Unscramble Your Thoughts | Proprioceptive Writing

Do you have an idea or a strong feeling about something but can’t seem to express it into words?
Have you been working on a project and need to unscramble your thoughts?
Are you feeling self-doubt or unresolved emotions?
Are you having writing blocks?

Proprioceptive Writing (PW) is a form of meditation and a writing tool used to awaken your senses and emotions, connect more deeply with yourself and thoughts, unburden your mind and resolve emotional conflicts.

The name Old School Modern Mama came to me after multiple sessions of PW. I was looking for inspiration for my blog but had no idea the direction PW would take me nor did I know what the heck I was going to write about. My first sentence was “Let’s get this party started.” followed by “Twenty five minutes. Sometimes 25 minutes seems like a lifetime….” Eventually, pages after pages of thoughts spewed on paper and Old School Modern Mama was unearthed.

Proprioceptive Writing (PW) is to navigate through your own thoughts and the results are for you (unless you choose to share) so write without worry. Don’t correct mistakes, misspellings, cuss words, etc. The most important thing is to get your thoughts, however they come, on paper. Don’t critique or judge. Just write.

PROCESS:
Total Length: 40ish Minutes
Bring: Paper, pen/pencil, timer (I use my Cell Phone Timer)
Optional: Candle, soothing music

SETTING THE STAGE:

Write where you won’t be disturbed for at least 25 minutes. For me that meant finding a time when the hubs was at work, the toddler at school, and my corgi was snoozing under a bed. I turned my phone on Do Not Disturb and shut the cover on my computer. Plan not to eat or drink during your writing period, as even a sip of H20 can distract your thoughts.

If music isn’t distracting to you, the creator of Proprioceptive Writing (PW), Linda Trichter Metcalf, Ph.D, recommends Baroque music, as it is suppose to induce alpha wave frequencies in your brain. Don’t worry, I had to look up what the heck “Baroque” meant, but I did indeed use that as background music once I Googled it. These waves are intended to put you into a more meditative and retrospective state.

If you aren’t overly sensitive to smells, light a candle for your writing session. If you are sensitive to smells, skip it. The point is to make this a sacred space for what is about to happen next.

Take a few deep breathes and get to writin’!.

Start by writing the first thing that comes to your mind. Don’t over think it. Like I said, my first sentence was “Let’s get this party started.”.

Keep on writing...
... when something catches your eye, stop and ask/write on your paper:

“What do I mean by ________________?”

Then answer that question, until another item of interest catches your eye/attention. Rinse. Repeat.

Write for a total of 25 minutes. When your time is up, finish your final thought.

REFLECT:

Spend the next 15 or so minutes reading what you wrote aloud. Listen/hear your own thoughts in your own voice. You can also spend a few minutes writing a summary of what you discovered and/or areas you would like to explore based on what came about in your writing.

Now go find your quiet place and start unscrambling your thoughts because….