Rivers Healing Arts
Upwriting Yourself™
The written word offers opportunity for truth and self-discovery. In workshop form, you will learn the art of meditative writing, which brings formless thoughts into focus, allowing you as the author to see evidence of your own inner wisdom and to generate mindful answers to life challenges. ~ Regina
UpWriting Yourself™ is a healing, meditative writing technique that using the act of physical writing to focus participants on their emotions, desires, and inner conflicts so that these become clearer to them. Participants are given a writing subject and then, in a meditative, stream of consciousness (continuous random flow of thoughts) process, they write what comes to mind on paper. This writing process facilitates solutions to both inner and outer conflicts. Several writing techniques are used including poetry, prose, and meditative writing. Workshops are geared toward fun and yet are often profound in their outcome.
UpWriting Yourself™ Facts
- I created UpWriting Yourself™ in 1991 and have used this healing technique in many different venues over the years since. Classes have been held in bookstores, day spas, churches and private homes.
- I believe that self-disclosure equals self-awareness.
- No pressure: In UpWriting Yourself™ classes, participants may disclose what they have written with the group or not.
- Intention is key. Physically writing by hand on paper sets the intention to heal in motion and therefore accelerates healing.
- Writing without editing our words can reveal important information about what is happening at a deep core level in our lives.
- Adding meditation to the UpWriting process lowers our inhibitions of being perfect with what we put on paper.
- The physical process of writing can lessen emotional pain and lower anxiety therefore lowering blood pressure, which strengthens the immune system and in turn prolongs health and life.
- Research: James W. Pennebaker, psychology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, is the earliest known conductor of research in the field of writing as therapy. In the Synopsis of his book, Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma & Emotional Upheaval, it states,
“Clinical trials indicate that writing about painful experiences can enhance immune response, reduce recovery times, and promote physical, psychological, and social well-being.” And, “What do diarists and journal writers know that can help anyone dealing with a traumatic or emotionally challenging situation recover from pain and regain their peace of mind? They know that the act of putting thoughts and feelings on paper is, itself, a powerful exercise that makes them feel heard and acknowledged-a way of regaining perspective and control over the events that move through their lives.” (Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Press, 2004)
- Luciano L'Abate, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Georgia State University, says in his book, Distance Writing and Computer-assisted Interventions in Psychiatry and Mental Health,
“One could argue, for instance, that talk and writing differ in relative cerebral dominance. … if language is more related to the right hemisphere, then writing may be more related to the left hemisphere. If this is the case, then writing might use or even stimulate parts of the brain that are not stimulated by talking.” (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2001, pg 9-10)
