Today I woke up hungry for the words and wisdom of Dr. Maya Angelou. So I reached for a book of her poems that kept me company during the second semester of my freshman year at Morgan State University in 1983. Her spirit guided me to her poem, “Thank You, Lord.”
Dr. Maya Angelou (1928-2014) – RIP Dr. Angelou.
Her words reminded me to say a thank you prayer for waking up another day and being inspired and influenced by her creative spirit. Her poetry and memoirs gave me permission to write and publish my own books.
Today, I want to share some of my favorite writing wisdom quotes from writers I adore.
“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” Joan Didion, European American author
“The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.” Toni Morrison, African American author
“Writing becomes a way to embrace the mysterious, to walk with spirits, and an entry to the realm of the sacred.” bell hooks, African American author, poet, professor, and cultural critic
Right now I’m a writer who is in the midst of a long creative stretch.
One that involves birthing a book every two years.
My journey is both passion and paradox all at the same time.
At times it can consume me and keep me living on my own planet with enough rice milk, granola, ginger tea, honey, strawberries, bananas, apples, and split pea soup to last a lifetime.
This path has called me.
And I can’t begin to explain to folks what that exactly means because I am living it.
So I hope they can just get the meaning by watching me be me.
#2
I write because language chosen from deep within me liberates my hidden thoughts and gives life to my dreams.
I write because it is one of the best ways I know how to access freedom.
I am talking about the kind of freedom that brings all aspects of my existence into one room so that I can appreciate the fullness of my complex beauty.
The words that express my thoughts and describe my dreams make their way into phrases.
Some find homes in sentences that question and answer.
Others join the gospel choir in my mind and participate in call and response.
A few dangle as sharp, shooting fragments with meaning.
And then there are those that cast their net wide and paint wildly sensational murals on the canvas of my life.
For me, yoga begins and ends with the breath. When I breathe in and out consciously, I come into the present moment. That’s the place where everything is happening. It’s the now space I strive to be in 24/7/365. Today, I want to share a poem I wrote about breathing and being in the present moment. Enjoy!
All I can be is here right now.
Present. Standing still in mountain pose. Grounding myself in Mother Earth.
Knowing that all the stuff that clamors for my attention is just stuff.
That’s it … just stuff that can be paused for a moment with a deep breath.
So I breathe freely and release through my mouth.
HAH
HAH
HAH
HAH
HAH
HAH
HAH
My deep breathing slows down.
I return to normal breath.
The air comes in and out of my nose.
My shoulders relax.
My neck settles into a softness it has not always known.
My chest area feels more open.
My core supports me with additional strength, giving way to a lengthened spine.
I remember the mantra and say it quietly.
All I can be is here right now.
It rearranges itself.
I follow its lead and repeat it in its new order.
Right here now is where I am.
Right here now is where I am.
Right here now is where I am.
Where I am is holding all my stuff that continues to clamor for my attention despite my long deep breaths.
The mantra reappears.
My yoga practice has helped me focus my creative energy and anchored me during my writing process for several books over the past 16 years. I have even wrote poetry about the connection between two of my favorite practices. See my poem below.
When I practice yoga, my ego disappears.
I merge into the Infinite.
We become one.
One Love.
One Creation.
One Vessel.
Messages pass through me.
They become stories, essays, poems, truisms, quotes, prayers, affirmations, letters, e-mail messages, blog posts, and journal entries.
#2
I inhale and raise my hands above my head, pressing the palms of my hands together.
My gaze is focused on my thumbs.
My head is balanced on my shoulders.
My shoulders are rolled back.
My heart shines forth.
My spine is long and strong.
My belly is soft but tucked in.
My arms hang gracefully with splayed fingers.
My legs support my core as my feet ground themselves to Mother Earth.
In this space, I breathe in and out five times.
On my next inhalation, I come into a forward fold.
The blood rushes down from my head.
I get a buzz.
It feels like nirvana.
I take a deep breath and raise myself up one vertebrae at a time.
As I exhale, my arms find comfort by my side.
I stand in place for several moments, feeling the benefits of my short practice.
The next moment encourages me to inhale and bring my hands into prayer against my heart.
I close my practice chanting seven Oms.
Om in my spirit.
Om in my heart.
Om in my breath.
Om in my mind.
Om in my body.
Om in my thoughts.
Om in my writing.
I have also taken yoga and writing workshops taught by my yoga teachers, Yael Flusberg and Kimberly Wilson. Their workshops offered me a chance to explore how different yoga poses and breathing exercises can stretch and energize my body, open my heart to new ideas, quiet my mind and clear emotional space so I can hear my inner wisdom, and focus my energy to meet deadlines for writing projects. They also gave me an opportunity to complete writing exercises after doing yoga poses and to share my reflections with a supportive community of fellow yoga students and writers.
Do you use yoga to support your creative work? How has it helped?
Have you ever taken a yoga and writing workshop? What did you learn?
If you are looking for yoga and writing resources, check out the list below.
Here’s some yoga wisdom from some of my favorite yoginis and a yoga-inspired poem from my OM soul and heart! Enjoy!
Yoga Wisdom from Some of My Favorite Yoginis:
“I did not come to yoga to stretch. I came to live.” Maya Breuer, African American yoga teacher and entrepreneur“
“Yoga is the uniting of consciousness in the heart.” Nischala Joy Devi, American yoga teacher and author
“Yoga serves as my catalyst, my core, that place I turn to when my world is spinning.” Kimberly Wilson, American yoga teacher, author, activist, entrepreneur, and designer
Ananda at the London Buddhist Meditation Centre, 2007
When I started blogging about my poetry, January Gill O’Neil a/k/a The Poet Mom was one of the first people I met online. Her Poet Mom blog inspired me to take risks with my poems. She made blogging about poetry COOL.
Watch a video of her reading her poem, “What Mommy Wants.”
Happy Creativity Thursday and National Poetry Month!
Today, I am celebrating the poetry of Derrick Weston Brown, an educator and a “people’s poet.” He is also the author of Wisdom Teeth. Derrick is a dear friend and an extraordinarily gifted wordsmith.
Wisdom Teeth by Derrick Weston Brown
His poetry gets underneath my skin and travels to the depths of my soul. When I hear him read his work, I am stopped in my tracks. Click here to watch his Wisdom Teeth trailer. Be sure to check his book out on Amazon.com. Go on and buy a copy! His poetry will expand your mind! Enjoy!
It’s National Poetry Month! One of the places I like to visit during the month is Poets.org. It offers a new poem each day. You can even have it emailed to you. Click here to sign up.
Are you a poetry lover? Who are your favorite poets? Where do you go online to read poetry?
I love reading the poetry of Tim’m T. West, an amazing activist,author, educator, feminist, hip hop artist, poet, scholar, and singer. I met Tim’m while he was hosting The Front Porch, a monthly poetry reading series at Mocha Hut, a cafe located on U Street in Washington, D.C (closed in 2009). He encouraged me to participate in The Front Porch monthly readings.
His creative energy, friendship, music, poetry, and poetical memoir, Red Dirt Revival: A Poetic Memoir In Six Breaths, inspired me to write and publish my own poetical memoir, That Which Awakens Me. Take a moment and click here to watch a video of Tim’m performing his creative work at the Front Porch in 2007. Also, click here to watch a 2009 video of my poem dedicated to him. Enjoy!
Ananda Leeke 