What does it mean to live a luminous life? This question has been tossing around my mind for many years. Being luminous is a state of being, a way of life, philosophy, health care routine, presentation powerhouse, parenting energizer, and teacher motivator. It also can put us on the fast track to healing.

When the days get shorter, it is more important than ever to be in touch with our inner light. Think about the things you love to do and make sure to schedule time to make it happen. If you are short on time and money (and who isn't these days?), make a plan and put a date on the calendar.  Having something luminous to look forward to can be a game changer. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2017: What is one simple thing you will do today to feel luminous?

Choose an activity from the diagram (breathe, dance, be kind etc). Go do it! Write about how you felt before you started and how you felt afterwards. What shifted? Write in your journal for at least 5 minutes. There's a new...

Wait, you want me to hang upside down?  Hear me out, there are many ways we can change our orientation on the planet without going to the monkey bars. Yesterday, I did a simple forward fold, my feet were wide apart, my hands supported my weight on the ground and I noticed three things: 1) My head felt empty and free 2) My body felt calm and 3) My studio looked a lot better and cleaner upside down. 

So next time you are in an inverted yoga pose, pay attention to what you see, think and feel. What does a new perspective reveal for you?  

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2016: It's All About Perspective

Lumi Sit:  Get a New Perspective

Walk around your home or neighborhood as if you were a stranger.  Look at each object one at a time. What do you notice? Yesterday, I walked around my house seeing the rooms from upside down. Every single room looked nicer. I am sure there’s a scientific reason for this because when we are stuck in the...

Think of something you love to do. Do you consider it "creative." Cooking is creative. Travel is creative. Planning a party is creative. Pretty much everything you do in life requires you to problem solve and yes, that is creative! If you have a headache thinking about problems to solve, it's not as bad as you think. 

When we are engaged in something we love, we can find joy in the struggle. Simply thinking about building a sandcastle, doodling in a notebook, or cooking while adding a dash of this and that, can bring a smile to your face. 

Many people have told me, "I am just not creative."  And I might remind them of an interesting meal they cooked or how fabulously they accessorized an outfit. Ordinary actions can be creative too. Take time this week to notice. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2015: Creativity as a Path to Happiness 

When you are in a creative zone, you can experience a multitude of emotions. Writing in a journal can help you recognize...

When was the last time you thought about someone and they called you out of the blue or showed up on line next to you at the grocery store? Or maybe you noticed something in nature that required multiple factors to make it happen such as the sun fitting perfectly between two buildings in a big city?
I took this picture of the sun on a walk in Manhattan this week and was filled with feelings of wonder and possibility!

We all experience coincidences and random happy accidents, but do they have any meaning? 

Pretty much anything amazing that has happened in my life has been because I was in the right place at the right time. I'd like to think it is not by accident.

It is common for people who meditate to experience frequent synchronistic experiences. Maybe they are just more open to noticing them, but for whatever reason it seems to work in their favor. Things appear and effortlessly fall into place when move in a state that is open and calm. 

Would you like to...

In yoga and meditation we often speak of "monkey mind." It's as if a monkey is swinging in your gray matter while your focus tries to follow. Good luck following that monkey. All you can do is slow it down because there will always be distractions. 

My students created a pollinator garden at our school and when the first butterfly appeared last week I thought of that monkey. It didn't swing from trees, but rather flew from one flower to another very quickly and in no apparent order. The kids were amazed. 

Back in the library, we thought of that beautiful, busy butterfly. Could it help us to quiet our bodies and brains? 

If the thoughts are a butterfly, and there are so many plants to land on, how do you choose where to rest?  

Let's figure it out using this week's prompts. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2013: Trust Your Focus

LUMI SIT:  Butterfly Mind

Eventually, the butterfly will settle. It will find the plant with the best pollen, spot...

Jump in a jalopy, splash at the shore, or kick up the grass and go on foot because it's time to get outside and do something different. Whenever you feel as if you're standing still or moving backwards, try changing directions. Move forward differently. 

What is one area of your life you would like to change? When we sit quietly, answers often appear as if by magic. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2012: Your Summer Adventure

LUMI SIT:  Summer Stillness

Relax, the days are getting longer in the Northern Hemisphere. Is there a question that has been weighing on your mind?  Write it down. Close your eyes and breathe. Notice thoughts and feelings that arise. Do you feel sad, angry, betrayed? Emotions can only hurt if we give them the power to do so. As you sit quietly, imagine the ocean. We are so small in the big ocean. Take a thought and drop it into the sea. Repeat. Relax. Breathe.

When you are done, imagine any negative thoughts on an adventure. Use...

Studies show having FOMO, aka Fear of Missing Out, can increase anxiety and depression.  The US surgeon general just released a report on how especially bad it is for kids. Social media, of course, is largely to blame.

No wonder; it seems like everyone on social media has the most fabulous clothes, hair, makeup and friends. They are wildly successful. And here you are just trying to get through the day. 

I keep this quote near my desk, "Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes." - Carl Jung

What does that mean to you? To me, it's understanding that we have the inner capability to do our best work in the world. The light is within us. 

 This week, go within. Experience JOMO, the joy of missing out!  

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2011: Forget FOMO and Feel Fabulous 

LUMI SIT:  Find a Place You Love and Go Alone or With Someone You Love

You don't have...

If you have ever visited or lived near a river, lake or marsh on North America, you have seen herons.  With snaking necks that snap up prey, you never know when they will strike. All the while they manage to look so graceful and calm. 

Most of their time is spent waiting. They don't rush, they don't run, they simply lift up one leg at a time to walk to fertile territory. With precision and a sword-like beak, they grab a fish, eat and walk away. 

Few of us can wait as patiently as the heron. This week, we will explore some of their teachings as we sit, write and move in a real or imagined waterside habitat. 

Be like the heron. Wait. Make a move. Walk away. Repeat. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2010: Writing Meditation to Feel Graceful and Calm  

LUMI SIT:  Be the Heron

Set aside 5-10 minutes for this mindfulness activity. Find a quiet place to sit. If you have access to a park with a lake or beach, try this prompt in that setting. Close...

Before Covid, I taught several yoga classes a week and was either presenting Writing Yoga® workshops or planning them during every second of my spare time. I miss my yoga students! But I had no time to focus on doing the work I was meant to do. Now, I can serve even more people, take time to practice yoga and write more poems too.

Just a few lifestyle tweaks can work big magic. Mothers tend to be major multi-takers who put the self-care task at the bottom of the list. Mothers mother. It's what we do. Teachers, nurses, your BFF might mother you too. 

The Writing Yoga® method is a powerful way to connect with your creative self, feel healthy and inspired, and still live a peaceful life. There are many working parts but ANYONE can do the essentials: 1) SIT & relax  2) WRITE in a journal and 3) MOVE the body in some way each and every day.  Ultimately, they make us feel LUMINOUS or "Lumi" for short. Aka: Lumi Sit, Lumi Write & Lumi...

Who was the best writing teacher you ever had? What did they do to inspire you and get your thoughts onto the page?  

A classroom community can elevate your thoughts, synchronize ideas, and produce profound writing. As educators, we have to work hard to NOT interject what we think. The best teachers are facilitators. 

Does holding class outdoors make nature the true facilitator? Yes. If you are a teacher, leave the desks inside, grab some clipboards, unplug and write. 

If you are not a teacher, leave the office at least once a day. I know you are busy, but nature has a way of making us more productive. City parks count as nature, so no excuses. If you find this to NOT be the case, I'll buy you a cup of coffee. 

WRITING YOGA® PROMPT #2008: Your Mindful Writing Coach is Not in the Office or Classroom 

SIT:  The Air in the Outdoor Classroom 

The majestical poet and professor Marie Howe took 100 of us outside at the...