Interview With Nancy Carlson

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the thoughtful reflections of yoga and meditation teacher, Reiki master and Holistic Nurse Coach, Nancy Carlson, who comes to us from Massachusetts. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

As a child I loved reading poetry, a true day-dreamer, I would play with words as if I was a poet too! In my teen and college years, I started to write poems as they related to my feelings, difficulties and joys: these were my secrets. I loved e.e. cummings and Yeats. My simple poetry included metaphors of nature, love of God and of something much larger than what life seemed to be.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

My self-growth, challenges, reflections, emotions, what inspires me, transformations, gratitude, love...and from some deeper place with that felt like a source of creativity.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

I am not good at rhyming, with anything linear, black and white or within a structure that feels constrictive to be, forced.

When do you feel most inspired to write poetry?

It just seems to come-up, it just does. An expression of something that is hard to describe with words, yet is another way of using those words. It can be a feeling, an image, metaphor, confusion, sorrow, love! Whatever it is, it shows up and keeps speaking to me to write. During life-experiences, transitions, deaths, births, milestones, learning, integrating, need to express, the un-known or mystery....often during times of quiet and connection to self. It is a personal part of my truth, my true self.  It is art, creative, releasing, freeing, connection and opening of doors within myself. It expresses in a way that I could not have imagined, till the words just start to flow. Unraveling the complicated, allowing the mystery to be and takes center stage in bringing consciousness to the unconscious. I feel so alive with a poem...

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public?

That I won’t be heard or I will be judged or critiqued because I am not a seasoned poet or writer. That my subject is personal, but when I do share and it seems to touch others in some way....then I am aware that this poetry is much bigger than me and is a source of healing and joy!

What is the most profound thing you have learned from writing poems?

That I am a part of the Whole of Life and that my feelings and experiences are universal. That this poetry comes from my heart and  is a sharing of my heart with others. A gift to myself and all. It feels like Grace...

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

I think it has always been a spiritual process for me. Somewhat like a prayer...connecting with nature, mystery, more that what this life seems to be, eternal, always there, gratitude, love and devotion. I feel a connection to that deeper knowing, to source, to that essence that is always there, eternally. I become a part of the portal of Love, within and without. I notice that this process is essential to my life.

What function has writing poems played for you in your life?

Integration, discovery, truth, joy, purpose, creativity, connecting to my heart. It speaks to the mystery, beauty and service to God and all others.

Name some of your favorite poetesses.

Mary Oliver, Rumi, Mirabai, O’Donnahue, Mary Angelou, Maria Rilke and the Upanishads.....to speak of some poets.

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

A feeling of connection, validation, appreciation, inspiration, beauty of expression, vulnerability and a deeper perception of others.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

From Yoga In The Gita blogspot by Catherine Ghosh and Braja Sorensen, I met Catherine and became interested in Journey of the Heart as a way to bring my poems to the public within a setting that felt so right to me.

Have you publicly shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

No, only as gifts to others or for certain events.

If not, what did it feel like to share your poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart?

It was amazing growth for me to take this step. There was so much acceptance, support, sharing, and love form these like-minded poetesses. I felt that I could truly learn and grow in this space!

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

A loving acceptance of myself and my expression of that...huge!

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

Catherine has been so supportive, open, kind and lovingly guiding me along in this process of self-exploration and source of devotion to Truth and Love. Poetry anchors me in that place within that connects with that Source that is never ending. From this place, there is such acceptance, love, joy and Grace comes….

Nancy Carlson: "I am an evolving poet, writing mostly as reflection, contemplation. But most recently, as a student of bhakti-yoga, as an expression of my devotion. I work as an Holistic Nurse Coach, yoga/meditation teacher and Reiki Master. You may contact me on Facebook here or via my website 'Joyful Healing' here. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Freya Watson

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to inspiring author, mystic and mother, Freya Watson, who comes to us from the beautiful, Irish countryside. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

I have always considered myself a prose writer and never really entertained the idea of writing poetry until it became an emotional necessity.  I first started scribbling short verses during a period of intensity when phrases just presented themselves in such a way that they captured the immediacy of the way I was feeling in a manner which more carefully considered prose never could.  There are times in life when feelings run so deep that either talking about them or trying to capture them as properly-constructed sentences doesn't do us justice. 

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

Poetry is always extremely personal for me – and what I write about has to be a reflection of subjects that touch my heart.   Love, sex, passion, sadness, anger, frustration, the divine are all easy subjects to write about.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

If I can't feel it strongly, I can't write poetry about it.  It's not so much about subjects as it is about how deeply I connect with the subject.  For me to turn to poetry as a vehicle for expression, there has to be an urgency behind what I'm feeling. 

What are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

Ah!  I have to confess that poetry has to be one of the most self-indulgent things I do.  My inspiration is always my own life.  Actually, 'inspiration' seems a bit of misnomer – in my case anyway.  'Fuel' might be a better term.  It feels like the strong emotions that are stirred up from time to time in daily life are transmuted in some way through the verses I write.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

I'm not sure that I have moved beyond the hesitation – or that anyone ever does, completely.  I don't think I'm the only writer who feels that their poetry is intensely personal and, as such, wonders at whether it is something which is purely individual or if it can have universal appeal.  Over time, I think I've got more used to exposing myself – and to accepting that others feel equally vulnerable when they do likewise.  But isn't that what makes the world a more interesting and beautiful place – when we are willing to show who we really are?

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

It would have to be the discovery that others like what I write and can resonate with some of it, despite its personal nature!

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

My poetry reflects my most intense, raw and vulnerable side – it exposes my soul.  I only write poetry when I'm deeply moved to do so (although I did once try a 30 day poetry challenge on Wordpress).  As a result, it is a process, which is almost beyond conscious will.  It presents itself with an urgency, a necessity, which comes from somewhere deep inside and insists on flowing out and onto the page.  It's only my ego (and, perhaps, my creative editor) that keeps a lot of what I write in a little notebook in the drawer 'for later' rather than allowing more of it to find its way through to publication. 

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

When I'm moved to turn to verse as a way of expressing what I feel, I find it deeply cathartic.  It takes something deeply felt – perhaps too deeply felt for ordinary communication – and allows it to be externalized.  It captures a magic that few words can more easily express than lengthy sentences.  It's not something I do very often so when I do, it reflects a particular point in my life in a way that nothing else does.  Even looking back at old poems helps to show me how far I've come (or fallen!).  

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

I have to confess to not being a huge fan of poetry.  But, all the same, I have to count Hafiz and Rumi among my favorites – especially Ladinsky's translation of Hafiz, 'The Subject Tonight is Love'.  I also have a soft spot for the metaphysical poets like John Donne, whose poetry has stayed with me since school.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

An online acquaintance who had read some of my prose suggested that I might like to consider Journey of the Heart and I have to admit to being deeply touched at both the suggestion and at the poems I read there.  It is a most wonderful, colorful and eclectic selection of heart-felt poetry, which deserves to be on the bookshelf of any passionate woman.

Have you publicly shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

I had started to quietly make my poetry available on my Wordpress blog and also to illustrate some of the chapters in two of my books, 'The Beautiful Garden' and 'Sexy Spirit'.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

Honestly, I have to say my general experience of sharing my poetry on Journey of the Heart was pride.  I feel proud to be among such a wonderful group of women and to be part of such an amazing project.  I would never have thought that something so personal could unite women around the globe.  It makes me wonder how much further it can go.  Perhaps poetry can work wonders where more mundane approaches to unity have failed?

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

I think we all carry with us from childhood some preconceived notions of what poetry is or isn't.  For a long time, I know I was turned off the idea of poetry from having read too many perfectly-rhymed but emotionally-lacking verses, and from having to dissect others' work.  I'm not sure you can 'try' to write poetry.  I think it either flows or it doesn't.  You just have to go with it at first and you can use your wisdom and discernment to polish it afterward, if that is something you feel is important.  Personally, I like my poetry raw – but others, I know, appreciate polish.  Poetry is such a personal thing, in terms of both taste and expression, that I think the best way we can view it is with curiosity and wonder at the spirit of the poet who breathed their essence into the words.

Freya Watson: Author, lover, mother, mystic... I have feet in so many worlds but see all of them as sacred and I have long had a fascination with plumbing the depths of love, life and relationships – and with seeing women live from a place of true inner empowerment. My books are on Amazon and I'm a regular contributor on Elephant Journal. I live and write in the peace of the Irish countryside, where I share space and time with three energetic daughters and my partner, though I consider myself a citizen of the world. Connect with me via my Facebook page. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Savitri Talahatu

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the lovely yogini Savitri, who is a life coach and healer from Bali, living now in Toronto, Canada. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

Perhaps in the 5^th of 6^th grade and blossomed in junior high school. I loved reading poetry and started to write pages of “flow of consciousness” which later had a poetic “feel” to them. Although I’ve learned about quatrain, stanza, sloka, haiku, rhyme, etc., I have never written poems in a certain “form”.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

The easiest subject for me to write poems on is about my connection to the Source and the process feels as though the words come through me, and not from me.

Which subjects are the hardest for you to write about?

Every subject is hard for me to write as I see myself as a medium, an instrument, and not a writer or a poet. Do you have any advice on how to shift that? Before leaving for Bali and India last year, I thought about starting a blog and writing regularly to share my experience with family and friends but that didn’t happen.

When are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

When my heart is wide open and the words, like life, just flow through me.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

Most of my poems came to me as “downloads”. I often feel a strong desire to keep them private because others may not understand the context.

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

That the poems have their own unique voice, wanting to be born.

That I am an instrument of the poems, facilitating their births, not the creator.

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

Each poem was often born after walking in nature, dancing or meditation, but also out of a period of longing, deep listening, and reciting a mantra.

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

During trying time, I write as an outlet to express what which wouldn’t have had any expression otherwise. Writing has been a true and trusted friend.

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

I love the poetry of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Rumi, Maya Angelou, Pablo Neruda, Rabindranath Tagore, Mirabai, Kabir Das, Hafiz, Omar Khayyam and many more.

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

Reading the poems of others, especially a few of those mentioned above, often transport me to a different reality, as if entering the poet’s private chamber.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

I first discovered Journey of The Heart on Facebook when the posts appeared on my newsfeed. After awhile, I responded to your call for spiritual poems and sent my poetry to you, just to see if my poetry was in the same vein with your vision for Journey of The Heart. Thank you so much for providing me with an opportunity to explore another facet of my existence.

Have you publically shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

When I was in high school, I shared my poetry in the school’s newsletter. It was easy and natural because it was in Bahasa Indonesia. I did not feel any pressure to maintain the heart-felt essence as when writing poetry in English. 

What did it feel like to share your poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart?

When Catherine shared my poetry for the first time on Journey of The Heart, I was not sure whether I should let people know or keep quiet about it. When I got over that inner talk, I shared the post with my personal, teaching and holistic healing facebook pages. It was quite an interesting feeling to see a part of me out there in the world and I am wondering if any novice poetess feels the same way I did.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

It has been a delightful learning experience of sharing my poetry, with Catherine personally first, and then with Journey of The Heart. I thank her for her encouragement and for your kind words of support.

Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

In the world of poetry, I found a world of beauty, enchantment and wonderment.

Savitri Ingga Talahatu was born and raised in Bali to musician parents from different ethnic and religious backgrounds. She is mother to a grown son and god-mother to a beautiful 17 year old god-daughter.  Savitri has been a multi-disciplinary teacher for almost three decades, having taught in the public system in Indonesia and in Canada, at universities and community colleges, women's shelters and senior residences. She currently teaches bhakti-infused Hatha and Kundalini Yoga classes, facilitates Yoga and Wellness workshops in Toronto, and at an annual Yoga teacher-training program in Bali.  Savitri is also a life coach, holistic health practitioner, labor and post-partum doula, childbirth educator and Reiki Master. In her spare time, she plays with a gamelan ensemble since its inception in 2001. You may contact Savitri though e-mail soulsanctuary88@gmail.com Or on facebook here. 

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Zoe Quiney

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the free spirited Zoe Quiney, from Sydney, Australia, who shares her writings with others to "inspire, empower, help and heal". 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry?

I've always been fascinated with words ever since I was a child. I loved writing stories and poems - I was always scribbling away in my room and I loved to rhyme and play around with words.

Which subjects are easiest for you to write poems on?

It's hard to say if there's a topic I find easiest but I probably tend to sit and write more naturally about a specific feeling or the environment I'm in at the time. It always seems to flow from the heart when I'm feeling something more powerfully.

What are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

My experiences mainly, and the environment I'm in.. I'll get a very distinct feeling whether it's a personal experience, or some beautiful scenery or an idea about life. Life inspires me daily.

What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

I didn't share anything I'd written for years and still don't share quite a lot of what I write, perhaps some poems are more personal, but I guess it's that vulnerability that goes with expressing yourself in public that can be daunting, especially when it’s very heartfelt. But sometimes you know that sharing that piece of you might inspire others to do the same, or relate to what you're expressing in some way. And poems always mean different things to different people, which is one of the great things about them! They're open to interpretation.

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

That writing poetry is like free therapy! There's something incredibly cathartic about getting your feelings on paper, in a meaningful way. It's not just writing, it's art.

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

I find the times that I write what I consider to be my best or most heart-felt poems are when I switch off and let myself flow and my subconscious or I guess, my soul, begins to speak :)

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

I'm always scribbling in notepads and in my phone whenever I get a spark of inspiration and it's become a sort of journal for me - I then type up whatever it is I've written and If I look back over all my saved scribblings and poems, I can see the journey I've come on and like an emotional polaroid.

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

I am a huge fan of Maya Angelou and everything she did for empowering women by encouraging them to express themselves, allowing them to have a voice, and be unafraid to be feminine, sexy and proud. I love Khalil Gibran, Anna Akhmatova and Haruki Morakami for their powerful ways with words and Rainer Rilke's - Letters to a Young poet is beautiful.

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

I stumbled across it through a friend on Facebook, and sent in a poem of mine which I'd just written - Which was the first poem I'd ever submitted to a public forum.  It was exciting and scary to see it in public. I felt quite exposed!  But the reactions were amazing and I realized that expression through any form of art is necessary and a beautiful thing. The fear is always just a natural emotional response to putting something that you've made, out there. And it's never as bad as you imagine! Quite the opposite. It's liberating.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

I have been inspired, more than anything, by the amazing women out there who courageously share their words with the world and I have learnt to be more brave and fearless when it comes to self-expression. It's an incredible journey to be on and it's amazing to be supported along the way by such amazing talents and souls.

Zoe Quiney: “I'm a part time writer and full time dreamer with a penchant for anything or anyone weird, amusing, interesting and beautiful. I believe in creating your own heaven on earth and I find inspiration in people and places that calm my soul. I want to leave something meaningful behind in this lifetime, even if it's just a nice poem. You may connect with me on Facebook here. Or find me on my blog or tumbler here.”

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~ 

Interview With Krista Katrovas

Welcome to The Women Behind The Poetry, where we interview women from the 'Journey of The Heart: Women's Spiritual Poetry Project'!  

Today we introduce you to the lovely and very generous-hearted Krista Angelique Katrovas who runs a yoga studio and clothing boutique in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she empowers women. 

When and how did you first begin writing poetry? 

“Roses are red

Violets are blue

Sugar is sweet

and so are you”

This was the first poem I remember memorizing, and I wrote poems as a little girl off and on, privately to those I loved, yet never actually giving them to them. I was too scared to show them to anyone.

Which subjects are easiest or hardest for you to write poems on?

I don’t feel there is an easiest, or hardest, but I suppose the hardest were ones on topics that I couldn’t choose myself in school. The “assignment,” poems I suppose were always the “hardest,” and the “easiest,” are those which pours out with so much expediency that the poem seems to write itself and I dictate what is flowing out.

When are some of your sources of inspiration in writing poetry?

Reading others work who I love. Mother Nature, Divine Feminine and the Goddess, are probably the greatest sources of all, from source herself.

 What is your biggest fear or hesitation when deciding to share a poem with the public, and how do you move beyond it?

I suppose there is hesitation when I am telling a story through my poems that reveal those hidden parts of me, and sharing is so liberating, and healing, that there isn’t much fear around the sharing.

What is the most profound, meaningful or enlightening discovery you have made while writing poems?

There is magic in writing poems. A-HA moments always come.

How is writing poetry a spiritual process for you?

 I am an owl by nature. For me, writing poems always happens in the dark hours. The Moon is part of it, my power animals are part of it, and the “quietude,” that the late and great Maya Angelou spoke of, allows Goddess, the divine creative energy, Shakti, to do her dance with my breath and fingertips. 

What function or role has writing poems played for you in your life?

 Poems allow me to shave away the fat in life, so I can get right down to the bones of living.

Name some of your favorite poems, poets or poetry books.

Maya Angelou, I love everything of hers. I also love Alice Walker. Her writing resonates deeply in my bones. William Blake is glorious, Dylan Thomas, Elizabeth Bishop, Sappho, and not only because she was great, but because we share the same birthday, the wondrous Emily Dickinson is my birthday sister and I like to think when I write we’re dancing with every poet alive and also those in spirit.

What effect does reading the poems of others have on you?

To me reading is writing and writing is reading, or there’s something vitally missing. 

How did you first discover Journey of The Heart?

 In wonderful world of faces, Sacred Space Book (Facebook.)

Have you publically shared your poetry before doing so via this project?

 I hold an MFA in Poetry, so yes, I have had poems published and also poetry workshops were an intricate part of the MFA program.

What has been your general experience of sharing your poetry on Journey of The Heart?

AMAZING! Catherine is a Goddess, a Sistar, so dear and kind, and every poem she has made more beautiful through the images she chooses and how kind and sensitive she is to the fellow poetesses. She brings the poems alive on a visceral level, and the poems always come out more beautiful than I ever imagined. It is a blessing to know her and being part of this amazing community has been a true blessing to me. I am profoundly grateful she (Journey of the Heart) has given me the opportunity to dive deeply into my heart and the hearts of others.

 Any last words you’d like to share about poetry?

Poetry is music, dance, a painting, and a pretty dress. It is breath itself. Poetry is a good road, with so much to see along the way. Poetry is funny in that it takes you everywhere and also nowhere, fills you up and also empties, it is the moon and the sun, and the stars, and I’m definitely enjoying the ride.  

Krista Katrovas (E-RYT) has dedicated herself to the practice, study and teaching of yoga since discovering it in 1999 after dancing rigorously as a dance major in college. Krista has had scores of articles on Yoga, Wellness, and Spirituality published in nationally regulated magazines. She has a regular column at Elephant Journal here. She has taught Yoga in Prague every July since 2009 and has been sought to teach in Kuwait, Canada, Virginia, California, Kentucky, and Florida. She calls Kalamazoo, Michigan home, where she teaches Yoga, Meditation, offers Spiritual guidance, and practices Shamanism. She has cats, though also loves dogs, all animals. Her power animal is the Snowy Owl. Visit her yoga website here.

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PLEASE CLICK "comments" BELOW TO SHARE A RESPONSE.

~If you are one of the poetesses from 'Journey of the Heart', and would like to appear in this blog, just click here to request an interview. We are excited to learn more about you!~

~If you write poetry and would like to share it on 'Journey of The Heart', click here for submission guidelines. And thank you for your interest!~