Manashantii’s Writing Method

Manashantii’s writing method. Wednesday 6th June 2012. Written by Manashantii

Manashantii’s website is written in the English of the United Kingdom.

I come from a long life history of many major traumas beginning at age 1 and a half as a toddler, despite this I was able to eventually adjust in adulthood. Despite all this I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t take recreational drugs, I don’t self-mutilate, nor do I have an eating disorder and I have never been in an abusive relationship in my adult life. At age 11 I was encouraged to write by the late British Comedian and writer named Spike Milligan, who visited and performed at my school when I was 11 years old. He spoke to me alone after he had read some of his works to my junior secondary school. He encouraged me to just write. During my secondary school years, three other school teachers told me to write my feelings down, because of this I was able to overcome and heal from my many major traumatic experiences which began when I was pre-verbal in childhood (as a non speaking toddler) and into adulthood which I have now overcome.

Although no idea is new under the sun, I customised and invented this method of therapeutic writing myself as a way to cope and heal from many major traumatic experiences and to record my psychological processes and my psychological progress. My main method is that I handwrite in a journal notebook how I am feeling then I talk back to myself and reflect on what I have written. As I write, I strengthen my memory, concentration, endurance, knowledge, understanding, expression and academic writing skills. I use writing as a tool to problem solve, think, plan, organise my thoughts, note down and create memories and to summarise and conclude my thoughts or learning. Writing is energising. My writing is primarily my therapy, secondly writing facilitates my learning, but for the reader and listener of my works it is perceived as an art form.

Some of the stages of my writing style are the following:- Venting, Observing and thinking and reflecting, decision-making, motivating self, action plan, praying and thanking God, and self-evaluation and or self-enquiry ( asking myself questions); I do this to motivate myself and evaluate my circumstances and I also write to gain insight into my state of mind.

For my writing I use the following:- I use writing to facilitate the venting of my emotions and to process my thoughts and transform my state of mind. Naming feelings and identifying the problem and cause, be conscious of your awareness, by examining your insight, listing and looking at options available, finding solutions, creative constructive emotional expression, emotional management, affective education, behavioural objectives by the use of planning through writing and creative arts. Although I write to release whatever is on my mind, I don’t dwell on negative feelings too long, I aim to allow myself to vent the emotions I feel and to transform my emotions to positive emotions. I try to to transform guilt into forgiveness of self, fear into faith and confidence, anger into love, blame into forgiveness of others, jealousy into building a secure relationship with myself, envy into acceptance of what I possess, and sadness and grief into joy.

When I feel overwhelming feelings, I write and cry if necessary. Writing saved my life. I was fortunate to discover therapeutic writing from age 11. Crying is unique as it can express the whole spectrum of emotions. Nothing heals more than crying, forgiveness, laughing, loving others, respecting yourself and self-reflection. Self-reflection of your feelings gives you insight to yourself. Knowing when to accept your circumstances and when to change helps you to forgive and makes you less emotionally oversensitive. Having healthy relationships also keeps you emotionally balanced. Managing healthy boundaries in relationships helps your emotional well-being. I use writing as a way to talk and think quietly on paper and to record and document my thoughts and plan a strategy to solve the problem or to enhance my learning.

Writing is one of my many healthy psychological outlets which helps me to de-stress. I use writing as a way to communicate with myself, to analyse, to think and as a result this increases my learning through expressive communication skills, learning through experience and learning through memory skills. Therapeutic writing helps me to examine myself, be in control of myself and helps me to be a master of my emotions. When it is necessary I use writing to ask myself questions and to challenge my perception, emotions, thoughts and insights and make changes in my life. Therapeutic writing helps me to apply mathematical thinking to real ife problem solving.

I am aware of my emotions, but I don’t allow myself to be continually led by my emotions. Emotions are like a thermometer that tells you what is going on in your biochemistry. Knowing how to manage my emotions means that I don’t have to let my emotions dominate me, manipulate me and bully me, neither do I have to be completely emotionally dead. I have emotional boundaries and I am a responsible parent to myself.

I can function independent of my feelings, I am emotionally mature, I am not emotionally intense and over-sensitive because I have healed and left the patterns of my childhood behind. Most people never leave the patterns of their inner child or never psychologically leave their childhood home as a result the way they psychologically function becomes affected because they are not able to be a responsible parent to themselves. No longer abusing self or others, no longer being a victim, no longer rescuing or trying to control others to change, but I realise that the only person I need to be responsible for is myself. Writing helps me to be emotionally independent with myself and have emotional boundaries with others. It is important to examine the way you parent yourself (or how you relate to yourself) and explore how others see you and treat you ; writing therapeutically and talking therapy is a good way to evaluate this.

My poems paint sensory dimensions of some of my emotional experiences. I write because I want to record my story, and it is also a creative and cathartic way of processing my feelings, my thoughts and my memories. Self assessment and self-enquiry refines my understanding of the part I play in the process and this inspires innovation in my life.

My so called “poems” are really autobiographical writings and affirmations. I write stream of consciousness accidental poetry, and I express my thoughts and my feelings through Journal writing. I don’t rhyme, use metre, or imagery intentionally. I no longer use various Buddhist meditations as I write. I now use prayer and Bible study to inspire my writing.

I write expressively and experientially using my autodidact knowledge of poetry methods. At times I write reflectively by thinking and summarising what I have learned. I write as if I am talking, emotionally venting, thinking and learning, also at the same time I am emotionally connecting to my feelings, examining my thoughts, exploring my personality, my behaviour, and my identity.

My writing method is really effective for healing from traumatic life experiences. Therapeutic writing is talking to self quietly on paper and listening to self. When I write, it illustrates to me and I experience the true condition of my soul; it is a process that reflects my thinking, writing unveils my desires whilst revealing knowledge of myself and my soul; and as a result my spirit inspires my future purpose.

At the first stage of writing, I use writing as method for self listening, observing and connecting into my thoughts, my feelings, my breathing, my body and my instincts.

At the second stage of writing, I use writing as a method for emotional processing and catharsis. As I process my emotions and my thoughts by expression through the arts I gain insight from my experiences. So at this stage I am venting and observing my psychological processes.

At the third stage of writing I use writing as a guiding instrument for transforming my emotions and being resolution focused. I begin to understand my perception and I develop analytical skills as I observe and reflect. I also look at the opinions of the other people involved if necessary.

I believe that truthful self communication requires, self listening, (breathwork, physical and sensory awareness exercises) meditation when these are all combined together they become psychological sensors for examining mind and behaviour. I believe that there is always a mental space where inner-peace always exists within everyone, from this place of inner-peace in my mind is where I listen and I write from. As I observe and I listen to my thought processes, I use this state of consciousness to guide me and ground myself.

I use writing to help me to explore the depths of my psychological dimensions. Writing helps me to inner-navigate and anchor my vision. I listen in order to psychologically receive the subliminal resonants that my consciousness reflects to me, I then amplify the breath-thought-feeling-sensation into word sounds. I then start to write down whatever thoughts come to my head, I call this the catharsis stage, because it is like a brain cleansing of my thoughts.

I re-read my work to myself. Then I reflect on how I have experienced what I have written. I then examine my perception of my written work and my state of mind and only re-edit where necessary. I avoid editing because I want the reader to experience my original thought, my feelings and my sensations. I only edit if there is a spelling mistake which must be corrected.

It is important to communicate to God. Reading The Holy Bible is listening to The Triune God ; writing and praying is talking to GOD. When reading the Holy Bible and during writing, I like to obey and listen to the voice of God to gain understanding, by discerning His Spiritual Wisdom, repenting and forgiving myself and others. I finish writing by ending with a word from the Holy Bible’s scriptures and a word of encouragement for myself or for someone. I believe that a deep Spiritual, emotional and psychological relationship with God is as important as a healthy psychological connection with yourself and with others, because to a large extent it explains my strengths, how I relate to others and my relationship with God.