Yoga & Writing: A Workshop to Settle into Your Body & Free Your Words
An invitation to create from a place of joy and freedom, including from judgment, critique, and fear
So much gratitude to Ellie Jacobson for inviting me to share about my upcoming Yoga and Writing Workshop here!
Still, listen, I swear, I have not set one word down on top of another without breathing into it! -Mary Oliver
Many people ask me how I can manage to stay focused on my writing — for me, the answer is yogic movement and breathwork.
Mindful practices, like seated/standing yoga poses, gentle movement, sensory attention, energetic/chakra focus, and deep breathing, offer a calming approach to the relationship between the body and the mind. They can encourage a state of creative “flow” that can help students of all talents and abilities who are struggling with writer’s block or who simply don’t have the time or space to create.
As Anodea Judith writes:
“Creativity combines will and consciousness and moves us forward into the future.When we create, we make something that has not existed before….Creativity is a pure expression of the spirit within us, the natural process of Self as it individuates. It allows the Self to give back to the world an assimilated form of what it has taken in.”
In yoga, we play against the edge of our physicality — muscle, bone, organs, blood, and pulse — and in writing, we play against the edge of consciousness, memory, and imagination.
In this class, we’ll do both.
I taught this class at my local yoga studio (which has since, sadly, closed) during pre-pandemic times. I’m so very excited to bring it back via Zoom, since it is one of my absolute favorites to teach.
As a registered yoga teacher and creative writing instructor, I lead students through energetic circuits of writing and movement that include gentle/basics level yoga and focused meditation, so that you can create from a place of joy, rather than suffering.
The sessions are great for all who struggle with the blank page, whether you’re brand new to writing or are experienced, but need some time to focus. And please note: the class is open to all — whether you are new to yoga or new to writing, and no matter your ability level (physical or otherwise).
Though you may choose to share a few lines of your exercises with the other participants, please note that this is not a place to workshop your writing; there will be no lessons in craft, no peer review, no feedback. That’s what, hopefully, will give you a space of freedom to explore and play and discover.
In other words, the purpose of the time in this space is to generate words — and to create from a place of joy and freedom, including from judgment, critique, and fear.
A typical class will involve many gentle invitations for the body and mind. For example, it may look like this:
- Welcome and time to ground, settle, and arrive
- Time to write, with prompts, or what I like to call “invitations” so as to warm up. You can always choose to freewrite.
- Time to move and breathe, warming up the body via gentle, all-levels yoga
- Time to write again
- Time to move and breathe via gentle yoga
- Time to write, again
- Closing circle with the opportunity to share, expressions of gratitude
10% of net profits donated to The Trevor Project to support LGBTQ+ youth, which is a cause that is quite close to my heart. The classes are paid in full with no refunds, but you will have access to recording for 2 weeks. And you can either sign up for all seven classes at once, or you can sign up for individual classes.
Please do contact me if you are in need of a scholarship. (No questions asked!)
And please arrive with a journal, a writing utensil, a mat, and an open mind.
DATES:
Monday May 9, 2022 Monday May 16, 2022 Monday May 23, 2022 (No class 5/30) Monday June 6, 2022 Monday June 13, 2022 Monday June 20, 2022 Monday June 27, 2022
7–8:15pm PST via Zoom
I hope you will join me! Of course, let me know if you have any questions!
E. Katherine Kottaras the writer, voice, and co-creator of Yoga with Eleonora on PillowFortTV and the co-writer with Vanitha Swaminathan of the forthcoming picture book, A RAINBOW INSIDE MY BODY, illustrated by Holly Hatam (Viking 2024). She holds an M.A. in English and an M.S. in Kinesiology with a focus on Integrative Wellness, and she is a contemplative writer and holistic teacher, having worked at the K-12 and community college levels for over two decades. She is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and health coach while also living with invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, and as such, she is passionate about mindfulness, bodily self-determination, and health equity. As the queer daughter of an immigrant, Katherine believes that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.
Connect with Katherine on all the social medias: IG, YouTube, FB, LinkedIn, Twitter, or at katherinekottaras.com.
Check out Katherine’s new series, Yoga with Eleonora on YouTube, which helps kids of all ages calm their minds and bodies so they can respond to and communicate their feelings in healthy ways.
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