- Get in the Zone
Pull out your yoga mat (or pull up a chair and get situated at your desk.) Put on comfy, stretchy, breathable clothes. Tune out all humans around you. Is it not rude to wear earplugs at this point in time.
- Still Your Mind
To begin, you must clear your mind. Pour out all distracting thoughts. This may require writing two, three, or four To-Do Lists, to organize all the clutter in your brain. Open the mind. Test the imagination. Let the ideas flow and wander. Expand upon them.
- Becoming One (With the Topic)
Pinpoint a topic. Ponder that one. Fall in love with said topic. Gain immediate burst of fierce energy and enthusiasm for said topic. Commit to it with your heart and soul.
Mull it over (for several hours, or several days, depending on the due date of the first draft.)
- Begin Stretching
Consider the chosen topic from all angles. Yes, this means the angles that are uncomfortable. Stretch your ways of thinking. Experiment. Extend into new positions. Take on viewpoints that may not make sense, or may seem impossible. Brainpuke everywhere. Piece of advice: you may not want to eat a large meal before strenuous yoga (or writing.)
- Assume Methodical Positions
Do what works best. Make lists. Create an outline. If you lose your balance and fall over, (your outline is a horrific disaster), do no fret. Get up, pretend nobody saw you fall, and simply construct a new outline. Master the outline. Hold the pose.
- Sweat it Out
Feel one bead of sweat trickle down your face. This is a mark of sheer perseverance. Feel your heartrate accelerate. Take pride. Wipe the sweat, take a drink of water, take a deep breath and press on.
- Feel the Rush
Get in the rhythm of the paper. Type freely, without hesitation, fear, or judgement. Allow time to pass without a care. Nothing can break your focus now (well, except maybe an occasional text or Instagram notification.) Feel strength building through the burn. Envision your ideal body (paragraph) and make it happen. Push through the final pose and finish!
- Accomplished
You have completed your workout! Take extra caution upon standing. You feel weak in the knees, wobbly, and possibly light-headed, yet strangely invigorated and full of life. You feel ten feet tall. Now, all you can think about is your next meal, which you have fully earned. Reward yourself.
Your instructions for doing yoga/writing are really accurate (at least for me). The writing process can be strenuous and frustrating, and I know from doing yoga as well that it can take along time before you even notice any results. Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed how you connected yoga to writing. I would have never thought of it that way. But after reading through the steps, they completely reflect each other. I particularly liked section four because I could see how stretching the body in impossible positions is like stretching the mind to new lengths in writing. I am relating this to brainstorming and critical thinking, which are parts of the writing process I enjoy. What a great way to describe the process of writing!
It is clear from your writing that both yoga and writing are important to you. I like the parts where you mention getting into the zone, but I also like how you say it is okay if you mess up and need to start again. Your step by step format for both yoga and writing made this easy and fun to read.
This was lovely! The tie in with yoga was so fun to read. I definitely love steps 2 and 4 a whole lot. I’m very big on making to-do lists myself, and experimenting with new viewpoints is always really helpful. Overall this was really fun to read.
I really like the sweat it out section. Sometimes when I write, I really do sweat. Haha. I feel like you captured the effort, yet zen of writing.
It’s very interesting that you compare Yoga to writing, and I feel the same way. 🙂
Love this! Your picture is seriously so cool! This whole idea is wonderful. I love that you address the journey that is writing. Sometimes, we gloss over the not fun stuff (like mistakes and sweating), but I love that, to you, they are all a part of this process. It’s a little freeing to think of writing in this manner.
This was such an interesting parallel that I never would have thought to make myself, though I suppose that is what makes the process or writing (and doing yoga) a personal one. I particularly enjoyed the stretching section where you said that you must consider all angles – even the painful ones – and stretch your mind, further showing that parallel between the two acts. Good work!