Bikram Choudhury (love him or loathe him) is the world’s most infamous yoga instructor who built a wildly successful business based on just 26 yoga postures. So what can Bikram yoga teach us about writing a book?
‘We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.’ ― Zeno of Citium
As you’re listening to your teacher in class, adjusting your legs and body accordingly, you might feel a twinge in your hamstring or a slight pain in your lower back.
The position or posture might start to feel wrong.
Have you taken it too far?
Are you still on the right track?
The only person who can answer that is you.
You have to listen to your own body, before you can listen and learn from anyone else.
You are the one who knows your body best.
You are also the one who knows your IP best.
When it comes to your book, you instinctively know when something you’re writing feels right and when it feels wrong.
If you’re digressing in all directions, researching facts and stats and info to plug in missing gaps, then stop – pause and reassess whether what you’re writing really belongs.
Listen to your instincts; follow what feels right.
‘Before you engage in a conversation, you need to clear away the clutter in your mind and find a quiet place within,’ explains Oscar Trimboli in his upcoming book Deep Listening.
I’d say that before you engage in any kind of conversation – written or spoken – before you listen and address the needs of your audience (Hot Tip 4), you have to listen and address your own needs first.
You need silence, space and time to tune in.
Because as American writer and artist Elbert Hubbard put it:
‘He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.’
free online workshop
