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Jun 8, 2023·edited Jun 8, 2023Liked by Dr. Kathleen Waller

This is fantastic! I love that you are exploring the intersection of writing and yoga with such clarity.

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Thanks a lot, Corie, and also for sharing the post! Your project has a lot of intersections.

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Jun 8, 2023Liked by Dr. Kathleen Waller

I really enjoyed this and got a lot from it. I have no doubt that this will help a lot of people, beginners included, with their physical fitness. As for the writing element, I have already picked up some very valuable advice in this video. The bit about trying to "share all you know" on a subject was very useful. I'm going to try to be more disciplined in what I impart in my writing. Thank you and congratulations! Really good!

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Thanks so much, Jules. I really appreciate this feedback! Thanks for trying it out so quickly :) As for the writing, I find that sometimes I also let my writing just flow naturally and then cut things later that might be left unsaid or condensed into subtle suggestions, even with details like punctuation. But it really depends on the piece! Have fun experimenting with it.

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I am excited to have found this. Thank you. I have my yoga instructor’s certification, I have taught elementary school, and write here on substack. Because you are knowledgeable I’m sure you are aware that sometimes yoga is not accepted in different cultures, so since I have moved to the country in the south I have not been practicing much at all. These tips can help me be a better writer and refresh my confidence in yoga. Watching you float both feet forward totally reminded me that that was something fun I enjoyed practicing in the past. I am 37 weeks pregnant but I can totally see how just paying attention to how I walk and sit could have those yoga benefits of giving me focus mentally and hopefully transfer towards being more in control of my mind. I look forward to diving into all of your posts and hopefully reading more about how yoga is good not the sort of negative rep it has with my limited number of Christian mom friends. I used to have explanations on the tip of my tongue but 3 years later I find myself very guarded, and would love to get back into teaching and practicing. Thanks again

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Hi Donna! Welcome :)

Thank YOU for finding this and your lovely comment.

Yes, I can imagine what you're up against. A lot of misunderstanding about yoga! This is something I plan to address in my podcast, starting this autumn. Maybe you would like to jump on an interview sometime?

37 weeks! Exciting time. Hope you are feeling well. I found yoga to be the best help for pregnancy and postpartum. And also, I think this idea that you can come back to it when it suits you is so important. Look forward to seeing you here.

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https://substack.com/@jonathonfessenden/note/p-134886983?r=h4xg8&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

I would love your thoughts on this. I feel this was intentionally put into my view and it is exactly what I disagree with.

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Wow. This is really enlightening and a very strong statement (in some of the comments as well). I think there's a lot of confusion here, and this is something I plan to address on the podcast. I'm curious about why people are afraid to explore this tension. I think it goes back to a lot of the reasons nuance can be difficult for some -- there's a fear of losing something (cultural) maybe?

Sorry to hear you are also getting somewhat attacked in this manner. Interesting/sad that people feel the need to also sway you, no matter what their own opinions.

Would love to discuss further with you to understand why and how it's happening.

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My husband had great thoughts; that I need to be able to recognize that if it’s someone else’s thoughts -I can listen, understand their perspective, and recognize it’s not my burden to convince or defend, I have to be comfortable enough with my own understanding of who God is, it is a personal relationship not really something to debate.

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That's a great way to look at it. I think it is important to have discussions when we disagree. That's what I find difficult in the post you sent me: a lot of the author's writing seems to be about shutting off dialogue instead of considering different ideas.

I watched a great film recently on this kind of personal faith. Silence - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0490215/

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Added to my watchlist, as soon as I have $3.99 I’m going to watch this movie so hard.😏

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I have a great story about this

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Intrigued!

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I like this quote attributed to Geothe:

"Nothing is as strong as gentleness and nothing is as gentle as true strength."

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Wonderful! Thanks for sharing it :)

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This is such a lovely gift you’re sharing its us here! I watched the video in bed before sleep, but am looking forward to exploring graceful movement in my simple daily treks around my apartment tomorrow. I find that during asana practice I can become so NOT graceful and in fact rigid (particularly with exertion to stay upright in headstand or shoulder stand when I’m fatigued from working hard previously in class) and I can even become short-tempered, which makes holding the pose feel so much harder. I hope you’ll explore this feeling if white knuckling or feeling pressurized as a yoga practitioner and writer in a post one day! For now, I’m going to explore grace and delicacy this week when I write and practice yoga. Thanks again!

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Thanks for an awesome comment, Kate! So happy you’re able to apply it to wandering around the apartment AND yoga class. :) nice idea for a post...I think that’s a definite possibility.

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Just had time to sit and really watch and listen to this, Kate; been saving it until I could find a quiet time to indulge! Thoroughly enjoyed your pairing of yoga with writing and the whole concept of 'the delicateness of strength'. I have always thought that those two concepts work together in examples such as nature or in people who appear to have a great poise and patience, yet emanate a certain strength. What I also liked in your video and what made total sense to me was the idea of 'floating' (in yoga practice) and the 'flowing' way we can access our thoughts into words as writers. This isn't really something I have put together before, but now I can really see the flowing/floating way I feel as I work through, say, the sun salutation sequence and the way I recognise when the words are flowing from me as I write. I think as you practise writing more, there are times when the words just flow together in some kind of natural symphony, later leaving you wondering where they came from! Other times, of course, writing is a hard slog! But I think your ideas on the delicateness of strength could be useful at those times to perhaps not try so hard; not force the words, but instead try to be gentle with them.

Sorry if that was a bit of a waffle!! Just to say: loved this first insight and can't wait for more : )

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Not a waffle, just a good explanation! Thanks a lot for your comments. So nice to hear the way it’s taken shape for you and connected for your practices.

Agree - and also think “flow” of yoga (vinyasa style / breath work) has a lot to do with this flow of writing. But the float of writing...well this is really cool. I did not think of it this way. Almost like you are existing in a different plane! This all deserves more time to ponder. Thanks and now I’m waffling :)

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Love this! I’ve never thought about the intersection of writing & yoga. So very excited to learn more. Also, lovely to see you in the video!

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Thank you, Jillian! It’s funny to share a video in a space (Substack) where I’ve only been represented by words. Eek. Fun though! Thanks for joining the project :)

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