A Pause Practice {Haiku}
On Pause and The Practice of Haiku I believe in the power of a pause. When we pause our brain catches up with our words. We can take a deep, intentional breath. A pause helps us see what is really happening. It’s the quality of the pause, not necessarily the length of the pause that matters. When we intentionally pause we invite clarity and calm into the matter. Sometimes you need to press pause to let everything sink in. Sebastian Vettel Haiku is another kind of pause practice. Since Haiku is just seventeen syllables it forces brevity. It is a pause-full practice. Each word and syllable has a purpose and is used to convey not just meaning, but the essence. I usually write my Haikus from a phrase that stood out to me in something I was reading. Haiku has become an extension of Lectio Divina or Reflective Reading for me. As I read other texts I look for a phrase or word that stands out. If there is a phrase or word that catches my eye or sparkles up out of the text I use Haiku as a way to explore that idea more. I like to use Haiku because it forces me to find the meaning to get to the heart of what is speaking to me in just a few words. The whole process includes pauses to notice, to distill, and to edit. Septembers Haiku Group I’m always amazed at the synergy that comes from three different people, in three different places as we share our Haikus. The practice is we write Haiku through the month. We choose a Haiku and share it. I make postcards that I send out to Michael, Davin, and a whole list of people. (If you want to be on my Haiku mailing list, share your mailing address here! We each write a reflection as we receive the other Haikus. Then we have a zoom call once a month where we share our reflections. The pattern is the author reads their Haiku, the other two people read their response to the Haiku and the author shares their reflection. It is one of my favorite days of the month. I’ve learned so much through the process. How to write Haiku The confidence to share what I write Confidence to share my interpretation and reflection. I’m always amazed when our different reflections are so similar. We all seem to pick up the same undercurrents. (If you would like me to send you a Haiku, click this link to leave me your address!) Soul Light In the dim places We bring our soul light to shine Small actions shine bright Amy Hoppock Amy’s Reflections Soul Light is inspired by a quote from Joan Chittister “Our role in life is to bring the light of our soul to the dim places around us.” Dim is such a descriptive word and not one that gets used a whole lot. Dim feels more relatable than darkness, The Dark Night of the soul for example. Dim not quite light, not quite fully dark. It’s much more descriptive of how life really is. We all have the dim places in our lives. Those places that it’s not fully dark or unseen it is just hazy, unclear, a bit hard to see and to navigate. Life is rarely black and white, it’s most often shades of grey- Dim. In the dim light, it just takes a little light to change the lighting. If you want to see the other Haiku’s this month, visit Michael’s excellent website, Profound Living. He shares the video and each of our Haiku postcards. If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)
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