Writing Health

Elvis's workshop was not directly related to writing, at least not in the ways we're used to. He gave us a series of techniques from his healing practice, which he suggested we could apply in ways that would help our writing by keeping our brains alert and efficient.

Drink water!

Oxygen and water, he told us, are essential – particularly PURE water, so he recommended spring water.

Oxygen to the brain

He reminded us to do deep, belly breathing because it's more efficient. Inspiration, which we think of in connection with writing and other artistic endeavours, means breathing in.

He told us: 'Put the tongue up, over the top teeth, while breathing in; then put the tongue down, over the bottom teeth, while breathing out. This will feed the brain with oxygen. (It may make you dizzy.) Do this for seven minutes three times a day before meals.'

Holding anger works against us.

'When there's not enough oxygen in the brain we shut down the capillaries leading to the cells. There are doors – precapillary sphincters – all over the body. HOLDING anger is the thing (also embarrassment). When you continue to be angry, the liver continues to shut down.'

He gave us an exercise he called Shiver Shake, ideally to be done half an hour a day, which may be broken up into three lots of ten minutes. Put your tongue over your bottom teeth and laugh out loud, whilst raising and lowering alternate heels and lightly shaking your arms. 'A massage from the inside' he called it, good for all sorts of things including oxygenating the brain. It should be alternated with the Super Stretch: stretch the arms upwards in turn, yawning loudly. It's half a minute shaking and half a minute stretching, for half an hour. You can also do it lying down – and if need be you can cry instead of laugh! The diaphragm will still get its massage.

He said, 'Shivering opens the capillaries, driving the blood into the organs that matter most.'

Clearing stress

You can also do stress clearing with the breath – while seated, breathe with tongue forward, put your head down and laugh.

Feeding the brain

Elvis recommended doing everything one can for the brain, and told us his recipe for banana icecream. The banana strings are the most important ingredient. They have the highest concentration of serotonin we know of. He described serotonin as the glue for the brain. It's in fruits; the maximum is in banana strings. The strings form the white pith inside the skin; scrape them off and put them in a blender with the banana itself. You need to use ORGANIC bananas. Blend and freeze – as simple as that. To make 'chocolate' icecream – though he doesn't recommend real chocolate because of the caffeine content – add carob molasses and a little rosewater; just enough rosewater to change the carob taste to chocolate.

The mind clears; you get better memory. Have three bowls of banana icecream for breakfast every week.

Questions and answers

He had called for questions in advance. They included:

How can I be more disciplined about my writing?

'First thing in the morning, lie down, put your tongue forward, laugh and shiver and super stretch for half an hour. After this you can do half an hour of disciplined writing first thing.'

How can I change my writing style?

'Re the word "my" – ask, "Who am I?" '

After some exploration we arrived at the conclusion: 'I am a soul'.

A way to experience this is by using a mudra. (Mudras are hand positions which produce specific results – an ancient technique revived in modern times.)

'Place the right hand on top of the left, palms up, interlace your fingers so the little fingers are outside. When your hands are close to the abdomen, the hand position removes views of who you are; your focus is on Soul / Higher Self / Divine Spark above and behind the head. When you open your eyes, know YOU are looking through your eyes, the light is looking through the body. You get past personal identification, where the motivation is not focused.

'You can write in many styles, as a soul. You can change, once you're in the identification of the permanent self.'

How can I market my work?

'To market a book,' he said, 'You need a title that sells. At this time a word that sells is soul. Then there's the old standard: sex. So a good title would be Soul Merger Sex.

'Having a title that sells is 80% of marketing. You can hang any story on a title, if you back it up somewhere in what you're doing.'

What did we get from Elvis's workshop?

Some of us were disappointed. It was the first day back after the holidays; we wanted to WRITE.

Others could see the application of his unusual techniques to our writing.

Pam put a good slant on it the following week: 'I think that if you're a writer you can take any experience and decide, "I can use that!" '

And sure enough, he did turn up in some of our later writings, in various guises.

I myself thought him an entertaining and unusual man with his own brand of expertise, and found the experience educational in many ways.

The banana icecream is delicious!

- Rosemary (Facilitator)