas, Chinese wontons, Mediterranean focaccia, Greek pita bread. Americans have the hotdog bun from the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair by way of the German sausage in a bun. Flatbread is typically quick to make and handy to eat as well as low in fat. From corn to wheat, most are a decent source of B vitamins and economical on the wallet. For a quick, filling meal, “wraps” are a great way to end a day at the studio. Add soup and yogurt for dessert to make cooking, eating, and clean up a snap (or a wrap!)

The wrap is the quick and easy answer to pangs of hunger and finances. Try these recipes some evening and make up some of your own favorites to carry cold for lunch. If you ever worry about calories from bread, try wraps for an efficient substitute. It’s worth it to buy tortilla shells and flatbread wraps instead of bread. You and your stomach will NOT miss the bloated feeling! 

Vegetarian Wrap 

Fantastic Feta Fill-up with Grilled Red Onion

                4 flour tortilla shells

                2 cups of fresh spinach

                ½ cup red onion, thin sliced

                ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup roasted red peppers or 8 teaspoons of roasted red pepper relish*

                cooking spray

Spray the bottom of a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray. On medium-high heat, put the onion for one wrap in the pan and cover with one tortilla shell. Spoon 2 tablespoons of feta cheese on top of the shell then the red peppers. When the onions are soft with a little brown on them, fold the tortilla out of the way and spoon the onion into the shell with the cheese and peppers. Add fresh spinach and close the wrap. Turn once or twice to get a light brown color on both sides of the folded wrap. Repeat three more times. Makes four wraps.

*Roasted red peppers and red pepper relish are found on the grocery store shelf with the pickles. You’ll be pleasantly surprised with how low in fat they are!

Protein Wrap 

Terrific Turkey Turn-over

                4 flour tortilla shells

                2 cups of thin turkey strips cut from pre-cooked turkey breast

                1 cup lean, sliced deli ham or turkey ham

                ¾ cup red onion, sliced

                8 slices of Colby cheese

                1 cup shredded romaine lettuce

                Italian dressing

                Cooking spray 

Spray the bottom of a non-stick frying pan lightly with cooking spray. Saute red onions for 1-2 minutes. Add turkey and ham. While meat and onions are heating, spread two slices of Colby cheese on each tortilla shell. Evenly divide the meat-onion mixture on top of the cheese. Sprinkle with romaine lettuce and Italian dressing. Fold and serve.

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.

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.)

Look around. Is your work…well, is it ‘work’ and not one exciting, innovative creation after another? Could your material be so predictable that you are in what dancer/choreographer Twyla Tharp calls “a false start?” Tharp defines a “false start,” or a creative rut as different from being blocked and most definitely different from being in a good groove. “A rut is the part of the journey where you’re spinning your wheels, spitting out mud behind you, splattering other people, and not going anywhere. You know you’re in a rut when you annoy other people, bore your collaborators and supporters, fail to challenge yourself, and get the feeling that the world is moving on while you’re standing still. You may also feel that you’ve been here before; déjà vu, with some flop sweat on the side, is a sure sign of a rut. Perhaps the surest sign is a feeling of frustration and relief when you’re done (“Boy, I’m glad that’s over!”) rather than anticipatory pleasure (“I can’t wait to get back here tomorrow.”) Call it consistency, following a syllabus, or teaching a “graded system,” you know when your work is dry and uninspired. It happens to everyone. Don’t worry. There are some simple ideas to help refresh your artistry and renew the feeling of, “I love being me!” that every creative person knows.

If the inspiration inclination has temporarily slipped away and writing another page feels like pulling teeth (your own,) it could be a simple matter of needing to “fill the well” as writer Julia Cameron refers to in her book “The Artist’s Way.” Cameron says that the artist’s brain relies on images and that creativity is sometimes blocked or stymied by a lack of artistic brain food. Cameron recommends regular “artist dates” with yourself to “restock the pond” of artful ideas you seem to be lacking.

For an artist date, you simply schedule yourself to attend a thought provoking artistic event like a gallery opening or orchestra concert and ingest the sensations all around to help replenish your own source of creative energy. Cameron suggests a habitual practice of artist dates until you understand the ebb and flow of your creativity and how to use the work of other inspired creators to support your own creations.

When I first tried the regular artist date, it annoyed me because I felt like I was being taken away from my own work. Cameron and Tharp both claim that resistance is a sure sign that a respite is most assuredly the best medicine. After a year of consistently attending art shows, poetry readings, and independent film showings, I noticed a rush of recurrent creativity to the point where I can hardly keep up with myself today!

I heard a lecture by children’s author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor who summed up how I feel. Someone asked her what she did for writer’s block. “I don’t have writer’s block,” she said. “I have so many ideas floating around in my head all the time that I have writer’s diarrhea!” I now have a habit of enjoying the work of other artists and I’m positive it contributes to my never-ending flow of creativity and ideas.

Inspiration is always available to the artist who understands that creativity is a process dependent on many details. Here are some ideas to consider.

Low budget

1) Read books and magazines on creativity.

2) Start a journal. You will be amazed at the creative freedom you can experience from a regular habit of journaling.

3) Find an online community of artists and communicate.

4) Attend free art events like gallery showings, outdoor concerts, and crafts fairs.

Medium budget

1) Take classes from another local teacher. Online classes are getting better and better. Try one of the online workshops at Who Dares Wins Publishing www.whodareswinspublishing.com. Learning rejuvenates the creative spirit.

2) Analyze the work of other artists. Take pencil and paper and write down what you see or read in videos and books and dissect the creativity of others. Explain to yourself why they did what they did, and then how you would have done it differently and why.

3) Attend poetry readings, art shows, etc. at the local gallery or coffee shop.

4) Cruise through a history museum or see a local theatre production. 

High budget

1) Travel to an artist’s retreat or big city where art is revered and the process is respected. Take part in performances, conferences, workshops, and activities that allow you to deeply experience the art.

2) Take college courses at home or far away that will expand your appreciation of creativity.

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.

 

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.)

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 cleanse. 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.

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://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

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

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

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

Be well, write well.

Tuesday Tickle 

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.)

 

Creative people need brain power. Brain power brings the good ideas out in the open so we can shape and form them into novels, paintings, or whatever medium it is we work with. Besides inspiration and the right foods, our mental faculties need regular workouts to stay sharp and focused so we can recognize a good idea when we see it. Puzzles are a quick and easy way to keep our thinking powerful. 

How and why do puzzles help our brains stay alert and focused? The brain’s mini-computer runs on “software” much like our laptops and other digital thinking tools. Our brains require attention, processing, cognitive flexibility, the ability to retrieve stored information, and reasoning skills to get us through our basic day. These functions need regular challenge and are strengthened and more readily available to us if we remember to weave brain exercises into our lives.

Schedule creative play and work puzzles on a regular basis and your brain skills will remain sharp and intact for much longer. We all have so much on our plates these days that working a puzzle for brain training rarely crosses our fuzzy minds. Keep it simple and play games on your cell phone, carry around a small word puzzle book, and keep puzzles readily available in the house where it will allow you take just a few minutes on a regular basis and work it out.

Here’s an interactive word search puzzle using words from the Writer Wellness plan to get you started. It’s fun. Try it and then look for other puzzling ways to keep your brain humming.

Writer Wellness Interactive Word Search Puzzle

 http://www.wordsearchmaker.net/wordsearchplayer.aspx?puzzleid=42e906f1-39ae-431c-ba09-3847845e5b61

**

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/ Write It Forward by Bob Mayer

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Warrior Writer by Kristen Lamb

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

Be well, write well.

 

Monday Meditation

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’ve got bad news. Meditation is not the “quick and easy” idea several teachers and websites claim it to be. It’s so simple, it is REALLY, REALLY difficult. During my teacher education courses in college, I was admonished about forewarning students that “the following information or activity may be difficult, but do your best.” As a student, I would have appreciated knowing in advance that I was about to be trying to tame extremely hungry lions, but the prevailing teacher education message of the day was, “Don’t tell students in advance that the lesson is difficult. You are setting them up for failure.” Poo (and I don’t mean Tigger’s friend the chubby, blond bear.) If something is going to take work, I want to know up front.

Meditation takes work.

“How is that possible?” you ask. “All you do is sit there with your eyes closed. I do that every night once the wine kicks in.” Meditation is not sleeping. Snoring is a sign that your brain is bored and has fallen asleep. This is not meditation. Meditation is CONSCIOUS RELAXATION where thoughts are guided, not controlled or followed, but guided. Huh? We all have this state of thinking that is fondly referred to in meditation circles as “monkey mind.” Meditation is taming your monkey mind to keep it from jumping from thought to thought, image to image, and idea to idea. Taming monkey mind is not as easy as cracking a whip or stabbing at the air with a wooden stool. This may cause hungry lions to back down, but it does not scare monkey mind. Monkey mind responds better to kindness and compassion. Monkey mind ceases to chatter and screech, and finds a still place to rest if it is fed a steady diet of calmness, reassurance, and love.

I’ve recently explained how a simple set of words repeated over and over in your mind will calm your brain, breath, and body. http://writerwellness.wordpress.com/2011/01/24/monday-meditation-breath-in-breath-out/ It’s called a mantra, which literally means “mind tool” in the ancient Sanskrit language which is the mother tongue of meditation and yoga. It is always a very simple phrase like “Breath in. Breath out,” that is repeated rhythmically with the movement of the breath and sometimes the body.  A mantra is not quite a chant because chanting is a call to order, a statement of purpose, or a dedication. Mantras are always really, really simplistic and tend to feel musical as they are repeated over and over. They aim to produce a hypnotic state of stillness and peace by repeating the chosen phrase over and over until it doesn’t want to be repeated any longer. Yes, I said until the mantra decides it has been said enough. This is one point where the difficulty arises.

It reads like a simple exercise to mentally repeat a phrase until your mind is at rest, but the actual practice is challenging because monkey mind is typically very immature and difficult to appease. With time and practice, just like any normal toddler, monkey mind will learn to quiet down sooner and sooner when it hears the mantra, but it requires practice, practice, practice. One thing toddlers and monkey mind do NOT respond well to is punishment. No spanking, yelling, or time-outs in the corner for monkey mind. It will only mature and become quiet with patience, practice, and love.

So here’s the plan. Sit comfortably with your spine supported and your eyes closed. Yes, you can recline slightly as long as you PROMISE not to fall asleep. Better to sit upright. Begin by allowing monkey mind to chatter away about everything it can possibly think of. When you think the time is right, begin repeating the mantra you have chosen. (See list below.) Anytime monkey mind interrupts your mantra, kindly and gently IGNORE it and return to repeating the mantra. Set a timer so you don’t get frustrated. Start with three minutes once a day and gradually add a minute as you notice the time seems to “fly by.” That’s a signal you’re ready to increase your meditation time.

Simple? Let me know. Be kind to monkey mind and it will be kind to you.

Be well, write well.

Mantra suggestions:

Breath in, breath out

I breathe in, I breathe out

Peace in, negative out

I am

 

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.)

Food is our major source of energy. Long time ago our grandparents raised almost everything they ate but you know it isn’t that way any longer. Technology has set a pace for the human race that is exactly that: a race from sun up to sun down and beyond to be, do, get, fix, and plan lives that are dependent on the mass production of the food we eat. In exchange for technological progress, we have placed our trust in complete strangers to grow, prepare, and serve most of what we eat. Granted, the opposite choice is a little daunting. Who has the time, money, energy, or space to cultivate a garden or raise chickens? When my sister-in-law got my father-in-law a full grown rooster for his birthday, the city made him get rid of it because ordinances did not allow for the harboring of any animals other than cats, dogs, and reptiles. And the neighbors got pretty pi$$ed off when the rooster when off every morning in the middle of town at 4:00 a.m. So we’ve had to set aside our trust issues and rely on professionals for all our food.

Hmmm. Not yum, but hmmm.

Recently author Kristen Lamb blogged rcently on how one simple diet change changed her life for the better. She discovered a wheat and diary intolerance and now eats plenty of food I imagine but without excessive amounts of wheat because of the gluten and dairy because of the casein. Both are diet troublemakers for a lot more people than you would think.

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/writer-wellness-one-simple-change-for-more-energy-focus/

I discovered the very same situation with my diet in 1998 when I was introduced to “The Blood Type Diet” popular among yoga practitioners at the time. I bought the book Eat Right For Your Type, The Individualized Diet Solution to Staying Healthy, Living Longer & Achieving Your Ideal Weight by Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo with Catherine Whitney and once I realized how much better I felt I have never looked back.

http://dadamo.com/

D’Adamo is a homeopathic physician and so was his father. D’Adamo the younger has carried the work of his father into the 21^st century with strong, reliable results. There is proven scientific support for the program. It’s based on a simple fact: not everybody can eat everything, nor should everybody eat the same things. The science is based on a thing called lectins that causes blood to get sticky and then causes all sorts of trouble from there. Read the book.

There are four blood types among humans and four food programs to follow according to D’Adamo. I don’t call it a diet. Ever since I heard Richard Simmons say, “The first three letters of the word ‘diet’ spell ‘die,’” I stopped using the word. I’m on a specific food program with an enormous list of foods acceptable to my blood type which is O. For half of my life, like Kristen, I would eat pasta and need a cot standing nearby to catch me. Wheat caused me to swell, retain fluids, and have headaches but I didn’t know it until I removed it from my diet and discovered a whole new way of being. And wheat is the number one offensive food for blood type O people. Go figure. Dairy ranks up there as tough on O-people but it’s do-able in moderation. Anytime I go beyond the moderate level of dairy, indigestion is the result.

Blood type “food program” isn’t without its critics, but I’m not one of them. How do I get around wheat in my diet when everybody we trust to make our food is filling it with the stuff because it’s cheap? I’ll explain that in a future Friday Feast, but don’t worry, I’m not hungry or asleep after eating like I used to be.

Be well, write well.