{"id":1191,"date":"2015-05-08T21:04:09","date_gmt":"2015-05-08T21:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/?p=1191"},"modified":"2015-05-08T21:04:09","modified_gmt":"2015-05-08T21:04:09","slug":"the-language-of-the-heart-writing-as-spiritual-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/writeherewritenow\/2015\/05\/08\/the-language-of-the-heart-writing-as-spiritual-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Language of the Heart: Writing as Spiritual Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"

I spend most of my days rushing along on the surface of life in a succession of appointments, meetings, deadlines and challenges that feels like an agility course.<\/p>\n

But my daily meditation brings me back in touch with myself and writing in my journal reveals a world of inner conflicts, insights, and possibilities lying deep beneath the surface. In fact, writing about our lives can be a form of therapy. Psychologist James Pennebaker has found that writing about our personal challenges and conflicts can relieve our suffering and bring us new perspectives on our lives (Pennebaker, 1990).<\/p>\n

\"bio<\/a>Holly Makimaa, interfaith minister, teacher, and workshop leader, sees a powerful synergy between writing and meditation. \u201cMeditation expands our consciousness and makes us more awake,\u201d she said in a recent interview, \u201cand journaling helps us to process the concrete particulars of our awakening.\u201d Combining the two in her classes, workshops and retreats, she sees writing as a spiritual practice that brings people greater insight. \u201cWriting can help us to look at our shadow side and discover the hidden golden shadow of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our \u201cgolden shadow,\u201d she explained, represents \u201cthe brilliant, strong parts of ourselves we\u2019re unwilling to own.\u201d Many of us have a harder time acknowledging our strengths than our weaknesses. \u201cIt\u2019s really quite profound\u201d she said, of students in her workshops.\u00a0\u201cFamily upbringing, culture, and even some religious ideologies don\u2019t allow people to acknowledge the divine in themselves.\u201d She referred to the Dalai Lama\u2019s stunned amazement when he came to this country years ago. He didn\u2019t understand why so many Americans were struggling with feelings of unworthiness because in Tibetan Buddhism there\u2019s this sense of oneness with our divine nature.<\/p>\n

To help her students get in touch with their strengths, Makimaa asks them to write about a time they felt their own power. Seeing their \"Group\"<\/a>strengths on paper, she says, brings people greater awareness, greater clarity. It\u2019s \u201clike holding up a mirror for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Writing can help us see ourselves more clearly. If you\u2019d like to experience this for yourself, try this writing practice. Take out a pencil and paper and set aside some time to:<\/p>\n