Everyday Yogini

My friend Kristen told me about Kimberly Wilson and her podcasts when we were still neighbors in co-housing. Kristen still lives there and we still own our home, but we won’t be back for many years. I miss it terribly, but, in any case, that’s neither here nor there. The point being, Kristen introduced me to Kimberly and Tranquil Space and I thank her!

The Yoga and Writing workshop was (thankfully) small, with only five of us participating. It was a bit intimidating for me, because all the other gals have already been published in some form or fashion! But they were all wonderful and very supportive and open. We started out by discussing why we were there and Kimberly told us about her own process and background in writing. I have to say, Kimberly is extremely engaging and supportive, with terrific energy! It is no suprise that her ventures are all enjoying high success.

We spent time at the beginning of the three hours talking about why we were all there and what our ultimate goals with writing are. The desires were all very different, from being published in glossy magazines to achieving name recognition organically, through more of a grass roots, “Have you read that book by….” channel. I was completely fascinated by the different ways there are to define success as a writer. Why I never thought of this before is a testament to my ignorance and everything I have to learn if I’m going to pursue writing!

Of course, we talked about the connection between writing and Yoga practice. Both are, indeed, practices~ something to be done on a regular basis, that evolve and change as we grow and expand individually. Both can either challenge or restore, depending on how they are approached. They are both cathartic practices and encourage emotional release. Also, Yoga and writing require steadfast perseverance, because, as with anything, there will be days when showing up seems like too much to ask of ourselves.

Kimberly led us through a fairly brief Yoga practice, focusing on asanas that help keep the body supple when you are sitting hunched over a desk all day muttering at your computer! She had some great insights into using yoga to take a break, to clear the mind, to create some space for your writing to emerge. Most important, she reminded us all that in order to be fully present to write, we have to be solidly in our bodies. Of course!!! I know that I often feel like I become a weird, disembodied head when I sit too long in front of my computer, so I really related to that!

We finished up the last hour or so with some guided writing exercises and some questions to help us focus on what audience we are trying to reach, what we want accomplish with our writing, and what topics and writers speak to us. Almost everyone chose Elizabeth Gilbert as a voice that they really connected with. I suppose that’s no suprise considering we were at a Yoga and Writing workshop, eh?

I found Kimberly to be a wonderful mentor for the workshop. The most amazing aspect of the workshop for me was the feeling of clarity emerging for each of us, and the palpable excitement that grew from our collective awareness. I walked away knowing what I need to do to move my writing forward, with some new resources to explore, and a greater understanding of how to use my Yoga practice to support my writing.

Namaste and a big thank you to Kimberly, Tranquil Space, and the other gals who shared their excitement and passion at the workshop!

(Photo of Kimberly Wilson, courtesy of www.kimberlywilson.com)

This entry was posted on Monday, October 22nd, 2007 at 7:05 am and is filed under Yoga Workshops. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.