Writing for Yoga Teachers: Process + Practice
When it comes to writing — no matter what you are writing — the goal isn’t necessarily the end-product. Sure, we want to have a final piece of work that is publishable. However, the key to getting there is understanding the path.
Like the yoga practice, writing isn’t necessarily about the destination. When we are practicing a new or advanced pose, we have to learn the kramas or the steps and stages along the way to get there. And when we do so, we learn about ourselves and our bodies, which, as you’ve probably experienced, is more important than the pose itself. And, at some point, we arrive at a version of the pose that is new, aligned, and even exciting.
Writing is no different. When we become more attuned to our writing process — our writing habits and patterns — we start to become more aware of what works and what doesn’t in our own writing.
What’s most important to remember is that your process does not need to look a certain way. Just as my downward-facing dog might look different than yours; your writing process will be different than mine. And that’s okay! Rather than seeking a specific method, the writing process allows you to more thoroughly understand your personal path to writing.
But with that in mind, there are four stages of writing that most of us partake in. Though I have them listed in a specific order, it is crucial to remember that there is no correct order to these stages. In fact, most people oscillate between them many times throughout the writing process.
FOUR STAGES OF THE WRITING PROCESS
PREWRITING: For many, this is the most difficult part of writing. This is the stage where we brainstorm and decide what ideas we want to share. Here, we consider our topic, our audience, and our purpose. At this stage, there is no writing happening. This step is the precursor to writing where we explore the possibilities.
PLANNING: During the planning stage, we start to develop more coherent ideas, considering structure, possible research, potential multimedia, etc. that we want to include in our writing. At this stage, writers have either not yet begun writing, or they have started writing and are using the planning stage to re-organize jumbled ideas. Many writers find it helpful to develop a formal, working outline and a working thesis statement. (Note: “working” means something that is likely to change as the writing develops).
DRAFTING: Here is where the heavy lifting happens. This is the actual act of writing. Drafting can occur in the midst of any other stage of the writing process. There is no set number of times a piece of writing needs to be drafted. The general rule is to draft as many times as needed until the work is publishable. That means, sometimes, you can draft five times. Other times you might have to draft 500.
POLISHING: Generally, polishing is a final-ish stage of writing. This is where we start making corrections and tidying things up. However, as your drafts develop, it is helpful to polish as you go. There are two distinct stages of polishing:
- Revisions: Revisions are global changes. In other words, these are big changes: adding paragraphs, folding in multimedia, adding hyperlinks, rewriting a section.
- Editing: Editing is synonymous with local changes: fixing punctuation, correcting grammar, etc. Local edits are the least important part of the writing process. This is not to say they are unimportant. But readers care much more about your content than your commas!
This is one of my most favorite visuals of the writing process. Keep in mind that the language used in the video is slightly different. However, the stages are still the same (like yoga, there are some differences in language when it comes to writing):
Remember, the writing process is both a process and a practice. Luckily, yoga teachers are pros at process and practice. As such, stay present and mindful as you write. And more importantly, remain open to changes in your process as you evolve.
