Listen to presences inside poems.
Let them take you where they will.
Follow those private hints,
And never leave the premises.
Jellaludin Rumi ~ translated by Coleman Barks and John Moyne
Are you able to easily think of yourself as a poet? What do you think might happen if you are able to awaken or share your soft underbelly by sharing the written word as you are inspired? Well, reading, writing, and listening to poetry just might be medicine for your mind!
This all makes perfect sense to John Fox, author of Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making and founder of the Institute for Poetic Medicine.
Whatever your previous experience with poetry is, try this simple process of creating a healing Haiku. Haiku poetry, developed by Japanese poets, are short poems consisting of sensory language. They capture feeling or images, inspired by nature or beauty. They can also be very therapeutic.
A simple way to think about the structure of Haiku poetry is to create three phrases, the first has 5 syllables, the second has 7, and the last also has 5.
Think about something that has bothered you or inspired you recently. For many people, cold and snow might fit that category, so we can use that as our subject and create a sample.
Bitter wind blows cold
Frozen memories can lie
Thaw your heart with love
The main thing is to use your creative process with healing intention. Fox says “Poem-making is a way to reclaim your truth, your feelings, and your voice. Through writing, you can become a voice for mending the world, a voice that is so called for at this time.”
This week, be aware of creativity as a tool for relieving stress. We might not all become as famous as Emily Dickinson or Robert Frost, but you can enjoy poetry as a means for greater well-being.
This week’s health tip originally appeared online at https://scs-matters.com/healing-haiku/.
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Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips
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Rev.Debra Basham
Voice: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.info Small Changes … Infinite Results™
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~Mother Teresa |