What haiku poetry can do for you

Haiku poetry is an invitation to be in the moment and connect with nature. It wasn’t until recently that I realized why I’m so drawn to this simple form of poetry. After writing haiku and reading the haiku of others over the past several years, I’ve finally been able to clearly understand why I’m so attracted to it.

I was drawn to haiku and Zen when I was younger but was not fully aware of why. Zen originated from Chinese thinking after its influence from Indian thought. It is a type of Buddhism that focuses on awareness through the practice of attaining tranquility – it focuses on simplicity and not on the conceptualization of thought. It is a discipline of enlightenment which can lead to freedom, and its connection to haiku poetry is in the sharing of non-conceptualization, as haiku is about being in the moment to create a feeling and not about ideas. I’m still studying it to fully understand it better and to bring it more and more fully into my poetry.

Haiku has a calming effect that in an instant can take me to a different place and time and in doing so, makes me feel the words of each poem as if I was there. Haiku is about feelings and connection of words to people’s life experiences. Being a sensitive person, I feel everything: from good to bad and everything in between. Haiku has a way to tug at my heart and soothe my soul, and when it comes to my own writing, it has helped me to be much more present and clear-headed.

When I was younger my mind was very busy and noisy and I suffered from some anxiety and periods of depression. I was either dwelling on the past or constantly worrying about the future. How I felt on the inside was a clear reflection of how my life was going on the outside, which for the most part was not great. Through my creative outlet of learning and writing haiku combined with spiritual growth, yoga and media- tion I’ve been able to heal and grow. I’ve become much more grounded, centered and in the moment. The more I write, the more calm, centered and happy I become and I continue to find my stress levels become lower and lower. There have been times when my level of anxiety was so high that I was unable to cope with life.

DOES THIS RESONATE WITH YOU?

The quiet and intimate moments that haiku offers are special and can help you to get quiet and have more peace in your life. With haiku, I’m much more present, less scattered and a lot more focused, which feels good! The more quietness and stillness I have allows the haiku that I write to be better, and clearer.

The other part of haiku poetry that I love so much is the inspiration to connect more deeply with nature and the seasons. Images of nature such as seasonal references set a time and a place that can help the imagery come to life and transport you there in an instant. Forming words to create the vision of a secluded shore and the sweet smell of spring rain is part of the beauty.

Do you long to be in nature and have more quiet moments? My website is filled with beautiful haiku poems that can take you away from it all. All of my blog posts contain a haiku poem, and if you browse through my site you will find more haiku and designs sprinkled throughout. I hope that you find them inspirational, and that they provide you with a moment to pause and reflect.

There must be a reason why you’re reading this book. Has it occurred to you that your interest in haiku might be a re-awakening of your soul’s desire for quietude?

In my book, HOW HAIKU FOUND ME I talk about the simple and beautiful benefits of haiku poetry and how the simplicity and elegance of haiku can have a healing effect on you. Get inspired and heal from whatever ails you while bringing peaceful moments into your life.