meditation

Five Ways In Which Writing and Yoga Are Similar

/ saraletourneau / 18 Comments

Every Monday evening, instead of writing for 60 to 90 minutes at my laptop, I spend that time on my yoga mat. It’s a habit I’ve consistently maintained for 2 years, though I was first introduced to yoga about 5 years ago. Sometimes it’s with a class, led by a teacher who has become both mentor and cheerleader to me.** Other times it’s at home, thanks to the TV awesomeness known as YouTube OnDemand. Regardless, yoga has become an essential part of my life, much the same way that writing has.

Maybe that explains why I came to this conclusion recently: Yoga and writing sessions have a lot in common.

I’m sure some of you might be thinking, “Um… OK…. But how?” That’s what today’s blog post is all about. 😉 Here are five ways in which yoga and writing are similar, and how I’ve benefited from having both in my life.

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The Starlight Blogger Award

/ saraletourneau / 23 Comments

This Award is created to highlight and promote Inspiring Bloggers.

Yup. I’m still catching up with blog tags and awards that I was linked on over the past few months. Today’s comes courtesy of Zezee @ Zezee with Books, and is one I hadn’t heard of before this nomination. The Starlight Blogger Award was created by Caroline @ Yesterday After to celebrate bloggers who inspire us with their creativity. So, thank you very much, Zezee, for your nomination. It means a lot to me. 🙂

Here are the rules for the Starlight Blogger Award: Continue reading →

5 on the 5th: Five Soothing Music Albums to Help You Relax

/ saraletourneau / 16 Comments

5 on the 5th Banner 2

On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog. 

I have pretty eclectic tastes when it comes to music: symphonic metal, progressive rock, singer-songwriter, classical crossover… And over the past couple years, new age and instrumental music has woven its way into my iTunes library. While I can understand why some people would find this genre “boring,” I’ve grown to love it. New age instrumentals are now my go-to music picks when I’m working on blog articles – and they’re immensely helpful for meditating, stress relief, or winding down at the end of the day.

So, for today’s 5 on the 5th, I’d like to recommend Five Soothing Music Albums to Help You Relax, complete with links to each CD’s Amazon page and song clips on YouTube. If you like keyboards, acoustic guitars, and nature sounds, perhaps one or more of these gems will be perfect for playing in the background or for lulling you into a calmer, more peaceful state.
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New at DIY MFA: #5onFri – Five Reasons Why Writers Should Give Coloring Books a Try

/ saraletourneau / 17 Comments

DiyMFA

Some of you might remember that I’ve fallen in love with adult coloring books. Yesterday I declared that love again at DIY MFA, as part of their weekly #5onFri series. But I’m not simply gushing about the adult coloring book trend. Instead, I offer five reasons why writers should try this hobby for themselves, from using it as a means to de-stress or meditate, to making it a creative solution for breaking through writer’s block.

Click here to read “#5onFri: Five Reasons Why Writers Should Give Coloring Books a Try.”

Are you also a fan of coloring? What are some of your favorite adult coloring books? Do you engage in other forms of art like painting, dancing, composing / playing music, etc.?

Time Flies!: January 2015

/ saraletourneau / 9 Comments

Time Flies Logo

[EDIT: Somehow I forgot there were 31 days in January, so this is accidentally going up one day early. *oops*]

No, that’s not possible. Another month hasn’t gone by yet. I’m still trying to get used to writing 2015 instead of 2014!

That pretty much sums up how I feel as I write Time Flies!: January 2015. The first month of this year went by way too quickly – and it was an awfully stressful month offline, which stalled my blog-writing for a while. I was forced to put articles for this site on the backburner just so I could meet my deadlines for my outside columns. So… yeah, January 2015 was a blur. Things look like they’re starting to slow down, though, so I’ve been able to start catching up and cross off items on my “to-do” list.

Let’s be more positive from here on, starting with the past month’s updates: Continue reading →