Discovering Mindful Writers: Janine Agoglia

Wisdom and reflections from Janine's writing journey

Oct 03, 2024

Welcome to the October “Discovering Mindful Writers Q&A”. Each month, a guest writer answers the same seven questions about their writing life.

I am delighted to welcome

Janine Agoglia

this month. Janine writes Yoga Living 50 and Beyond, where she shares her wisdom on yoga and meditation as practices to help us age gracefully and healthily. As a GenX yoga instructor, she believes that yoga is the perfect practice for feeling more comfortable in our body and minds as we age. She is passionate about sharing her decades earned wisdom with people who want to stay active.

I hope you enjoy her answers to my questions. I love her new acceptance of “good enoughness” and this is something I try to embrace too. And that she sees this life as us all learning to be human together. What about you? Do let us know how you feel about all the things that Janine has shared with us here about life, aging, connection and trying to live more open-heartedly.

With love,

What does mindful writing mean to you?

There is writing about mindfulness and then there is mindful writing. Mindfulness is about paying attention to the moment, so when you write with mindfulness, you write while paying attention. You are not writing stream of consciousness, which can also be useful, but you are writing with intention and from the heart.

Although it’s called “mindful,” the mind often gets in the way of being fully truthful. We all have stories that we tell ourselves about not being good enough, or being too much, or some variation on those themes. Those stories censor our words, as the mind gets in the way.

I see mindful writing as actually coming from the heart. You get really honest and vulnerable, but in a careful, boundaried way. You don’t want to “vomit” all over people, but rather share your humanity so that others might feel seen by what you write. As the writer Glennon Doyle often says, you are getting to the “truthiest truth.” You are writing on purpose, with purpose.

How does a mindful writing practice fit into your wider mindfulness journey?

As a yoga instructor, I practice what I preach, to the best of my abilities (I am still human). I have been on a long journey from perfectionism to “recovering perfectionism” where I can now enjoy “good enoughness.” Where I once was harsh and critical with myself, I am now much kinder. I am still driven and hardworking, but I’m softer with myself. I am better at noticing my stories, and allowing them to be just stories. I recognize that my beliefs are actually not the truth.

Mindfulness allows me to see when I am getting in my own way by creating space between my thoughts/beliefs, and my awareness of those thoughts/beliefs. Writing, in general, helps me process the beliefs, and the feelings behind them, so that I can let them go and move into a new state of understanding of myself.

Writing is a big part of my mindfulness journey. I often write after meditation if things come up that I want to process more intentionally. I have learned a lot about myself and how my mind works this way. I love sharing this wisdom with others to help them on their journey toward understanding themselves.

I have been writing in journals since age 12 (since reading The Diary of Anne Frank), but in the last 15 years or so it has morphed into a different kind of writing. Now there is more processing of emotions than a tally of the day. I write letters to people that I never send to help me feel my feelings and let them go. This writing is more stream of consciousness. It helps me understand myself, my triggers, and my emotions more clearly. It’s been quite an evolution for me.

Once I understand what I feel, I can write about it from a clearer place. The silt settles and I can see straight to the bottom of the pond. Mindful writing helps me share this clarity and these observations with my students and readers to hopefully clear the silt for them too. I have found that all humans have the same emotions, even if our circumstances are different. Noticing, understanding, and feeling these feelings, allows me to write about difficult topics, and see them from a yogic point of view. The ancient yogis knew a lot about how the mind works. There’s a lot we can learn from them. I am still learning, even after almost 30 years of studying and practicing.

What do you write? Essays, poetry, fiction, plays?

I write essays related to practicing yoga when you are over 50, both on and off the mat. Aging is no joke, and I attribute how I feel at age 52 to my yoga practice (and healthy eating, getting good sleep, managing stress, etc). Many people my age have chronic pain, but I have been practicing yoga since I was 23. I rarely have stiffness when I wake up, and if I do, it typically goes away with a short yoga practice.

I like to write about yoga off the mat. Yoga is not just poses, it’s also breathing, meditation, and mindset. Last spring I did a 10 part series on the Yamas and Niyamas, the first 2 limbs of yoga (out of 8), where I explored practices that deal with how we relate to each other and how we relate to ourselves. Topics such as Ahimsa (non-harming), Aparigraha (non-attachment), and Santosha (contentment) are all practices that encourage us to live more peaceful, open-hearted lives. The more I share this with my readers and students, the more it reinforces these practices in me. We’re all practicing together.

What drives you to write?

I am a teacher at my core. Sharing my wisdom and experience with others is what drives me to teach and to write. My writing is a way for me to go deeper with certain subjects that we don’t have time for in a 45 or 60 minute yoga class. I have led courses and workshops on various topics related to yoga and meditation, and this type of writing supports all of it.

The more you understand about yoga and yourself off the mat, the deeper you can go in your practice on the mat. The deeper you go on the mat, the more you can take with you off the mat. The knowledge and understanding just keeps building on and feeding itself, leaving you feeling more connected to yourself and others.

Writing is my opportunity to share what I know with others, as well as to express myself. Sometimes my students hold me up on a pedestal, but really I am just like them. I’m a few steps ahead, but we’re all traveling the same path. We’re all seeking the same thing: to better understand ourselves, to feel more connected, and to live with more peace and ease. We’re learning to “human” together.

What stops you from writing?

Recently, nothing. I have too many ideas, each building on the next. I think the only thing that would stop me from writing would be burn out, but even then, I derive great joy from writing and sharing. It fills me, it doesn't deplete me. When I was posting all the time on Social Media, that was depleting, I felt like I was just screaming into the void. This writing is more personal, it cultivates connection. That’s what I seek and that’s why I write. I want someone to read my writing and say, “hey, me too.” That’s fuel for me, helping someone feel seen.

What do you aspire to achieve with your writing?

Connection. The more I write, the more I feel connected to my readers and students. Their comments, either on Substack or replying to my emails, fill me with joy, that I touched their heart or mind in some way. My goal is to help my readers be kinder and more gentle with themselves, and let them know that they deserve to feel loved and a sense of belonging. Don’t we all? Writing in this way brings us all just a little closer together, makes us (and me) feel a little less alone in the world. That I’m not the only one who feels this way. Connection matters.

How do you write? Are you a planner or do you just start writing from an idea and let it lead you?

A little of both. I have a list of topics that I add to over time. Sometimes I go in order, sometimes I just choose something that speaks to me at that moment.

Sometimes I have events coming up that I want to highlight, like workshops, courses, or retreats and I discuss some aspect of these. Sometimes something hits me during the week, like a conversation with a student or acupuncture patient that inspires me to write.

I am not rigid with my plans, but I am a bit of a planner. I’m Type A, but I am also an Aquarius, so I play by my own rules. Planning helps me feel like I am on top of things, but holding my plans loosely keeps me from getting in my own way. It’s like practicing yoga, I find the balance between stability and comfort, strength and ease.

Thanks so much for your time and sharing your insights and inspirations, Janine.

Next month’s guest is

Paulette Bodeman

who writes Because Life is Messy.

Read previous interviews in the series here.

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