Tag: yoga

AM I A WORKAHOLIC?

Posted on by Joy Held

AM I A WORKAHOLIC?

18 February 2026

AM I A WORKAHOLIC?

Disclaimer: This article may contain affiliate links although I have never made a single dime from one, I’m required by law to provide a disclaimer.

If I am a workaholic, I don’t care.

Honestly, I’m pretty sure I am a workaholic, but I’m not going to blame anyone else. Growing up, I had intense role models. My parents and extended family members were all middle class and had to work incredibly hard to make ends meet, food appear on the table, and apparel that met the fashion expectations of the day available to everyone. If we were poor, I didn’t get the memo, but I also don’t remember wanting too much besides a book to read, the time and freedom to read it, and paper and pencil with which to write my own poems and stories.

When I was twelve years old, my parents, who were self-employed (my Dad actually worked two jobs year-round; one full-time and one part-time, both as a contractor,) decided I should be more conscious of the money necessary to run a business and a household. I was happy to learn and by the age of fourteen I was keeping the financial books for both of them. As the family bookkeeper for two entrepreneurs, did I maybe see too much work going on? Did I assume everybody worked all the time? I don’t remember thinking that, but perhaps it influenced me more than I knew, because flash forward I will work, work, work until something is done or I run myself into the ground and get sick.

Something called the Bergen Work Addiction Scale entered the world around 2012. It was compiled by researchers in Norway and the United Kingdom and administered to over 12,000 working Norwegians. It’s based on the traditional psychological conditions indicating addiction to anything and is developed in specific accordance with the principles of work. Here are the seven basic criteria of the Bergen scale:

  • You think of how you can free up more time to work.
  • You spend much more time working than initially intended.
  • You work in order to reduce feelings of guilt, anxiety, helplessness and depression.
  • You have been told by others to cut down on work without listening to them.
  • You become stressed if you are prohibited from working.
  • You deprioritise hobbies, leisure activities, and exercise because of your work.
  • You work so much that it has negatively influenced your health.

How many do you recognize in yourself? I meet six of the seven. Whatever.

To save me from myself, my Mom introduced me to yoga when I was eighteen. She probably recognized the type A (for Always busy) oldest child syndrome leaking out. Because I was a competitive gymnast, hatha yoga suited my twisty-twirly, boneless body just fine. Consequently, I have practiced yoga and meditate to counterbalance my worker bee personality ever since.

And although not much is said about it, the dirty little secret of gymnastics AND ballet is that you can’t do that stuff forever. THAT has haunted me forever. The last day of ballet, the last day of back handsprings, and the last night of reading till dawn were difficult for me.

The last day of storytelling will inevitably make its appearance. That will be a really tough one. Eyes, hands, shoulders, spine, and hips will eventually stop cooperating. My pragmatic side gets this. My creative side says, “Get this shit done before you can’t!” So, I read books, write books, sell books, and help others with their book needs while I can and until I can’t.

That’s why I am a workaholic. One day the work won’t work.

Are you a workaholic? I took this test on the Psychology Today website and scored a B-. Well, damn. I would love to know what you score. Remember to take such things with a healthy, side-eye of skepticism.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/career/workaholic-test

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Be well, write well!

Joy E. Held

Founder and CEO

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One of my many projects is My WriteDay bi-monthly subscription box for writers, and it opens to new subscribers Monday, March 2 at noon eastern. Each box is packed with a new writing craft book, office essentials, healthy snacks, and items to support a writer’s creativity and health. The March-April 2026 box is “Picture Book Perfection.”

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Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom, Book 1

JOY E. HELD is a busy author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom, Book 1 (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Adult Historical Romance

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

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BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS

Posted on by Joy Held

28 September 2025

Welcome to Books By My Friends!

Today we are featuring:

  • JANE BUEHLER
  • JOY E. HELD
  • JAN THORNTON JONES
  • BARBARA JEAN MILLER

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links. You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time. My ideas are not ever meant as a substitute for consulting with a qualified health professional.

JANE BUEHLER

BOOK The Fire Apprentice: A Fairy Tale with Benefits

AUTHOR Jane Buehler

GENRE Cozy romantasy

BLURB He’s the blacksmith. But she’s the one playing with fire.

After a fairy seduced her, fathered her child, and tried to take that child, Jane swore she’d never trust one again. Surely she can find a suitable human man to be a companion for herself and a father for little Elle, right? So when her housemate mentions a new apprentice blacksmith, Jane leaves Elle playing in the yard and heads to the smithy.

Rowan is rugged and handsome but clearly not interested. Disappointed, Jane has just left the smithy when a sudden shadow swoops over the village. Jane races home to see a dragon snatching Elle. Jane is distraught. Then Rowan mysteriously appears and offers to rescue the child. He insists the dragon won’t hurt Elle—apparently fairy children apprentice with dragons to learn fire magic. How does Rowan know so much about fairies? Turns out, he is one.

Jane will do anything to rescue Elle, even if it involves the F word—a fairy. But climbing into the mountains with Rowan is risky. His reticence keeps Jane guessing, but she can’t keep her mind off him: he’s even more handsome out in the moonlit woods, with that deep voice and those capable hands. When Jane and Rowan run into trouble, Jane must take charge. Because it turns out, Rowan needs rescuing too.

The Fire Apprentice is a grumpy/sunshine romance—or maybe more of a brooding/effusive romance—that’s perfect for fans of Throne in the Dark or Jenna Wolfhart’s Falling for Fables cozy romantasy series. Each book in the Sylvania series can be read on its own but might contain spoilers for previous books. The Fire Apprentice contains love scenes and a heroine with pelvic floor pain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emily Jane Buehler published two nonfiction books—one on the science and craft of baking bread, the other a memoir of a bicycle trip from New Jersey to Oregon—before venturing into fiction. She currently writes cozy fantasy romances where everyday people (and fairies) have adventures and fall in love. They are lighthearted stories with action and adventure, love and magic, where protagonists learn to believe in themselves and find their courage. And yes, they are kissing books!

Emily Jane  believes that by portraying positive relationships with good communication, romance novels can help readers envision such relationships for themselves, serve as a model of proper consent for young people, and portray diverse types of relationships and people. They can be a fun escape while still having depth and contributing to a better society.

Emily Jane lives in North Carolina. Her favorite things include letters sent through the mail, her fair-trade wool leg warmers, and chocolate cake with frosting. She is passionate about living waste free and usually has one or more cats.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE https://janebuehler.com/

JOY E. HELD

BOOK The Mermaid Riot

AUTHOR Joy E. Held

GENRE Young Adult Historical Romantasy

BLURB When Serena Robinson and Tobi Doyle witness the neighborhood apothecary lifting a limp body from his fishing boat, they don’t realize they will be swept up into a life-or-death race to save a mermaid from the doctor’s greedy plans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joy E. Held is an award-winning author, editor, book coach, educator, and yoga instructor living with her husband in West Virginia.

AUTHOR WEBSITE https://www.joyeheld.com

JOY E. HELD

BOOK Writer Wellness Workbook

AUTHOR Joy E. Held

GENRE Self-help, creativity, writing

BLURB Writer Wellness Workbook is a companion book to Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity designed to offer hands-on practice in the five key concepts of journaling, fitness, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joy E. Held is an award-winning author, editor, book coach, educator, and yoga instructor living with her husband in West Virginia.

AUTHOR WEBSITE https://www.joyeheld.com

JAN THORNTON JONES

BOOK Autumn Is Calling

AUTHOR Jan Thornton Jones

GENRE Early childhood fiction

BLURB It is a crisp fall day in Appalachia and Katie is learning about the season of fall as she and her mother walked to the local autumn festival. She sees squirrels and other animals putting away food for the cold winter months and compares it to the canning of fruits and vegetables that she and her mother did the day before. at the autumn festival, she experiences Appalachian music while admiring the beautiful fall mums and pumpkins. Katie sees and learns about many other traditional Appalachian customs, like making apple butter, quilting, folk, toys, and pumpkin patches. The colorful illustrations make this a book for the entire family as they go with Katie on an autumn adventure!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am a former early childhood teacher who is now the author of six books for children.

AUTHOR WEBSITE https://www.Janjonesbooks.com

BARBARA JEAN MILLER

BOOK Last Ditch

AUTHOR Barbara Jean Miller

GENRE Regency romance

BLURB Ellie Waltham and her mother have been driven from their home by her grasping cousin. As they run out of resources, her young niece and nephew appear, needing care. But their uncle Gareth Delaney magically moves all of them to safety and returns to Belgium to search for the children’s wounded father and their mother.

Once all are safe in England, Ellie’s scheming relative tries to steal their land. Though she thinks she lacks courage, Ellie takes action to protect her family. Abducted in an effort to force her to wed the villain, she knows she will be killed so he can claim what she has inherited. While sure Gareth is riding to save her, Ellie must still rescue herself…and him.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Barbara Jean Miller is an author, educator, and nature observer.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE https://www.barbarajeanmiller.substack.com

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of

Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)

Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)

The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy

She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.

She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:

West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.

New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.

Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.

She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.

She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

 

“EUSTRESS TOOL KIT” TO HELP YOU RELAX

Posted on by Joy Held

RELAXATION FOR WRITERS

25 April 2025

Hans Selye

A researcher named Hans Selye began ground-breaking studies in the 1930’s on stress. Since then, we’ve been educated on the detrimental effects of stress on our mind-body-spirit system. Stress is bad has and is the message, but Selye was among the first to define eustress or conditions that are productive and healthy for the body. Distress=negative situations. Eustress=positive impacts. Like the feeling of euphoria, eustress represents life events such as achieving a goal, going on vacation, getting a good evaluation, or doing something you enjoy. Stress is unavoidable and always has been. From the first time a saber-toothed tiger chased a primitive hunter out of the forest, stress has and will continue to be a part of the life and development of humankind. And writers. I could end it here by saying, “Just deal with it,” but that wouldn’t be helpful. What I am going to suggest is reframing your relationship with (di)stress to achieve a balanced acceptance of it in your life and work as a writer.

TIME CANNOT BE MANAGED

One of the biggest lessons I have learned from 50 years of practicing yoga and meditation is that time cannot be managed. It can only be accepted. Not changed, reversed, challenged, or revisited. Time is in control, and it is life altering to accept that and not constantly be at war with it. I learned this from the simple practice of counting my breaths and noticing how Time became not the enemy or friend but my steady companion. Time is the constant. We are not. Even though Time is a man-made concept, I believe that it is the source of much of our (di)stress. Reframing my perception of Time as simply a construct rather than a master was very relaxing. This is what I mean by revising your impression of stress to something more positive.

STRESS CANNOT BE MANAGED

Time cannot be managed regardless of how happy your planner or appointment app may be. It will march forward with or without you and not be impressed by whether you keep up or not. So why let it manage YOU? I believe the same about managing stress. It is a fact of life and cannot be “managed” any easier than time can be. Both concepts can be ORGANIZED but not managed. Imagine the faces on my students the first day of the “Stress Management” college course I taught for years when I explained my perspective on time and stress. Neither is manageable but you can rethink your view and achieve understanding, balance, and relief by accepting this and learning to COPE.

“EUSTRESS TOOL KIT”

1.The first step is acknowledging your place in the hierarchy of stress and time. You are not in control but that doesn’t mean you can’t play well with them.

2.The second step is creating a list of what you already know helps you relax. From the simple to the complicated and the mundane, making a list of what you find relaxing provides you with a tool kit for accepting what you can’t change and believing that life will be okay. This is your “Eustress Tool Kit.”

3.Third step is practicing the actions on your personal relaxation list on a daily basis. At least one relaxing activity per day will help you achieve balance and develop the understanding that you can handle almost anything because you know that stressful situations happen and that you have a set of tools to help you cope.

My “Eustress Tool Kit” list includes:

Walking

Yoga

Counting breaths

Gardening

Meditation

Reading

Water

Journaling

Butterflies

A day without appointments

Purple things

Colored markers

Helping people

Learning something new

The sound of my grandson’s voice

Blank paper

Not burning what I’m cooking or baking

Laughing

Thinking

Sharing

What’s in your “Eustress Tool Kit” that you can pull out once or twice a day to cope with stress instead of fighting with it?

If you want to look deeper at this idea, I highly recommend reading The Upside of Stress, Why Stress is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It by Kelly McGonigal (Penguin Random House, 2015).

Up Next: Eat Right to Write Right

 

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Be well, write well.

~Joy

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

 

MY WRITEDAY SUBSCRIPTION BOX CART OPENS MONDAY, MAY 5. Don’t miss out on this fun box of writerly goodness lovingly called by one subscriber “A treasure trove for writers.” The May/June box is called “My Writing Coach.”

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REGULAR EXERCISE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF “MIRACLE GRO” ™ FOR YOUR BRAIN

Posted on by Joy Held

REGULAR EXERCISE IS THE EQUIVALENT OF “MIRACLE GRO” ™ FOR YOUR BRAIN

19 April 2025

Exercise. We either love it or hate it, but we all know that some form of physical activity on a daily basis is part of a healthy routine and promises a balanced lifestyle, reduced stress levels, and longevity. Sometimes it can be a challenge to workout because life and schedules get in the way. Regular exercise doesn’t have to be time consuming or exhausting. Working in short bursts of movement throughout the day is better than nothing at all. On days when you have more time, exert more effort to exercise in concentrated amounts of time. Consider this sample exercise schedule for busy people.

1.Plan to exercise for 10 minutes three times a day. Choose from these examples,

  • walk
  • work with small hand weights
  • work with a treadmill or other exercise equipment
  • pedal exerciser (under-desk-bike)
  • do some stretching

Better yet, be active in a variety of ways throughout the day to keep boredom at bay. Yard work counts!

2.Group exercise classes that are regularly scheduled can be very motivational but are not always practical. Spend a few minutes researching and bookmarking exercise videos on the internet. There are tons for free. Once a week, prioritize time to exercise with a video. If it is more than ten minutes long, that’s okay. Do the first ten minutes only, which should be the warm-up portion, if that’s all you can work into your schedule.

3.While books about exercise don’t offer the benefit of having a knowledgeable instructor nearby to offer tips for safety and modification, they are a great source of information.

4.Put exercise on your list of things to do every week. Just writing it down will remind you to do it and make you feel accomplished when you can check if off the list.

Physical exercise is not just about keeping the body in shape. The mind-body-spirit connection is a real thing and has been proven by studies to deliver overall health benefits.

In his book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, Dr. John J. Ratey offers amazing details about how exercise supports thinking while keeping the physical container in working order. For the sake of simplicity and understanding, Ratey reported that the discovery of a protein factor found in the brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is responsible for the growth of new cells, especially those required for learning. BDNF is manufactured in the brain only. There is no pill form of it. What stimulates the production and hence the new brain cells is the connection between the protein and physical activity. Exercise propels BDNF for what Ratey calls “Miracle-Gro for the brain” (40). Studies since Ratey’s report have expanded on this principle and evidence proves that exercise strengthens not only our physical bodies but also develops our brains. Throughout the life span.

Here are a couple of questions about your physical fitness program if you care to post a comment!

Exercise question #1: Describe your current exercise routine explaining what you do and how often.

Exercise question #2: Are you satisfied with your current exercise routine? Why or why not?

Up Next: Quick and easy relaxation techniques.

Sign up for my weekly e-newsletter by filling out the form below. Thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

~Joy

 

MY WRITEDAY SUBSCRIPTION BOX CART OPENS MONDAY, MAY 5. Don’t miss out on this fun box of writerly goodness lovingly called by one subscriber “A treasure trove for writers.” The May/June box is called “My Writing Coach.”

“Miracle-Gro” ™ is a registered trademark of OMS Investments, Inc.

Work Cited

Ratey, John J., M.D. Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Little, Brown, and Company, 2008.

This article may contain affiliate links which may result in the author receiving a commission when readers purchase items through the links.

You are receiving this message because you previously signed up for notifications or participated in a program/course with Joy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

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Hugh Bartram, Viscount of Dancy, has never met anyone like levelheaded Kate, thrusting herself into a scandal to save his sister from gossip. He resents Kate trying to solve everything with money, even as he admits her heart is in the right place.

Just as they wed, his sister elopes, and Dancy is captivated by the unconventional Kate as they ride across England together to prevent another scandal.

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JOY E. HELD is an author, educator, editor, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of
Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)
Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)
The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy
She writes spicy historical fiction under a pen name.
She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:
West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.
New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.
She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.
She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.
She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.

 

Online Workshop: Writer Wellness

Posted on by Joy Held
“Be well, write well.”

WRITER WELLNESS ONLINE WORKSHOP

STARTS: Monday, October 4

ENDS: Friday, October 29

COST: $29.00

DETAILS: Lessons, activities, and discussion covering the five key WW concepts

*Journaling

*Fitness

*Relaxation

*Nutrition

*Creative play

Taught in private Groups.io forum

12 lessons

REGISTER: Email writerwellness at gmail dot com

WRITER WELLNESS & FIVE THINGS FOR YOUR WRITING

By Joy E. Held

The idea for my book and workshop Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020) came to me when some of my critique partners asked how they could be my clones. They wanted to shadow me for a week to see what I did every day that led to my prolific publishing (over 500 articles and counting,) life as a homeschooling mom, and part-time hatha yoga teacher. Up to that point, I hadn’t done any self-examination of my processes, but when they asked, I stepped back and watched myself for a month while documenting my doings and beings in a journal. This article is a peek into what I learned.

Please take out a pen and paper (or your phone or computer) and list five things you’ve done in the last thirty days to promote/support your writing.

Now list five challenges or obstacles that you believe are standing in the way of accomplishing your writing goals.

Next, list five writing wishes or desires you want to come true.

Following the Writer Wellness plan will help you to always have five things on those lists.  It will also allow you to maintain a level of health and creativity that some writers are missing.

Are you happy with your writing in general?

Are you happy with your health?

Do you ever notice a direct relationship to the productivity and quality of your writing and quality of your life?

A physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy individual is by far a more productive, creative, and pleasant person.  This is evidenced by the fact that many corporations have implemented programs to keep employees happy and healthy.  Programs range from day care centers in the workplace to personal trainers for every ten employees.  A healthy, happy employee is more productive, misses less work, and is a more cost-effective employee.

As a writer, you are the employer and the employed.  Happiness, productivity, and health are definite factors in the quality of work you produce.  It is therefore in your best interest as a writer to do everything you can to stay healthy and be the best writer you can be.

But where are you supposed to get the time?  Let’s not jump ahead of ourselves to the time factor.  Hopefully, you will instinctively see that working these ideas into your life will make positive use of your time while adding to the quality of your life and the productivity of your work.

The whole premise of Writer Wellness is that creativity and productivity are crucially dependent upon an overall quality of life.  This includes the physical, mental, emotional, communal, and spiritual aspects of life.

To serve the purposes of Writer Wellness, I’ve broken down a writer’s quality of life into five interdependent components necessary to sustain a healthful, creative life. 

The five key concepts of Writer Wellness are JOURNALING, EXERCISE, RELAXATION, PROPER NUTRITION, AND CREATIVE PLAY.  These areas contribute to an overall wellness way of living and working.

I was raised in my mother’s dancing school.  Before she retired after 52 years, she kept the books, wrote the grants and publicity announcements, directed weekly rehearsals, and taught five ballet classes a week. Thanks to her excellent example, the principles of physical fitness and eating right were pounded into me from an early age.  At age fourteen, I began the Writer Wellness life (even though I hadn’t labeled it yet,) when a local newspaper carried a weekly column I wrote about my junior high school.  I saw my name in print.  I was hooked. From then on, I was a dancer and a writer. 

I discovered yoga, meditation, and modern dance in college, and everything fell into place for me.  Thirty plus years later, I still journal almost daily unless I’m working intensely on a writing project, exercise five to six times a week, follow a strict eating plan with supplements, practice daily meditation, and engage in creative play through art journaling, crafting, and scrapbooking.

When other writers in my critique group asked me how I published so much, I reviewed my life and named the process “Writer Wellness.”  Now I teach other writers the basic principles and encourage them to find their own versions of the five concepts.

Today I maintain myself as a writer by incorporating each of the five key concepts of Writer Wellness into my day. Depending on obligations and scheduling, I’m able to journal, exercise, follow a prescribed food program, and meditate seven days a week. The creative play happens more on the weekends when I’m not writing, editing, promoting, or teaching online. I have two new book releases in 2020,  a two-book contract with an independent publisher, teach college English composition online, teach hatha yoga three times a week, and run online workshops for various writing associations. I’m also on the board of directors for my RWA chapters.

You can do this as well.

Looking back to the lists of five things you made at the beginning of this article, make a pact with yourself to create a new way of life that will support your goals as a writer and a healthy, productive person. My book and workshop will show you the way so that you’ll always have five things done every month to help you live the writing dream.

The workshop I’m leading October 4-29, 2021 is a detailed look at the five key concepts of Writer Wellness and an exploration of how you can incorporate the practice into your life. With Writer Wellness as the foundation, you can achieve the writing dreams and personal goals you desire.

Be well, write well. See you in workshop!

All good things,

Joy

WRITER WELLNESS ONLINE WORKSHOP

STARTS: Monday, October 4

ENDS: Friday, October 29

COST: $29.00

DETAILS: Lessons, activities, and discussion covering the five key WW concepts

*Journaling

*Fitness

*Relaxation

*Nutrition

*Creative play

Taught in private Groups.io forum

12 lessons

REGISTER: Email writerwellness at gmail dot com

Change your writing life for the better with this online workshop

Posted on by Joy Held

Imagine being a creative, healthy, writing machine 365 days a year. Regardless of your genre, the tips in my online workshop Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity will guide you to realizing your potential as a creative person.

I have been sustaining good health and mountains of creative energy for many years by following this program, and I can help you learn the tricks then customize the program to suit your needs.

Writer Wellness centers around five fundamental practices:

  • Journaling
  • Physical exercise
  • Relaxation/meditation
  • Sound nutritional choices
  • Creative play

These components are already helping hundreds of past students who learned the particulars then organized each one around their needs and lifestyles. You can do this as well!

For the first time ever, I’m leading small-group online workshops that include all of the following:

  • Private online forum in Groups.io
  • Self-paced lessons (12)
  • Live chats (weekly)
  • Discussions (online)
  • 24/7 access to the course and
  • One-year access to the online content
  • Print copy of the book* (signed 😊)
  • Bookmark
  • Membership in a private “graduates” forum when you finish the program
  • AND
  • Personal one-on-one 30-minute coaching session via Zoom with me at the conclusion of the course!

There are strict start dates for the upcoming Fall 2021 sessions. The next workshop begins on

13 September 2021

When you sign up, you’ll receive full access on the start date to the course content to read at your convenience. The workshop runs for four weeks with new lessons and suggested activities posted three times a week in one of the main areas (journaling, exercise, relaxation, nutrition, and creative play.)

This workshop has never been available to the public until now. Only private writing organizations and their members have experienced this course.

The special introductory price is $97.00 which covers the online course, a print copy of the companion book, everything listed above, and the private coaching session!

Registration is limited to 15 persons, and you can register by contacting me at writerwellness at gmail dot com. You will receive a response from me with instructions on how to pay for the course.

The price will go up after this session! Alert your creative friends.

It’s more important than ever to maintain sound physical, mental, and emotional health so that you can reap the rewards of good health and being able to write the stories you want to share with the world.

From the beginning of time, stories have served to bind us together. Your story matters. Tell it. But if you don’t feel good or your health isn’t what it should be, you don’t feel like putting words on the page. Writer Wellness is an individualized approach to keeping you happy, healthy, and creatively productive.

If you have any questions, send an email to writerwellness at gmail dot com, and I’ll respond as quickly as possible.

I look forward to opening the door to your better life and awesome writing.

Be well, write well,

Joy

P.S. This offer expires on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Please register before that date and feel free to share this offer with friends.

*Currently available to ship in the continental US only.

https://headlinebooks.com/product/writer-wellness-a-writers-path-to-health-and-creativity/

Something In Yoga For Everybody

Posted on by Joy Held

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There is Something In Yoga For Everybody

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Relaxation/meditation, creative play, fitness and exercise, journaling, and nutrition.

The physical component of yoga is called “hatha yoga.” The word “hatha” is Sanskrit for physical. There are essentially 24 basic poses in hatha yoga and many, many variations on them thus creating hundreds of poses altogether. There are also ways to modify the basic poses so anyone can participate in some level of hatha yoga. This is where yoga therapy comes into play.

All yoga is therapeutic in a sense because of the breathing, stretching and mental practices, but the physical acts of the poses also called asanas, can be changed up slightly to make them accessible to almost everyone.

Disclaimer alert: this article is not meant to replace the guidance of your healthcare practitioner. Always consult such persons before engaging in activity to be sure your condition warrants participation in an organized exercise regime of any kind.

That said, besides talking with your doctor first, here are three books to give you an idea of what might be available to you.

Recovery Yoga, A Practical Guide for Chronically Ill, Injured, and Post-Operative People, Sam Dworkis, Three Rivers Press, New York, 1997. This book covers breathing and movements in a variety of positions. Once you have understood any limitations your doctor recommends, you can choose exercises done sitting, standing, lying down, and on the floor. Dworkis is an Iyengar trained yoga teacher and the B.K.S. Iyengar tradition of hatha yoga originated the practice of modifying yoga poses through the use of props such as chairs and bolsters. His program is called Extension Yoga.

http://www.extensionyoga.com/

Yoga As Medicine, The Yogic Prescription For Health and Healing, Timothy McCall, M.D., Bantam, New York, 2007. McCall is a doctor and a yoga practitioner and the medical consultant for Yoga Journal Magazine. It includes practice routines and advice on using yoga to help with several conditions such as back pain, cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis.

http://www.drmccall.com/

Yoga for Movement Disorders, Rebuilding Strength, Balance and Flexibility for Parkinson’s Disease and Dystonia, Renee Le Verrier, BS, RYT, Merit Publishing International, Florida, 2009. The author of this book suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and practices what she preaches. Every pose is prop assisted and the system is explained very clearly. The photos are very clear and the poses are adaptable to more than Parkinson’s. Highly recommended.

http://meritpublishing.com/

My book Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity includes chapters on yoga for writers. Basic poses like Triangle are shown modified in Writer Wellness for use by almost everyone.

Best wishes to you for continued health through movement.

Have you found an interesting way to keep physically active?

Be well, write well.

~hugs,

Joy

JoyHeldHeadshot3

Joy E. Held is the author of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity, a college educator, blogger, and yoga/meditation teacher. Her work has appeared in numerous publications including Romance Writers Report, Dance Teacher Now, Yoga Journal, and Woman Engineer Magazine.

Photo: K. Held

Copyright 2018, Joy E. Held

A Liquid Mind Can Be Messy

Posted on by Joy Held

20161129_173712A Liquid Mind Can Be Messy

 

A singular goal of meditation is to learn acceptance and therefore patience. If we accept the truth of ourselves and decide to live that authenticity in our daily activities, we will surely become more aware of our inadequacies. By the same token, we notice these weaknesses in other people. “We are only human,” (and flawed ones at that) becomes an overused excuse for not wanting to make the effort to be better, to change.

If meditation practice brings us face to face with our true natures, then why would we want to do it? Because knowing the reality of who we are releases us from the burden of trying to be something and someone we aren’t. It’s a very liberating feeling to make choices from a strong and energetic place of, “This is who I am, and this decision comes from that source, the me-energy I am.”

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How can a few minutes of sitting motionless and without dwelling on thinking bring us to a place of fully understanding our true natures? These moments are the only ones in the day when we are free from having to meet anyone else’s expectations. Our lives are all built upon living up to the demands, requests, promises, and instructions given to us by other people. They are perfectly within their rights to offer these requests.

Our personal stress comes from trying to meet obligations put upon us that do not match what we believe about who we are and what we’re capable of. It’s stressful to be inside this pressure yet it’s how everyone’s life is lived in contemporary society. There are rules, boundaries, expectations, precautions, and on and on that define how we live. These demands do not have to define who we live our lives as.

Meditation allows us to discover and stay connected to our authentic selves and later it gives us the strength to accept and appreciate ourselves and others regardless of flaws. Because we learn in meditation to accept and appreciate our true natures, we are better equipped to offer the same considerations to other people. But we’re only human.

shower

I call this having a liquid mind because during meditation I am soft and flowing physically, mentally, and emotionally and the feeling is like warm water all around and through me. After taking a deep cleansing breath, opening my eyes, and getting up from the meditation cushion, I notice this liquid feeling, and I make a point to say to myself, “I will do my best to carry this warm, juicy feeling into my experiences today.”

Sometimes it is easy. Sometimes it is messy. Like a coffee cup filled beyond the brim, hot feelings can overflow and burn me when I encounter people with agendas, misconceptions, and fears.

Cleaning set photo

I’m only human, a flawed one at that, but I try to pause before I respond to the burning liquid being thrown my way. I try, but sometimes, because I’m only human, my true self says, “You need to clean that up, honey. I left my maid uniform at home.” And I go back to the cushion seeking more practice at patience and acceptance.

Is meditation helping you cope with something or someone in a better way?

Be well, write well.

~hugs,

Joy

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Monday Meditation: “Easy” Cross-legged Seat?

Posted on by Joy Held

In yoga, life is considered a series of “dukha” or sufferings one after the other, but the lessons of yoga are principally about teaching us to cope with suffering through relaxations or “sukha”. This is the art of relaxing and to yoga this means being comfortable and at ease. It means stillness (sukha) in the body and mind purposely practiced to counter act the opposite feelings of stress (dukha.) Therefore, the “easy pose” is taught as a physical position to take when trying to relax. But for some people the “easy pose” is anything but easy, so why is it called “easy”?

 

The “easy” translation simply means being the opposite of uneasy or busy and stressed. Although the specific sitting position known as the “easy pose” is traditional, the mere act of sitting or semi-reclining and being motionless can be considered an easy pose. After all, not everyone can sit on the floor with their legs crossed at the ankles for an extended period of time. It would take human or mechanical intervention to get some of them back to standing contradicting the “easy” part.

 

An “easy pose” is one that allows us to be at ease with ourselves without the urge to fall completely asleep. Most of us are conditioned to begin snoring within a few minutes if we find ourselves lying flat on our backs. Happens all the time in yoga. Corpse pose at the end of class is regularly mistaken by some exhausted individual as nap time and the rest of us are serenaded by the heavy, unburdened breath of someone who has fallen asleep on the mat. That’s okay, but as I’ve said before, sleep is not meditation. Sleep is sleep and meditation is an easy, comfortable state of relaxed alertness.

 

In meditation we are without the normal business of our bodies and minds (thoughts, movements, sounds.) Instead we are physically still. The only movement is what’s necessary to breathe. And our thoughts are fewer and slower. Thoughts are normal but they bring with them varying degrees of stress, so during meditation the fewer the better. It requires a low level of consciousness or awareness to “quiet the mind” as desired by meditation. The lack of thoughts equals fewer opportunities to be stressed by thinking which equates to feeling at ease—without stress. An easy pose is one that is comfortable enough to bring on the sensation of ease without allowing us to fall asleep.

 

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, a stack of blankets, or a meditation cushion IS a comfortable pose for some. Others may need to sit in a chair with feet flat on the floor or lie back on a stack of pillows or a bolster to keep the body from lying completely flat. As long as we are physically at ease, our breath and thoughts will eventually join in and calm down. This is “sukha” or being without the suffering implied by the stress or “dukha” of physical movement and mental stimulation.

 

The honest challenge is developing the stamina to remain in this position of ease for a particular length of time. Practice, practice, practice and the body will gradually remember its state of comfort and be more cooperative when asked to be still. Remember our bodies and minds are very practiced at zooming all the time. The opposite is challenging (dukha) but rewarding (sukha.) This is balance.

 

What is your “easy pose”?

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.

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.

 

Joy E. Held

 

Wednesday Workout: Bodybuilding Between the Books?

Posted on by Joy Held

National Library Week, you belong at your library, April 8-14, 2012

National Library Week 2012

I don’t see many exercise classes taught at libraries, do you? If you know of a library that sponsors a regular exercise class, send us the link. The lack of workouts at the library doesn’t surprise me because most facilities don’t have the space or equipment. Some do not want to run anything longterm because it keeps other patrons from accessing the space. This all makes sense, but so does offering courses on hatha yoga, meditation, and walking at your local library.

Here’s an example of a hatha yoga class in a library http://www.myacpl.org/events/yoga-people-50-and-2012-04-11. The course is ongoing and has been a success for several years. However, like most library settings, the space is limited. Namaste to instructor Linda Cochran for continuing this great program in the Athens Public Library, Athens, Ohio.

Here’s a very good article about the rationale for libraries extending their services to include fitness courses http://www.governing.com/topics/health-human-services/Libraries-Now-Offering-Books-and-Workouts.html

Put this way, it makes a great deal of sense in spite of the limitations and hesitations to blend your books with your bodybuilding by getting it all at the local library. In his fab book SPARK, Dr. John J. Ratey with Eric Hagerman, (a book I require in my college courses,) explains the benefits of exercise to brain health and overall wellbeing when he recommends exercise first then hitting the books. Exercise improves brain elasticity and grows new brain cells capable of absorbing new information.

So the next time you’re at the library, look around for a fitness offering and let me know what you find.

“Be well, write well.”

Joy E. Held