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Poetry is very much an art. That means that writing poetry entails exploration and practice. More than that, though, the exploriation involved in writing poetry can be very enlightening. There are words that come easily to us, then there are those that take finesse, thought, and persistence to find. Those are the words that can oftentimes be burried beneath your skin, deep behind the emotional conext of a larger situation.

There are many shades to each word, just as there are shades of each primary color that a painter uses. Sadness, for examples, is a word that is so large, that it cannot possible mean the same thing for every situation. That is why a poet uses images, figurative language, and other poetic skills to slice away at adjectives and abstract language. The poet digs between the meaning of certain words, and looks to unearth a meaning that does not exist in conventional language.

Exploring ways to define the different shades of words is an experience that, whether you write poetry simply for therapy, or you write poetry in hopes of one day being published, will help you to reach a direct path to heightened awareness. You will become more aware of your own thoughts, how you perceive them, and you will learn to read the meaning of simple objects and situations in your every day life.

Here are some basic exercises to get you thinking honestly about your writing.

Rewrite a classical poem using your own point of view. Play with perspective. Write it from the point of view of someone you know, or write it as a response to the original author.

Write a poem about yourself, but don’t show it to anyone. Here’s a basic template. Feel free to rewrite the lines, and don’t answer the blanks by writing the obvious. You should come up with something that resembles a poem, and perhaps if you are clever enough with the manipulation of it, it could very well be a poem. This exercise isn’t designed to create a masterpiece, rather, it is designed to show you the kind of poet you are.

When you are finished with this piece, not only will you see some details about yourself in general, but you can look at the way you manipulated the exercise to see a certain style. Ask yourself these questions: What kind of metaphors did I use? Did I completely change the direction it seemed this exercise was supposed to take me? How did I restructure the lines? Did I add rhyme?

I Am: an exercise in poetic self actualization

My name is (first name).

When I was (child age) I […].

When I was (older age) I […].

I’ve always wanted to […],

but when I turned (age), I […].

My thoughts are like a […],

they [verb] like […].

My skin is […]

I’m wrapped in a […].

I ripped myself from […],

when I was (age).

Even when I turned (age),

I knew that […],

I know for sure that […].

Now I […].

I am […],

(Last name).

Write a letter to some object. Throughout our daily routines, there are objects that we see that have some kind of effect on us. Of course letters and special momentos have significant meaning for us, but have you ever been caught up in thought about a particular item that doesn’t fit into the momento category? That’s what you will write a letter to.

Again, this exercise isn’t designed to create a masterpiece. It is more of a self-defining process. As with the other exercises, you might end up with something that could be considered a good poem, but the idea is to make you see how you observe the things around you. Keep a notebook handy with you throughout the next day, week, or month. The next time you drive to work, take your kids to the park, or go to a grocery store, keep mindful of the way you percieve ordinary things.

In summary, there really is no such thing as good or bad poetry, only undiscovered poetry. Simply writing down what you think sounds poetic won’t reach the audience, and it won’t do anything for you. You do need to dig around, scratch your skin until it bleeds. Then and only then will a true poem surface.

The process of writing one poem may take you a day, or it may take you a year. Finding the rawness of your poetry is as enlightening as discovering the meaning of life.

Devrie Paradowski is the author of “A Ray Squeezed Through,” http://www.lulu.com/content/139977 a weird combination of dirt smudged poetry, failed attempts at self discovery, and awesome mistakes. Visit her literary website at http://www.literaryescape.com or chance a visit at the poetry exercise website, http://www.poetryexercises.org

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Before playing a round of golf it is always advisable to warm up. This will help you to avoid injury and also get your muscles tuned in to the movements needed to play good shots.

In this article we are going to cover two warm up exercises. Remember that stretching and warming-up are not the same. You cannot stretch to warm-up, but you must warm-up to stretch. Attempting to stretch could or cool muscles is ineffective and an invitation to injury. The worm-up portion of any program of physical conditioning is essential. Warm-up increase the elasticity of the muscles, which reduces the likelihood of injury. Stretching and strengthening of muscles prior to yoga increases the effectiveness of the practice. Warm-ups increase circulation and energy flow to the muscles and joints.

These first few exercises increase flow of heat to the major muscle groups of the arms, lets, and torso. Remember that using this portion of the program before beginning a round of golf can be very helpful. Mountain Pose- a very basic pose that is the foundation for many other asanas. It brings your focus inward. Good for balance, alignment and correct posture. Will create a weight distribution similar to a proper stance during the golf game. Pressing into the feet and feeling the support of the earth establishes grounding. Do this exercise for one minute.

Stand erect, with your feet in line with the hips, or together. The feet should be parallel with your toes pointing forward. On the balls of your feet, slowly shift your weight backward and forward until you reach a point of equilibrium. Press your feet into the ground. Slightly lift the arches of the feet and the kneecaps. Engage the muscles of your thighs. Tuck in your pelvis, neither arching nor founding the back. Lift your chest and lengthen the spine. Draw your shoulders back and down, away from the ears. Raise your head to the ceiling. The head should be aligned with your spine. Relax and level your jaw. Take a moment to get centered and establish breathing.

Disclaimer: If you have some type of health problem, make sure you consult a doctor before beginning any exercise program.

Richard Myers is a keen golfer and his web site http://www.thinkandreachpar.com and http://www.golfforleftys.com contains many free tips and great golfing advice plus training videos and DVDs to help you to improve your swing and lower your score using some very simple exercises.

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It is no secret that people who exercise regularly feel better, more energetic, and less stressed. . There is plenty of evidence to show that exercise provides stress-relieving benefits.

Four ways exercise controls stress.

Exercise can help you relax. Although the actual exercise bout might be strenuous and difficult to execute, actual benefits such as stress reduction, body toning etc. actually occur after the session is over. The immediate post-exercise period helps flush out carbon dioxide and waste products from the various systems. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People feel less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.

Exercise can help raise your mood. A good and well-supervised exercise session helps you relax for the next 90 to 120 minutes. This is called post-exercise euphoria or endorphin response, and these ‘feel good’ chemicals improve your mood and leave you relaxed.

Exercise can make you feel better about yourself. Think about those times when you were physically active. Did you not better about yourself? That feeling of self-worth contributes to stress relief. Physical fitness is a buffer against stress and fit subjects experience less stress than unfit subjects.

Exercise can make you eat better. People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food and stick to healthy eating habits; this helps your body manage stress better.

To help you get started here are three types of activities you can choose from. A combination of all 3 is ideal for best results.

1. Aerobic activity. All it takes is 20 minutes’ worth, six to seven days a week. Twenty minutes won’t carve a big chunk out of your day, but it will improve your ability to control stress significantly. These are good aerobic studios in almost every town. Look for information in local newspapers for spring specials and other discounts.

2. Yoga. In yoga or yoga-type activities, your mind relaxes progressively as your body increases its amount of muscular work. Recent studies have shown that when large muscle groups repeatedly contract and relax, the brain receives a signal to release specific neurotransmitters, which in turn make you feel relaxed and more alert.

3. Recreational sports. Play cricket, football tennis, or badminton on weekends. Cycling and swimming also work well. These games require the kind of vigorous activity that rids your body of stress-causing adrenaline and other hormones.

In addition to the above ‘long term solutions’, you can also try several techniques to ‘calm down’ when you feel overly stressed.

Short cut stress busters.

If you are sitting in one position for a prolonged period of time, stand up from the desk and stretch your arms and legs at regular intervals.
Shut your eyes and take 20 slow deep breaths.
Listen to soothing music.
Squeeze and release a towel or a rubber ball a few times.
Do not jump to reach the phone and respond in a calm composed manner to all situations.
Visualize yourself petting your children, sitting by the balcony watching the sunset, spending the weekend relaxing with family, walking on grass etc

Nitin Chhoda is a renowned personal trainer, columnist, radio and TV personality and trains clients in 12 countries online from http://www.phonefitnesstrainer.com
Would you like a free $ 250 package? This includes Nitin’s bi-monthly fitness newsletter, free exercise routines for toning at home, sample diets, grocery shopping lists, online books and unlimited email support from Nitin - all FREE for a limited time, register today at http://www.toningforwomen.com

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