InSpirit Resources - Journal Keeping

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Another way I nurture my soul is by keeping a daily journal. My journal is my soul book. It is my dialogues with God.
Marion Woodman

It seems to me that writing is a marvelous way of making sense of one's life, both for the writer and for the reader.
John Cheever

Writing in a journal is about learning to pay better attention to the world -- learning to wake up, in fact. Those who practice it on a regular basis find that it involves an emptying and a repletion all at once: an emptying out of the self -- and a filling up of energy, a gathering of strength.
Heather, dailywriting@coollist.com

A breed apart from the diarists who write simply to collect the days or preserve impressions of foreign places are those who set out in their books to discover who they really are. These are generally very serious people, more in the way of pilgrims, with inward destinations, than mere travelers --they want to use their diaries to test, and add to, their strength.
Thomas Mallon

I write to lose myself and to find that which is more than myself - that which connects me to my ancestors, to Eternity, to the unknown that is to come, to the unknown that is right here, to you. I write because my life is at stake. I write to sit long in the silence that rises when writing is done.
Michael Ventura

The journal is a witness, an unconditional friend, a soul teacher. Sometimes we just complain. Writing out the dark thoughts lessens their power. Having conversations with ourselves in journals gives us chances to work things out in private. We collect and form our own history (and herstory) with journals. . . . Your journal is your friend. Your journal is patient and truly an open book. . . . Whatever coaxes us out of hiding, to write, record, express, is a revolutionary act. It says that we believe our lives count. Our lives do count.
Sark

I think of my journal as part treasure chest in which I store ideas--my own and those of others I have taken a fancy to. It is part mailbox filled with correspondence--mostly to myself, sometimes to God. My journal is part wishbook, too, for in it I transcribe my hopes and dreams. It is part video camera. With it I record both significant and ordinary happenings in my life that I replay for myself at a later date. My journal is part sieve, too, in which I occasionally capture a golden nugget from the flowing river of my life. And my journal is part prayer book, for in its pages I commune with God.
Melanie Svoboda

If a journal answers just one question, it is: What is God doing in my life?
Jan Johnson

Deity, diary, journey and journal all have as their root the word, ‘day.’ By recording our daily thoughts, feelings and experiences, we communicate with and comprehend our spirit selves as manifested through our physical selves.
Theresa Danna

Our work with journal keeping focuses on the use of journal keeping as a spiritual discipline.

Elizabeth is a certified Journal to the Self instructor through the Center for Journal Therapy, Denver, Colorado. She has co-authored the book Ennea-Journaling, Writing for Transformation, How to start or expand a journal writing practice and use it with the Enneagram as a tool for change and growth, a 50-page book/workbook co-authored by Elizabeth W. Libbey and Jocelyn Campbell is available from InSpirit ReSources for $16.50 plus $3.00 shipping and handling.

She also co-authored the article, Ennea-Journaling, Writing for Transformation which was published in the August 2001 Enneagram Monthly.

We offer several difference courses in journal keeping in addition to ongoing journal keeping support groups. Some of the following courses are also done in weekend retreat format.

Introduction to Journaling - a six-week course that provides the tools and support for beginning journal keepers.

Journal to the Self - a twelve hour introduction to different journal writing techniques.

The Artist's Way - a twelve- week course based exploring creativity through journal keeping; based on Julia Cameron's book by the same title.

Therapeutic Journal Keeping - a six-week course that focuses on journal keeping as a healing tool. (A number of scientific studies have confirmed the
benefit of journal writing for improved physical as well as improved emotional health and well-being.)

Ennea-Journaling, Writing for Transformation - a 12-week course based on the work Betsy is doing with Jocelyn Campbell.

People have been keeping diaries and journals ever since paper and writing implements became readily available.

One of the roles a diary can play is that of trusted friend or confidant. A diary is a place where we can say anything--divulge our deepest secrets,
fears, and desires, mourn our losses, exclaim over our delights, be ourselves. This use of diary can be very beneficial in terms of alleviating some of the stress that accumulates in our lives, leading to unhappiness and even physical disease. But that use is only touching the tip of the "iceberg" that is the transformative power of writing.

The difference between a diary and a journal is both in 'attention' (what we attend to in our writing) and 'intention' (what the purpose of our writing is). In a journal we record our inner journey, so outward circumstances are important only as they relate to inner life. And in a journal we write with the intention not only of keeping track of the journey but also for exploring who we are and what we are here for. We write to learn more, to reclaim lost and shadowy parts of ourselves, to develop and access the fullness of our humanity and our spirit.

There are no absolute rules for journal keeping. Although there are no rules for journal writing, there are some helpful tips to keep in mind. Give yourself permission to trust whatever works for you and forget anything else. Any day is a day for a new beginning. Start over at any time.

"RULES" FOR JOURNAL KEEPING

(These rules are elaborated upon in Ennea-Journaling, Writing for Transformation. See ordering information above.)

Protect your privacy.
Begin with a centering or quieting exercise.
Date your entries.
Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Start writing, keep writing, and write as fast as you comfortably can.
Use your senses.
Include thoughts, feelings, actions, and reactions.
Keep what you write and review it periodically.
Leave the last couple of pages in each journal for summarizing the entire volume
Time, place, ritual, support.

There are many different techniques and even more types of exercises that can be incorporated into your writing practice which are discussed in our book. And, there are many different types of specialized journals including Gratitude Journal, Nature Journal, Travel Journal, Dream Journal, Intuition Journal, and Pleasure Journal. (These are also elaborated on in our book along with ideas for incorporating creativity in your journal keeping.)

L I N K S

Center for Journal Therapy, Kathleen Adams, LCP
The mission of the Center for Journal Therapy is to make the healing art of journal writing accessible to all who desire self-directed change. The Center for Journal Therapy is the premier source of education and training on the power of writing to heal body, psyche, and soul.

Visit any of my Online Journals:

Fork Creek Journal

Ordinary Days . . .

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