Writing is yoga for the brain
Mental back bends
Writing is yoga for the brain
Author: markbartels
Don’t force it
If you are forcing it then it’s not yoga. Listen to your body
Hold hands and tell stories
Anyone can write, but story telling is a gift.
Gifted story tellers take the reader’s hand with an invitation to travel with them as the story unfolds. No reader left behind.
Weather patterns
As I left the house this morning there was a gentle offshore wind blowing, the ground was wet from morning rain and there was still a bite in the air. A typical spring morning in Northern California. Weather patterns can evoke memories, just like smells and sounds. This particular combination of notes took me back to Mexico.
In the spring of 2003 I was on the west coast of Mexico with two buddies. We had slowly moved down the coast, camping in beach villages along the way and surfing every morning. If the surf was good and the people were friendly then we would stay a while. The ritual was the same. Wake up before sunrise, slowly crawl out of a too small tent, fuel the belly with some instant oats, try to warm up a bit and paddle out. Like clockwork, the wind was always a light offshore before switching to a pumper onshore at around 10ish in the morning. The key was to get out early with the offshore wind and catch the swell when it was glassy and smooth. Crowds were never a problem. The rest of the day was spent sleeping, reading and playing cards away from the wind and sun. Just before sundown as everything started to cool again, the wind would die down and switch back to offshore. It was time to suit up and paddle out for a cheeky sunset surf. Good times.
Pattern recognition is combination of things, like the time of year, sights, sounds, smell and state of mind, but when it clicks into place it’s great to revisit a moment and savor it. Be open to it and explore it when it happens.
Get ready
Small things in a great way
Want to be an agent of change? Frustrated about what you can do to help?
Get proximate, go deep and start small. Stop trying solve problems from a distance. Work through the details. The devil is in the detail. The more you understand, the more compassion you will have.
By getting proximate I mean start with your own community, friends and family. Tweeting and posting to social media creates an illusion of action. Being physically proximate is greater than being digitally proximate. Being proximate fuels compassion.
When making any decision start with compassion and love. When carrying out the decision, do it with compassion and love.
Small changes and small interactions add up over time.
“If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”
Martin Luther King
Mountains of Energy
Leaving the coast and spending timing in Colorado was jarring at first. The ocean is an energetic anchor for me. The different moods of the sea, the smell in the morning, the shape shifting and sounds. I love it, deeply respect it and also fear it. If I ever need a refresher then a surf at Ocean Beach in San Francisco or watching the water move around the Golden Gate Bridge during an outgoing full tide always does the trick.
Heading to a landlocked state felt like I’d cut the umbilical cord from my power source But after watching the mountains on the Eastern Slopes of Boulder change color in the morning and evening light, and feeling the mood shift as storms rolled in over the Rockies, I started to recognize the same oceanic energy resonating from the mountains. Awesome power, slow moving and shape shifting.
The energetic anchor was the same. Different exterior, same interior. I plugged back in.
It’s okay to change your mind
Smart people change their minds all the time.
When we become fixed in our perceptions we lose our ability to fly
― Yongey Mingyur, Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom
Springboks
Have you ever seen a Springbok in the wild?
They live in the now. Alert, guard never down. The routine is the same. Eat grass, freeze, flare nostrils, smell wind, look around, go back to eating. Keep moving, no time for zoning out.
They stay with the herd. The herd is a connected force shield. When the energy in the bush changes they feel it. A startled bird or a quick movement in the peripheral sends a lightning fast energy ripple through the herd. The herd body is one – muscles tighten, ready to explode in different directions in a split second.
Stay fit, stay connected and smell the wind.
Shibui
Shibui is a Japanese word that refers to a style that is simple, elegant, subtle, and unobtrusively beautiful.
I think that western culture is starting to appreciate the practice of shibui. In the way we live, in the things we buy, and how we spend our time. Just look at the elegant hardware coming out of Tesla and Apple, or Eichler designed homes in California with simple lines and natural light.
I love this trend.
markbartels.org 