Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice

I taught in a public secondary school for 27 years. One of the practices I found extremely helpful to my students and myself was Proprioceptive Writing, as described in Writing The Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice, by Linda Trichter Metcalf and Tobin Simon. In fact, I can say that the practice revived my joy in writing and revitalized my ability to teach it. It is a practice that educates my ability to listen, to actually hear and feel what I think and experience, and be better able to read others and thus act more appropriately and compassionately.Proprioceptive Writing is a practice where you “write what you hear and listen to what you write.” The theatre of mind is illuminated. You don’t edit. Whatever appears, you record, as is. And when something appears that is filled with hidden meanings, history, detail, you open it up. You ask, “What did I mean by ______?” and you write what you hear and listen to what you write. At the end are further questions to take you more deeply into the writing.And then you read aloud what you wrote, and you listen as you read, just as you listen while you write. You feel what you wrote even more intensely than when you were writing. This trains your ability to be an audience, to hear openly, with interest, care, even kindness. I learned to hear the words I said to myself very clearly and feel their meaning and implications.Proprioceptive Writing can be used regularly, as a practice in clearing your mind and easing your body. It can help you know what you think and feel so you can act more thoughtfully. It can help you make important decisions and reveal your creativity. It can be used in schools and boardrooms.

This book and writing process has been a total game-changer for me. Not only has it been great for diving into the recesses of my mind, it has shifted how I write as a whole and has greatly improved my ability to communicate complex ideas in relatable ways. I also did an intensive week-long proprioceptive writing workshop and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to take their thoughts and writing to a deep and meaningful level.

This is the best book I have ever read and used to help me become a better writer. The PW method also has benefits in speaking and communication in general as it teaches you how to hear yourself think and how to reconcile the gap between the words in your mind and the words you use in the world. The discovery of the PW method is a big deal, a very important concept and method that has not received the recognition it deserves. If you only read one book about writing, if you only try one technique -- this should be the one. PW really delivers and you will find a lifetime of benefit from the techniques you learn. Linda Trichter-Metcalf discovered and developed this important new method that enables you to hear the words you are thinking and effectively transfer your inner voice to the outside world. Along with her colleague Tobin Simon, they should be commended for their important contribution to enabling and enhancing, even liberating a higher level of human creative expression and communication. I am grateful to them for their untiring work to bring PW into the world.

This has been one of the best books I have read about writing to find your authentic voice. The practice has really helped me open up my mind and my writing and allowed me to slow down and listen. This is quite a huge feat because my mind is usually racing from idea to idea and thought to thought. I have found that the practice helps me get to the heart of issues, that for some reason, I cannot access otherwise. I'm not sure why the practice works, but it definitely works! I find myself asking, even outside the practice, the all important question: "What do I mean by..." It brings thought to a deeper level, and has definitely helped me get past the surface of my thoughts into their deeper meaning.

I used to journal a lot, and now I have a method that is closer to meditation and really deep exploration of my mind than any other method i've used in the past. It's a must have for all those who want to unleash their creativity.

I met a nice old man in a Ten Thousand Villages shop in Atlanta where I worked. He had visited the shop several times and bought gifts for his family. He was one of those people you meet that you connect with right away. He asked for my email address so that he might stay in touch with me.He called me Little Fizz!Well, I don't normally do that, but I gave him my email address. Great move on my part. I have only received three emails over many months, but each one made my heart sing. They were so beautifully written and so alive with authenticity. I told him that he should write. He said that he did... proprioceptively.New word for me, so I immediately Googled it. What a gift. Even if you don't aspire to be a writer, get this book! You won't regret it. Writing the Mind Alive: The Proprioceptive Method for Finding Your Authentic Voice

The practice in this book allows you to truly hear your own voice again, and have a serious dialog with yourself!

The Proprioceptive Writing method outlined in Writing the Mind Alive is based on reflecting on your thoughts in writing.In Proprioceptive Writing, you investigate the meanings of the words you are actually using to express your thoughts. The tool used is called "the Proprioceptive Question," asked as "What do I mean by ________ ? " By using this tool, you're able to unpack many of the meanings behind a word or phrase that seems particularly interesting to you. This may give you new information about your experiences.It's simple to learn, and the practice takes only 20-25 minutes a day.You do not have to be a "creative writer" or skilled at writing academic papers. All you need is a willingness to sit down, turn on some music and pick up a pen, and an interest in your own thoughts.

This is the second edition of this excellent book that I've purchased. I gave the first one away to someone who found it most helpful, so had to replace it.

This book paves a path for the individual who is not afraid to delve into the depth of one's owntrue nature. There is a process one follows that is clearly explained in this book. Theproprioceptive method is a simple yet precise way of understanding oneself and freeing oneselffrom limited misunderstood beliefs about self and ones place in the world. You light a candle,and play baroque music. During this process certain parts of the brainallow access to unconscious thought patterns as one writes and answers particular simple questionsto illuminate further inquiry. Any one can do this and it can also be done in groups.I highly recommend this book. It opens up creativity and clarity in one's life.

This book was recommended to me by my mentor. I am so glad I was directed to read it. The technique is simple yet effective. I have recommended the technique to my psychotherapy patients and they have found it simple and effective as well. The book is well written and the technique is easy to grasp

J’ai adoré! À voir pour un atelier, ça doit être une belle expérience