Have you noticed the recent flood of poetry?
There are 51.5 million #poetry on instagram! Everyone seems to be a poet. It’s cute and all, till you have to scroll through more or less not great poetry written in the classic typewriter typography with monotone backgrounds hashtagging good vibes only... okay I am going to stop myself before I go on a rant.
This is important.
Everyone IS a poet.
why is “instagram-able” poetry important?
Because poetry is a way of seeing the world.
It is clear we are collectively seeking new frames to see the world through in this uptake in poetry writing and sharing. It is a hope to change our reality; since the world we live in is not nourishing our soul in the ways we desire.
We are caught in this insatiable feeling of wanting, doing or being more. This feeling is plaguing us. Simultaneously there is a growing monoculture, a shortage of imagination and a crisis of diminishing critical thought. This is pulling us further away from our emotions and pushing us further into our collective suffering.
Poetry offers us solace for our feelings. A place for our original thoughts to live. For our individuality to thrive and be shared on the internet, allowing us to feel seen in our authentic expression. The essence of this idea is truly beautiful.
and damn we all just want to belong, I know I do…
If you are suffering, you forgot that you belong.
This newsletter was born out of a desire to belong, not just fit in, but to genuinely feel a small place in the world was made for each of us. To feel seen in our individual and shared emotional spectrums.
What does belonging mean? This is the question that I strive to answer and its at the core of all my work.
Belonging is fascinating because it feels like such an external force; of needing to belong to a community, a place, a mission. However, the first rejection happens within ourselves. As so many of us choose to dissociate from ourselves, I know I do at times.
I mean it is so easy to do. It is too easy. So many nudges to take us away from ourselves. Here are some cliche statements that are examples of us diminishing our ourselves.
Time is money : No, no, time is life. Money is money.
Sleep when you’re dead : Yet our bodies need sleep to feel our aliveness.
Ideas are a dime a dozen : False. Ideas are choices, invoking wonder and possibilities.
This newsletter, which you so graciously subscribed to, will ponder many things; focusing on poetic translations of rational thoughts.
Here we will explore across silos and beyond norms:
how poetry is an ancient technology : a tool for healing, for growth, for being
the ancient practice of meditation : offering meditative journeys
how technology can be poetic : a way to elevate humanity
the future(s) of connection : holding space for a poetic life
a place for thoughtful non-conformist thoughts
Poetry, meditation, technology are all tools for optimization of self.
Through this letter, I will be sharing poems, audio journeys, healing tools, and technologies.
I hope for this newsletter to be as multi-sensory as possible. I hope to bring sentiments of intimacy to the internet as I read you the newsletter each week. Striving for the feeling of inviting you over for tea, and just short of mailing you a package of poetic goods. I’ll leave you a voice note <3
a little about me
I’m Parul!
pronounced pah-rul || pronouns she / her
I started writing short stories in early elementary school, and embarked on writing a fiction novel in grade 5, low key ambitions there. I came to poetry in grade 7, when I first learnt about a brother who passed away when he was a baby and I was a toddler. It spiralled me deep into my feelings and poetry was the place I found that could hold the full container of my grief. In grade 9, my beloved grandfather passed pushing me deeper into my poetic, feeling world.
My relationship to poetry and my feelings were soon forgotten as I neared the end of high school. An amnesia took grip of me as I was domesticated and subscribed to an iteration of the American dream that I jokingly call the Punjabi dream. Which is to follow the path that every Indian immigrants’ kid followed — get good grades, so I can go to post-secondary school, so I could find a job that can afford me a family.
Basically, as a third culture kid, my upbringing was confusing + contrarian at best. And through that confusion I slowly disconnected from myself. I later learned that this is a common experience amongst the North American Indian diaspora.
if you see me linear
it means
you cannot see me at all
a world where
nothing is straight
nothing is binary
fluidity
in who we aremeans we get to be more
Over the past 7 years I picked up the pen again and have been writing (and performing poetry). So here I am, full circle.
Poetry is once again my solace. It is the lens in which I see the world.
uncovering emotional landscapes is centred in my practice
If you want to learn more about, you can check out my always in edit-mode “website”.
Find more poetry here: IG @poetictechnology
this week’s meditation
It is a meditation that I shared it on Friday’s guided meditation session. A way to bring you back to presence by remembering your body, which lives in the here and now.
It is a 18 minute meditation. Inspired by a lot of different body scan meditations that I have done, but more specifically week 1 of Joe Dispenza’s 4-week program to building the human and habits you desire to hold within yourself.
Every weekday I host a space for us to gather and meditate. Silent meditations Monday to Thursday from 8:00-8:20 am (EST) on zoom.
Here’s the protocol, the ritual —
Show up
: muted or not (as long as it’s quiet)
: video on or off
: no talking, no hellos or good byes
On Friday’s from 8:00-8:20 am (EST) on zoom —
I lead a 8-12 min guided meditation wrapped in silence
: a few minutes at the end of the meditation for weekly reflection
build a self practice together ~ a self-healing ecosystem
For details and to add it to your calendar : click here
p.p.s. this first edition was longer than normal because I had so much to share and tell you as I welcomed you in. I was always a chatter box. My inner child cries out — love me for it!! <3
letter 001: oh no not another poetry account 🙃