The Power of an Integrated Yoga & Writing Practice
At the end of practice, I lay in Savasana. Tension: gone. All hard work: over. My head is clear as I sink deeper and deeper into the Earth. I can tell my muscles to release because the ground is holding me up. I have nowhere to go and nothing to do. Relaxing… Sinking… In comes my truth: the missing. And then…
Write to her.
It was just the softest whisper of a thought. I almost gasped. But somehow I instantly knew it was the answer I needed. A small smile curled my lip, as a tear left my eye, rolled past my ear and fell onto the mat. I laid there breathing deep into my belly for another minute or two. Easing out of Savasana by drawing my knees into my chest, I gave them a little squeeze. I rock up to a seated position, and place the top of my right foot on top of my left thigh, up by my hip, crossing my legs into half lotus position. I rest the backs of my hands on my knees, palms open to the sky - ready to receive. My eyes are closed as I take a deep inhale, and slowly let it out. I knew now that I would write letters to my mother during the months I had to undergo a difficult health challenge. That is exactly what I needed. She would come with me on that journey, because of course she would.
And so that’s what I did. I started writing letters to my late mother, in agony over having to walk back into my trauma, the pain, the insomnia. And as I did, something slowly started to shift. My keyboard became my time machine, my therapist, my vehicle. As my body endured the slow but sure return of the worst of my symptoms, I started writing out memories of our time together, just to feel closer, to finally tell our stories like she asked me to - and suddenly I was writing chapters.
A book fell out of me over the course of two months. The writing process effectively put my story through the wash, as I rinsed my grief and trauma in the clarity I’d been given by it all. My connection to my mother was stronger than ever, and it fueled me with the power I needed to get through to the answers I longed for about my health. That book is my memoir and labor of pure love.
The transformative nature of externalizing thoughts for pure expulsion and examination and its ability to inform yoga and daily life astounded me. As I continued to deepen my yoga practice, going within helped me get clarity at the keyboard. At the same time, my yoga practice erased the noise from my head and allowed me to find focus to write, giving me the peace and space I needed to create. I found writing not only cleansed my mind of the stories it held, it cleared my heart and completely transformed how I viewed my past, grief, loss, and illness. I then took a renewed sense of grace and forgiveness back to the mat. My yoga practice became deeper than ever.
These two ancient practices were intersecting, weaving together, and creating a beautiful work of art - of growth and self-discovery - that left me illuminated and wanting more. Over time, the two practices have become one, and part of my daily life.
You too, no doubt, have a story to tell. The power of memoir is not what happens in the story, but what you - the author - makes of what happened. That process of putting your story through the wash and emerging with new perspective, insight, and wisdom is what makes your memoir worth writing - and worth reading.
So, how can you get started? First, your yoga is the way in. Writing is the expression. You know as well as I do that revelations, ideas, and moments of awakening happen at the end of (or during) a yoga class. Use it. Take some time to plan your intentions. Then set that intention before your next class. I don’t mean that you’ll set an intention to have a revelation - rather, think of what your goals are. Do you wish to write your story to expel your thoughts and emotions? Have you learned something valuable that may help others? Set an intention that will help you in that effort, such as, I will dig deep to excavate my past and extract the lessons I’ve learned. That intention alone will inform your yoga practice, and also your writing. Be open to receive, and the path will present itself.
Next, take some time to connect to your physical being. We live all up in our skulls day in and day out - let that all go and connect with the body. Somatics is the study of the body’s internal sensations, experiences, and perceptions. Bring the mind into the present by focusing on the breath, and becoming an attentive inhabitant of your physical form - every inch of the amazing vessel you’ve been given.
Bring those profound yoga lessons to your writing. Try journaling to release thoughts and feelings. Free-write (a timed writing exercise where you just write - anything - for 5-7 minutes) to unleash your creativity. Try a stream-of-conciousness exercise where you let your mind roam free on the page.
The power of an integrated yoga and writing practice cannot be overstated. Use your yoga as the way in, and writing as the expression of what you find. Be mindful in your approach, and you’ll find growth in all areas of your life.
Memoir is what happens when journaling and memory documentation turn into story - but you can use the lessons yoga has taught you - about Ahimsa (non-harming), for example - to be kind to yourself. That will help you get started. Don’t judge your writing as “good” or “not good”, for the expression is the accomplishment. Self-discovery, and putting your story through the wash, happens in that expression. Your story is worth telling, and you are the only one who can tell it. So go for it - let it fly.
Begin.
-LC
