Poetry Book Mental Health Available Now: Is There Love Here? by Yasmin Jasmy
She's finally here.
In November 2022, I collected all the poetry I’ve written since 2019 into a manuscript. With support and encouragement from a dear friend, I completed it in 4 months. Today, the book is available at most online stores that sell books.
When I was at the Institute of Development Studies undertaking my Masters, I found an appreciation for writing – both prose and poetry. Writing slows down my thoughts. It offers relief. I have long struggled with anxious thoughts, but through writing, I have found safety and – to a large degree – empowerment.
When I returned home, I continued writing. Most of the poems you see in the book were first drafted on my phone. Living with a busy mind has compelled me to express as and when. I'd write in the car, before sleep – anytime the words formed in my head really. This short-form method of expression is and has been my refuge.
When I started writing poetry, I never planned to publish – but when has anything ever gone to plan?
Borrowing the words of M. Scott Peck, Bell Hooks writes in All About Love that "love is the will to extend oneself for one's or another's spiritual growth."
As I read those words, lying on the grass in a London park, I broke out in tears. I could finally make sense of love.
I could finally make sense of the words that pour out of me when I write.
So what started as a book of just-poems became a little manifesto about love, and the ways we enrich or break our hearts.
This aligns perfectly with Pause, a heart-based community that I founded in 2021.
Weeks that led up to release day were riddled with worry – but is it a sign of success to be confident about something? Haven't we been confident about something and was wrong? Well, I hope you find some value in the book – and that you prove wrong my concerns.
Meet Is There Love Here?
Contrary to popular belief, love is not blind.
Love sees with eyes and ears wide open, absorbing everything it encounters as it exerts its subtle influence on our physical, mental, and spiritual health. If positive relationships with ourselves and with others can lead to spiritual growth, will the lack of love then lead to spiritual decay?
In this collection of 175 poems, I explore the dynamics of love and not-love and the way our bodies have been calling us to pay attention to the status of our hearts. In an effort to encourage self-awareness and radical self-love, I invite you to pause and ask your heart: Is there love here?
Is There Love Here? is available in paperback and digital (e-book) formats. Click here to see everywhere the book is on sale. Did you know you could buy the e-book on an app that is already on your phone? For example, if you're an iPhone user, you can buy the book on iBooks and read it directly on your device!
If you decide to buy the e-book, you can read it using desktop apps like Calibre or Icecream too. Please email support@mind-pause.com if you run into any issues – I'm here to help.
Love,
Yasmin