Somatic Exercise for the soul.

MUSIC. Put on a CD, create a playlist, turn on a certain radio station. Try to find something that brings on the tears, maybe they are not even sad tears, maybe they are happy tears, tears of nostalgia, tears because you have loved and lost; but you HAVE LOVED! How fortunate and incredible! Write this purposeful/serendipitous “mixtape” down.

Wait until you are alone. Play it. LOUD. NO headphones.

Run a nice hot bath.

Now BLAST your music. Lay in it. Move in it. Flail. Fully immerse yourself in it. Think of all the reasons this music means SO MUCH to you. Really listen to the lyrics. Every word. FEEL the drum beats, every single pluck of the guitar, the way the vocalist pulls at your heartstrings or tickles your soul.

Ask yourself WHY?! What is it about this combination of language and sound that affects you so?

Write down, right now, what you feel. Any words! They don’t have to make sense—just write.

TURN IT UP! Bring yourself to the brink of your emotion. Confront it. Be with it. Ask it to join you in the warm water. Undress it and you. Step into the tub. Bring along your memories…

Slide in slowly. Be gentle with yourself. Let the water rise until it is wrapping itself around as much of your body as possible.

CRY. Sob like a child. Bathe in those tears. Let it all out.

MOAN. GASP. Get ugly. Allow yourself.

BREATHE.

Whimper.

Giggle.

LAUGH OUT LOUD.

Just be. Remember.

Let the music run out. Let the moment and all its emotions and affect wash over you.

Slowly rise from the mixture of tears and lukewarm bathwater. Dry yourself off and get as warm and comfortable as possible. Write. Write about your pain, your joy, the water, the words. Write the lyrics of one of the songs, or the lyrics that stick with you from more than one of the songs.  Mix them up. Create your own. Think WHY this music? WHY now? WHY ever? What do these choices say about you and your experience?

Sometimes it is radical to release our selves onto our self. To let out all our feelings, let alone encourage their release.

Fall asleep with your poetry, you beautiful poet.