Start your new year with an Om, or, in this case, with some thoughts on using mindfulness to create the best writing possible. Amy Hertz, a 30-year student of Tibetan Buddhism, will be hosting a special pre-conference session on mindfulness at Write in the Heart of Texas in Austin on Saturday, Feb. 3. Along with holding editorial and publishing positions at Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Henry Holt and Huffington Post, she has published several bestsellers: “Universe in a Single Atom and Art of Happiness (The Dalai Lama),” “Eat Right 4 Your Type,” “The Female Brain,” “Kitchen Table Wisdom,” and more as well as contributing to O, The Oprah Magazine, Glamour, Yoga Journal and Shambhala Sun. In addition to teaching meditation and Buddhist workshops and coaching clients on crafting effective messaging, she consults with authors, corporations and thought leaders on same. She sat down with ASJA Confidential to answer a few questions…and raise a few more.
So, meditation. I have to say it hasn’t worked for me so far. I end up thinking about grocery shopping, bills and what’s I can snack on in the pantry.
That’s very common, as the mind is full of endless chatter. Which is why people just starting out should meditate for a very short period, maybe two minutes, maybe only 30 seconds or so to begin with. With guided concentration meditation, you sit down and watch your breath…it is when you catch your mind wandering, and think oh, wait a minute, I need to go back to the breathing, that you allow the thoughts to pass and feel the space between the thoughts and some clarity. And when you can access mental clarity, writing becomes easier. We fight for clarity so we can observe what’s coming up in the mind and allow it to express itself on the page. It can be accidental or it can be cultivated.
If we practice meditation, will it eliminate writer’s block?
I don’t believe in writer’s block; it’s more like thinker’s block. Instead of worrying about whether what you are doing is good or fits into a certain category, consider whether it’s authentic. When you work towards getting to a place of authenticity, the quality of writing goes up exponentially.
Also understand that 70 percent of what you initially write will probably end up in the garbage can. That’s just how it is. By recognizing this, it will become easier to turn off the internal censor and judgmental voice that can paralyze you. If you are afraid to throw things out you can never write anything. Meditation can help give you the distance and space to achieve the 30 percent of quality writing most of us are capable of and do so in an honest and brave manner.
On another subject entirely, how did you get into this field? I first started meditating in 1989, in New York City. It was early in my publishing career when I became interested in Tibetan Buddhism. I was living in a dingy studio apartment at the time and in order to get started with meditation, I pulled a dining room chair into the tiny kitchen and set the timer on my microwave for two minutes.
I also had the great fortune to meet and learn from poet and longtime meditator Allen Ginsberg. We were studying with the same Tibetan lama, Gelek Rimpoche. Allen was using what he had learned from meditation as a writing path. He developed slogans that he used to teach writing. But it wasn’t until seven or eight years ago that I felt that I had arrived at a point where meditation made a difference in my mind and my life. And I began to see how others could benefit from this as well, so I started working with authors, individuals and corporations in using mindfulness to get their messaging right to make the best possible impact.
Any pointers and tips?
Like many things, it’s about practice. And also recognizing that you’re achieving a level of discipline by even attempting to mediate.
I recommend taking a look at the app Headspace, which helps get you started in small increments and provides daily reminders and tips. And don’t try to mediate for more than one minute at a time; you can build up your time gradually. The writings of Ginsberg and teaching of Tibetan Buddhism are also helpful.
When mediating, try to focus on your physical being—your butt in the chair, hands resting on your thighs, feet on the floor and the gravity supporting that. You can also concentrate on sensation and hearing. Don’t follow the reaction to the sounds, but just notice the sounds themselves.
Lasso a spot at Write in the Heart of Texas on Saturday, Feb. 3, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. at the Joe C. Thompson Center in Austin! Click here to register. Interested in volunteering or discussing sponsorship opportunities? Email asjatx@gmail.com.