“I am a passionate seeker after truth which is but another name for God.”
− Gandhi

Notes from the Southwest: From Sticky Mat to Word Processor

As a writer, I’ve encountered every frustration that comes with the craft—from writer’s block and persistent distractions to lack of discipline and focus.

Through yoga, I’ve developed a new relationship to writing. I’ve discovered that classic yogic techniques, when applied wholeheartedly and regularly to my writing practice, help me to:

- increase the flow of creative energy,
- relax under deadlines,
- manage anxiety, give volume to my voice,
- persevere when I would rather quit,
- experience deeper and lasting peace because I am excelling at what I love.

I began yoga out of desperation, as a way to remove the angst and unbalance from my career as a corporate copywriter. I needed something that would help me turn off the sensory overload, enhance my concentration, relax my body, and achieve an overall sense of well being.

My first year practicing yoga I was in no way a snapshot of serenity: I was clumsy and awkward and invariably compared myself to everyone in the room, an undertaking fraught with injuries. I lacked coordination and fell out of balance postures, embarrassed and discouraged that I might never achieve the touted yogic benefits of strength, flexibility, and uncanny concentration. But I stuck with it because somehow it all felt good.

At some indeterminate point my life began to change. I could sit for longer periods of time before my feet fell asleep. I became more attuned to other people’s feelings and the habitual need to sabotage my own success. Eventually, instead of experiencing relationships as stressful, I viewed them as opportunities to learn something about myself which might otherwise remain hidden.

But it didn’t stop there. The benefits of yoga helped my work as a professional writer, too. One night after yoga, I went home and sat in front of the computer. It was only my word processor and me. Normally, it would have taken hours to squeeze out one worthy page. But that night the words flowed effortlessly. My yoga session continued from the mat to the page. All I had to do was jump into the stillness.

Using Yoga to Tap Into the Writing Flow

For the past 15 years, I’ve continued to apply yogic principles to my writing, and now I write with much greater ease. I have learned how to tap into a state of undistracted, unrestricted flow. I often ride this wave of heightened creative output until I meet “the edge” (that point at which fidgeting, headaches, and tension tell me that I’ve hit a creative wall).

When I become uncomfortable, I take a break to reintegrate my body, mind and breath. I borrow from the yoga tradition techniques that anyone can do, like pranayama, chanting, simple stretches, or meditation to focus my mind. The time out for reintegration brings about a more optimal condition of balance and health.

Since incorporating these and other yogic practices, I often hit the mark on first drafts of copy and produce quality work in a fraction of the time it used to take. My writing is more rewarding, and my client relationships have strengthened.

I am committed to sharing what I have learned so that other writers may also discover the flow of uninterrupted writing and the benefits of classic yoga.

Welcome to The Yoga of Writing.