Corpse or Relaxation Pose for Revision (Used in Class Today: Worked Well)

[I used this method again in my first-year writing courses, and it seemed to engage the students.]

Corpse (Or Relaxation) Pose for Revision

If we reach the point where we can't write because we're too preoccupied, caught up in hopes for a particular outcome or facing a roadblock, we can restore ourselves to a more open, inventive position. The Corpse Pose for Writing (or Relaxation Pose) is a method for reducing anxiety around revision. It gives us a fresh start and makes any phase of writing, no matter how late in the process, resemble the earliest phases of invention like brainstorming and early drafting.

STEPS

Clear your desk or writing area of any signs of the project (including pens, pencils, Post-Its, notebooks, review letters, feedback). 

Divide the draft into its paragraphs.

Place each paragraph on separate screens or print out onto separate pieces of paper. Move in reverse order, putting the chunk closest to the end of the draft (the feet) on the first screen or sheet of paper, followed by a subsequent paragraph on the next screen, until the very last screen or page of paper holds the opening (the head) of this draft.

Watching your in and out breath, turn your attention to the "feet" of the draft--only the feet. 

Put all of your attention on this section: reread it. Scan it up and down for any sort of tension that arises. Where are you frustrated, irritated, worried, or any other emotion? Don't try to fight off these emotions: simply observe them with a detached mind. Scan also for images, associations, and new ideas that arise from your mindfully watching the feet of the draft. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

After a few minutes, release this part of the draft. Release the feet: let it sink back down onto the floor (if a sheet or paper) or into the computer (close the screen). Let go of everything concerning that section.

Watching your in and out breath, turn your attention now to the "calves and thighs" of the draft--only this section.

Put all of your attention on this section: reread it. Scan it up and down for any sort of tension that arises. Where are you frustrated, irritated, worried, or any other emotion? Again, don't try to fight off these emotions: simply observe them with a detached mind. Scan also for images, associations, and new ideas that arise from your mindfully watching the legs of the draft. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

After a few minutes, release this part of the draft. Release the legs: let them sink back down onto the floor (if a sheet or paper) or into the computer (close the screen). Let go of everything concerning that section.

Move now to the "pelvic area" and "belly" of the draft. Repeat the same steps as above. Then let go of everything concerning those sections. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

Move to the "torso" or "chest" area of the draft. Repeat the same steps and then let go of everything concerning that section. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

Move to the "arms" and "hands" of the draft. Repeat the steps and then let go of everything concerning those sections. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

Move to the "shoulders" and "neck" of the draft. Repeat the steps and then let go of everything concerning those sections. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

Move to the "face" of the draft, observing even the finest strain of mental-musculature tension. Because this is the face, it is what the world sees most about our writing: it is the most noticeable part of our draft. The beginning of the draft thus can contain the most complicated of stresses, built up over time. Repeat the steps and then let go. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

Last of all, move to the "crown" of the draft, the space above the first section, where a title lies or might reside one day. Capture your thoughts in a 1-2 minute freewrite.

By now the rest of the draft is relaxed. You are probably relaxed. Spend a few moments in this state. If possible, have a writing companion or friend immediately ask you a question about your draft or writing experience. In this relaxed state, so close to the floor, so close to the unconscious, you may find insights and ideas not possible with a strained, tight mind.