pilgrims
As part of the two year yoga teacher training intensive I am taking, we have to write a paper and present a project. My project is about journal writing as a practice. Part of the research I am doing has led me to this book:
Life's Companion
Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest
by Christina Baldwin
It is resonating within me with intense vibration; I feel like I might have been led to this book. And I have to share part of the first chapter.
We go to work, come home tired, make supper, do laundry, watch over the children, talk to our spouses or lovers or friends. There's nothing good on TV. We try to glimpse life's meaning in trips to the grocery store, talks about the weather, thoughts about how things are at work or at home and how are lives are turning out. We feel vulnerable and perhaps disappointed. Something has sifted under us that we thought we could count on, an assumption about reality we never named, and now it isn't there. We're trying to figure something out and we don't know how to help ourselves. We are waiting for the way to be made clear, only there doesn't seem to be "a way." We are alone with ourselves as we are, and life as it is, learning to attend to what Willa Cather calls "that which is about us always." This is a perplexing situation, but confusion in the way pilgrimages and journals most often begin.
Despite the pressure of the times, the journey cannot be forced to grow like a hothouse bulb. The best any of us can do is ready ourselves with spiritual openness that we have practiced during the lulls in our life, so that when the turning point comes, we have structure in place to help us decide which way to turn. We practice finding spirituality in the ordinary so that we may recognize it in the extraordinary.
What I think we are up to, we throngs of journal-writing pilgrims, is reclamation. We are searching for ways to reclaim a sense of place, a sense of empowerment, a sense of healthy relationship between our lives and times. We look for whatever can help us make sense of the moment.
We write.
Do you want to know why I come to this screen and write? This is why. We are pilgrims together on a journey. Pilgrims. Reclaiming our dreams, hopes, desires. Living.
What we are afraid to let out into the world, we can let out here. What we think no one else might understand, we can put into the universe through the written word. This is so powerful.
(on a side note: is there a book about journal writing that you recommend? Or about art journaling? Or about writing as a practice? i would love to hear from you if any come to mind.)
liz lamoreux
Reader Comments (17)
Hello Fellow Pilgrim,
I very much love the sentiments of this post! I just got a used copy of a book that grabbed my attention and flipping through I thought it looked quite good. Its called Marrying Your Muse but I can't remember the name of the author. AND I am strongly considering taking my first yoga class this week. (Actually, my first one was in San Francisco and they literally hung us upside down from ropes. Do you know what kind of yoga that is because when I have tried to explain it to others they look at me like must be a hobgoblin from Pluto? And I look forward to hearing more and more about your yoga training program as well!
Although I gave up paper journaling years ago, I love the blogging medium for some of the reasons you listed. And also to bear witness--to each other's lives...and to our own.
Very cool book and attention grabbing first chapter indeed! It is a reminder, to me, that writing is the one thing in life that won't let me down and when I revisit my thoughts from 5-10 years ago - they are there and not to be a faded memory..but actually there..word for word..thought for thought...smudge for smudge.
I think your project is going to be incredible; a piece of your art work that you connect with and go back to for years to come. I hope that you get your copy back and if not, than make a copy so you have your very own!
hi there -
I remember getting that book our of the library a while ago and being so sad when I had to return it. It had literally called to me from a shelf, and I devoured it!! I think it's the best one I've read but I'll try to think of some more. Thank you for sharing, I think I may have to track it down again!!
Hmm..
What about lyrics to songs? If they are truly poetic, can they count?
If so, sign me up. I have a few poetic songs in mind that would be great to share with others who might take the time to enjoy them.
Alexandra Johnson has written several outstanding books about journaling (The Hidden Writer, Leaving a Trace).
I also think Danny Gregory's book, The Creative License, is inspirational, cueing us to observe and reflect.
Thanks for sharing that excerpt. I'm going to look for that book . . .
this is powerful...
i don't have any books to
suggest
but i thank you for your
suggestion and am
going to write it down
for further
reference...
:)
That book sounds intriguing. I used to journal every day, but I think I got kind of tired of myself and my endless repetition of things that never changed; I don't think I was a very interesting soul-searcher, more of a whiner! I've tried to pick it back up since but it never took -- but I've found a good substitute for it in blogging. The feedback, the connections with other, like-minded women, gives me something I value more right now than the private world of a journal. Glad to have stumbled upon it!
I love that Life's Companion book - the spirituality in it just resonates with me. One of the first journal books I ever had was called Journal to the Self by Kathleen Adams - it has losts of different ways to journal. Another book that might be related to yoga is called Writing as a Way of Healing by Louise De Salvo. I'd also recommend any of the books by Lucia Capacchione. Good luck - your project sounds wonderful!
I have Life's Companion along with some of Baldwin's other books, and they are all on my "to read" list right now.
A lovely book on art journaling is "The Artful Journal", by Carey, Fox and Penney. Also sitting here are "Inner Journeying through Art Journaling" by Marianne Hieb, which takes a very spiritual view of art journaling. Then there's "Drawing from Life: The Journal as Art, basically a nice example book of various artist's and writer's journals, and "The Decorated Journal" by Gwen Diehn, which explores methods and materials of art journaling.
My reading ist is long, and I'll get to blogging about all of these eventually, probably after finishing up with Artist's Way. This is my project for the year, to blog about art journaling.
Oh, I also have a couple of Danny Gregory's books on the way.
pilgrims... love it.
I have journaled for a very long time...my whole ife actually in one way or another. And just these last few months after seeing other art journals on blogs I decided to give it a try and I really love it. I was definately inspired by Sabrina Ward Harrison. All her books are beautiful (there are three and a blank journal)...oh, I see you have her listed on your side bar. I would love to see your art journaling, it is such a beautiful (full) way of sharing. You can also check out Teesha Moore, her art journal pages are gorgeous.
Writing To Know by Gabrielle Rico. Actually, a tape or CD of a workshop she gave, but I loved it. Amazon has the CD.
Also very good are the actual journals of May Sarton and Doris Grumbacher... less well known than Annie Dillard, but fascinating looks into artistic lives.
In addition to others mentioned the following have beautiful pictures of journals created by various artists:
Making and Keeping Creative Journals - Suzanne Tourtillot
Making Memory Books and Journals by Hand - an edited book that draws mainly from previously published works by Kristina Feliciano, Jason Thompson, and Barbara Mauriello
Creating Handmade Books - Alisa Golden
I too have been a life long journal keeper, and I would second a lot of the books that have been mentioned. When I feel stuck I pull out Hannah Hinchman's books "A Trail Through the Leaves" and "Little Things in a Big Country" for inspiration--such bright colors, and different ways of approaching the world.
i think i'm going to have to get myself a copy of this book!
my book recommendations--well you know i love the new swh book...and there is a journal type notebook with prompts called soulcatcher that i also enjoy...i also like poemcrazy by susan wooldridge and the right to write by julia cameron
Oh, I am reading this, too! It's been on my shelf for ages -- years -- and I just pulled it out last week.
I think you are looking for Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg.