Blog | Mindfulness, Meditation, Journaling & Walking in Nature
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Writings and Readings Blog

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

To Do List

Posted on November 13, 2011
in Journaling
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            It was the Monday after the Fourth of July. Our daughter and her husband entered our front door, hugged their eight-month old baby Ariana and kissed their son Mokhta, now five-years old. "Did the "To Do List" help, Mommy?" she asked me in the kitchen where I was brewing Darjeeling tea for them. They had returned from a three-night break at Nemacolin Resort to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary. Before she left, she had placed a piece of paper on the refrigerator that read: "Ariyana's To Do List" 7:00                                             Wake Up and 4oz. milk ~10:00   ...

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Revise Your Day!

Posted on November 13, 2011
in Meditation
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A Mindful Writers Mantra Deep in meditation, one morning the phrase, "Revise your Day!" appeared to my mind's eye. For a year or so I had been searching for a meaningful phrase, called mantra in Sanskrit, a phrase that would coalesce my passion for writing, my abiding love for meditation and the pursuit of the betterment of my life until the last breath. A few weeks prior to this revelation, I was struggling with how to better my life similar to the way I revise and rewrite my rough writing drafts. A decade ago, I had quit my teaching job partly because I did not want to fall into an academic teaching rut. I wanted to focus on my writing and painting and to improve my daily life. It was not that...

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Steve Jobs: The “i”Genius

Posted on November 1, 2011
in Being in Nature
4 Comments

On October 6, 2011 Steve Jobs, inventor of the iMac/iPod/iPad/iPhone, died. And I, like millions of others, felt that something in me extinguished. I was deeply saddened when I heard that this charismatic and inspiring risk-taker was dead at 56!   It is because of individuals like him who jolt us and shake us and wake us up from our slumbering life that we learn how much we, as single individuals, are capable of doing, how much potential each of us has.   Yes, I am aware that, like any one of us, his life was contradiction of demonic and angelic traits. I read that he was petulant, abrasive, brittle, selfish, counter-culture, a control freak, nasty and ruthless. But his negative attributes morphed into positives. Let's not focus on what was unpleasant...

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Who is a Mindful Writer?

Posted on October 18, 2011
in Being in Nature
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Mindful Writers are those who follow the discipline of Writing Meditation. (See Writing & Meditation Page) Almost every day they practice Writing Meditation. They may write in solitude but it is glorious and empowering to write in the company of other Writers. Gathered in one space, they seem like a group of islands engrossed in their own genre of creative writing so intense that they exude an aura that inspires and motivates. The absorption in their work radiates in the atmosphere as a sort of collective energy. The Writers begin with an intention to complete a draft, first or final, of their manuscript-fiction, non-fiction or collection of essay or stories-in nine-months. They have a definite goal that they divide into thirty-eight segments and make a commitment to stick to their schedule....

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What is Writing Meditation?

Posted on October 18, 2011
in Meditation
3 Comments

Writing Meditation is a discipline based on ancient Asian contemplative practices. I evolved this discipline through decades of my experiences as writer and meditator. The discipline combines a method of meditation and the process of writing to guide writers of all levels to improve their craft, discover their voice, strengthen their style and bring depth to the content. The discipline also helps clarify thought and intensify emotion. The practice of Writing Meditation has two goals: to light a fire of passion into your written expression, and to increase joy in life. A typical session of Writing Meditation consists of ten to fifteen minutes each of guided Body, Heart or Mind Meditation followed by a writing session lasting one to four hours. In Body Meditation, you focus on your inhalations and exhalations as...

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Mindful Writers’ Workshop

Posted on October 11, 2011
in Being in Nature
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A scholar of Hindu and Buddhist Art and Asian Religions, Madhu B. Wangu Ph.D., returns to the Northland Public Library with a special four-week writing workshop for writers, of all levels, who wish to externalize emotions and ideas into verbal expressions. The four sessions will include Body, Heart, Mind and Writing Meditations respectively. Each session will start with a short lecture on Mindful Writing, a meditation session followed by two or more hours of writing. You will learn how to complete the first draft of your fiction or nonfiction manuscript, how to meditate, how to take pleasure in the writing process itself and how to eliminate frustration caused by writer's block. The discipline of Writing Meditation builds a creative flow that effects the process and enhances writer's expression, voice and style. Space...

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Website Name Change: Mindful-Writers.Com

Posted on August 29, 2011
in Being in Nature
2 Comments

Dear Readers, Those of you who have read Tao-te Ching, Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita and Devi Gita on these web pages understand that nothing in life is permanent. So is with the websites! Thinking matures, ideas grow and change, experiences enrich and interests shift. For the last four years I have been holding meditation workshops and seminars for writers. They teach a meditation methodology to help writers hone their skills: sharpen their unique voice, deepen individual style and improve verbal precision. The response to these workshops has been very encouraging. The participants tell me that as a result of this practice their writing has improved and so has their life. They feel less conflicted and more confident. Inspired, I am currently recording a CD "Body, Heart and Mind Meditations for Mindful Writers,"...

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Writing Meditation Practice and Mindful Writers Group

Posted on June 17, 2011
in Being in Nature
2 Comments

I have spent more than twenty years practicing meditation and writing. Many times, I experienced that the pleasure and peace I derived from meditation was similar to the enjoyment I felt while writing. I experimented with combining the two disciplines and discovered that when I was in a meditative mood, my body felt unclogged, my mind clear and heart softened. Grounding the three components (body, mind and heart) in meditation enabled me to get absorbed into my work more deeply. My writing flow increased, voice became more confident and style distinct. The feeling is amazing. I call this way of working, Writing Meditation. About four years ago, I mentioned this to a friend. She suggested that I share this "best kept secret" with others. On her advice, starting from...

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“When Apples Turn Red”

Posted on April 29, 2011
in Journaling
1 Comment

My husband and I were waiting for the arrival of Mokhta, our grandson, when we heard our daughter's car stop in the front of the house. I opened the front door and saw Mokhta already out of the car looking up at the crabapple tree. He turned toward us and after a moment's pause, started to run. Afraid that he might fall on the pavement, I walked briskly toward him and he jumped right into my open arms. I kissed him and hugged him tight; my love of four months was waiting, wanting to be expressed. I kissed his little hands, his silky head of hair, and his cheeks that were not as plump as they used to be when he was a baby. "We ate chocolate, Nani," He said as...

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