As a writing instructor, too, I have been using one of the most instructive tenets of yoga, “finding freedom within the form,” as a way to teach my students how to find their voices as writers while composing formulaic papers. Not surprisingly then, I do believe that practicing yoga can help us become better writers who are mindful of intentions, goals, choices, as well as the writing process.
To say the least, it was painful to write this post. I didn’t quite know what to say on finding the good in goodbye. And I still don’t. I’m still not sure what to make of the good in goodbye. Instead, I find the wonderful poet Mary Oliver’s words comforting.
Minae is able to move beyond all the ideologies, illusions, and the pressure to belong, which, after twenty-years liberates her. The original version of An I-Novel, published in 1995, mixes Japanese and English seamlessly, creating a literary work that reflects its narrator’s desire to find her true self. Like the novel we hold in our hands, Minae is audacious and multifaceted, and she does not fit into a box.
The idea of writing every single day seems to be the recipe for most successful writers. After all, consistent practice is indispensable when it comes to improving writing skills. The key here is to create a ritual that allows you to stay motivated and to sustain your writing practice.
As I move on to a new month, I also remember all the things that brought some sunshine to my days such as my brilliant students, my cats, family/friends who were there for me when I needed them, and of course, the interesting books and posts that I got to read in the past two months.
Gautier adored cats so much that he penned a book entitled ‘Ménagerie intime’ (1869) where he meditated on the cats he’d owned –excuse me, that owned him– through his life.
Meditating on why you are writing in the first place takes you one step closer to your goal of writing better. Shifting your perspective from I have to to I want to because… can help you to write with a purpose, to find your voice as a writer, and to focus better.
To Longfellow, Fall means change, wisdom, an end and a beginning. A contradiction. Fall, he suggests, is a poignant reminder of our mortality.
