First Ten Minutes Of Nothing, Then Writing With No Judgement, No Criticism

Write Down the Bones Deck to Free the Writer Within — This is my wish for you: that you take these cards, grab the topic on one side and write, write, write. Then flip to the other side of the card and take note.

I’ve always used the word topic instead of prompt. Prompt is the starting place, but topic indicates more the idea of plunging in and immersing. Natalie Goldberg

Yesterday, I didn't know what I was going to write.

I thought about something I wanted to write, but couldn't quite

until I was taken by the hand and led to a place

to write about yesterday. It was the relationship card, my ace

sitting right there for me to see, what a delight.

Relationships are a joy and it gives me a wide open space.

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - You've finally eked out space to write, notebook before you, but there's nothing you feel like writing about. Don't pop up or pull a different card. Sit there for ten minutes, feeling your breath. Allow everything to be as it is. Just for now I'm asking you to be.

The first two minutes were fine. Thoughts about hanging a Christmas present? Second two minutes, I did 4x4 breathing to focus on my breathing. The next two minutes focused on breathing without thinking much.

The next minute took too long, then the next 30 seconds appeared to be a minute or two, and the next 30 seconds and the next until it was every 15 seconds for the last minute.

I couldn't help but check the time clock. When the ten minutes were up, I opened my eyes and felt refreshed. Much as when I did the sound bath on Saturday.

Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones Deck Prompts - Now write what you can accept with no judgment, no criticism. The weird green roses someone gave you that looked like small cabbages at the end of a dozen stems. Not weird anymore. They just are on your kitchen table. What else can you accept? The more we accept what's around us, the more we can accept what's in us and what comes out on the page. Let's face it, we are all a little odd, maybe demented. From another angle, delightful. From our ten minutes of just sitting, we can put our arms around it all and write from a softer place.

For my birthday my daughter picked up an idea on Pinterest. She invited her brothers to do it also. It was her footprint and handprint as an adult, outlined and painted. It is great. Something I can and will hang up.

At first, I thought maybe it was a gag gift. It doesn't matter as it will be hung up in my office. My oldest son only did his foot. That is so like him. He had problems with his feet all of his life and his didn't look like a foot, but rather a piece of plaster. I thought I might outline it and paint it and hang it also.

But then I thought, it is so like him and I'm going to leave it! It's great. My youngest son didn't do the project. He said something about his sister picking a project she could win. I guess he saw it as a contest, so rather than compete he gave me some great birthday gifts.

A win for me both ways!

This experience of ten minutes of nothing did soften this story. And I realized it shouldn't be quite as difficult to just sit for 10 minutes. I am looking forward to laughing with my laughter yoga coach this morning and having a great day and a wonderful week. I wish that for of you all as well!