Journey from the Center to the Page: Yoga Philosophies and Practice as Muse for Authentic Writing

by Jeff Davis

The first book to show how yoga can help create better writing, with invigorating postures, breathing techniques, and wisdom for wordsmiths of any level. Combining the enlightened perspective of Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones with the gentle practical advice of Anne Lamott's classic Bird by Bird, nationally known yoga and writing instructor Jeff Davis shows how yoga principles and myriad tools can help writers deepen their writing process, become more versatile, and enrich their writing style. Demonstrating the link between the mind/body/imagination, The Journey from the Center to the Page is ideal for writers seeking to: o Overcome writer's block as well as develop more concentration, focus, and a grounded sense of self-discipline o Convert negative emotions-such as anger, fear, and hatred-into powerful storytelling energy o Increase awareness of the copious imagery presented in daily life and help turn it into powerful metaphors and descriptions o Cultivate compassion to create complex characters o Practice truthfulness in writing by finding an authentic, clear voice and creating authentic characters and dialogue The Journey from the Center to the Page is for a wide audience: novelists, memoirists, poets, screenwriters, journalists, copywriters, English teachers, technical writers, or anyone who simply enjoys the power of the written word. Ultimately, it is a book for all those who hunger for renewed inspiration and a fresh focus in each of life's chapters.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Philosophy

304 pages, ebook

First published June 3, 2004

About the author

There is more than one author with this name
A poet, freelance writer, and editor, Jeff Davis founded the Yoga as Muse for Authentic Writing Workshops and has taught writing for sixteen years, assisting students of all ages and from all walks of life. His work has taken him to numerous locales, including Omega at The Crossings; New York City’s OM Yoga Center; and Bliss Yoga Center in Woodstock, New York.

Reviews

[Raima Larter · Rating 1 out of 5]

I could not finish this book, which is unfortunate, since I had such great hopes for it after the first three chapters. I was, in fact, quite excited by the insights in those first chapters, but the rest of the book never really delivered on the promise I sensed at the beginning.

To be fair, I may not be the right audience for this book, though. I discovered this same writing-practice method on my own and was excited by the first couple of chapters because it helped me understand why this method worked so well for me. The author began to explain some of the technique using concepts involving the chakras, but this was never followed through in later chapters. This is what I was hoping to read more about, yet it wasn't there. Instead, we get a lot of samples of Jeff Davis' rather poetic writing (not that any of it is really related to the topic of the book) but no further yoga philosophy and how it intersects with the practice of writing.

Instead, the chapters from #4 on are a hodge-podge of topics, and there's no coherent theme to the rest of the book. Some of the chapters at the end aimed at readers with an established yoga practice and creative writing teachers are really inappropriate for this book and would probably be best left to a website or something. And yet, the chapter for those who have an established yoga practice contains the main takeaway message I got from the book: approach your writing with the same intentionality you approach your yoga practice and combine the two. One does NOT need an entire book to say this, though!

[Laraine Herring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful addition to any yogi/writer's shelves. The practices here are simple, clear, and very helpful. I have had the chance to work with Jeff Davis on the phone, on -line, and in person. He's the real deal.

[Xae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good for a read-through, better for a reference afterward. Section IV, in particular, will be revisited in the future.

[Richard Jespers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned much from Jeff’s book. His is but another way at allowing the subconscious to flourish in one’s writing. I did many of the exercises, and one (becoming an object) yielded one of the best scenes I’ve ever written, that story landing in one of the top literary journals in the country, "My Long-Playing Records," which led to the collection by the same name. This book is rife with many jewels, and I plan to reread often.

Later, as I did Pilates and learned to meditate, I felt even more comfortable with many of the exercises Jeff lays out in his book. It’s a great read for anyone attempting to grow, anyone attempting to get in touch with his or her subconscious.

[Mary Radmacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

jeff davis writes what he teaches.
and! he teaches what he practices.
this is good news for anyone interested in the energetic prompt that yoga can
provide their writing. i met jeff, and got to experience first hand the surprising tie.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an interesting book, but like Write Away has more to it (in this case the yoga) than I want to think about, so not quite for me. I did enjoy the frequent quotes of writers about different aspects of writing.

[Michelle Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the practical teachings in this book about using Yoga as one's Muse for creativity. This is the foundation of a YAM (Yoga as Muse) facilitator's training I'm participating in this summer! (See also www.trackingwonder.com)

[Jen Lighty]

Jeff is a friend of mine. He is an amazing teacher of yoga and writing. The practices I learned from this book have helped me immeasurably as a writer.