Tag Archives: journal

Covid Diaries: A Lazy Writer’s Notebook

This is a test. To see if you are interested in reading and, if you wish, contributing to a blog journal/personal essays about life and experiences living through Covid Times. A chronicle, so to speak. It’s something I’m thinking of doing now. Probably not here, but in a new blog.

It’s the end of August. We have been at this for months. Five months. I know what I’ve been doing. Hiding. Searching out isopropyl alcohol. Fighting boredom and isolation. Sewing masks. Canceling tours. Trying to find meaning and purpose in the hours between waking up and going to sleep.

I’ve thought about writing in the last months but haven’t. What is there fresh to say? We are all doing our best to cope. Some of us have children or grandchildren at home. Some of us are out of work. Some of us have lost loved ones, family and friends to this virus. Some of us live alone. Some of us are just fine, just maybe.

Some of us have gained weight. Don’t sleep. Feel helpless. Others are finding purpose and beauty in butterflies and roses, a fresh air picnic under blue skies, growing a garden and harvesting its bounty. Yes, even a Zoom call with sister or son. Who knows the next time you will see them?

I’ve made the transition from being angry at everyone who goes mask-less and walks too close, to accepting that the only behavior I can change is mine. I walk. Sometimes I walk miles. It’s a great stress reliever. And, I encounter people on the city streets where I live. I make a wide detour as they come my way. Put my mask up.

I’m settling into this, but it still feels unsettling. And, it feels like its finally time to write about it.

What do you think? Do you want to talk about this? How are you doing? If we write it, will you read it?

Since I’m not in Oaxaca now, I don’t have that much to write about life there, so this Oaxaca Cultural Navigator blog has been short on content in the last few months.

2016 Oaxaca Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat: Lifting Your Creative Voice

This is our 6th annual Oaxaca Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat and we hope you can join us! Many retreat participants return each year and we limit registration to 10 women. So, if this is something you have always wanted to do, please do not hesitate. Starting at $995 per person.

Arrive by Friday March 4 and depart Saturday, March 12, 2016.  We start Saturday morning, March 5th and end Friday night, March 11, 2016. The workshop fee includes 8 nights lodging, all instruction, daily yoga, personal coaching sessions, daily breakfast and most dinners. Some choose to travel on Thursday to settle in or avoid a late night arrival or a missed connection.

You have options, for an added cost, to take a traditional Oaxaca cooking class, take part in a temescal sweat lodge, schedule a massage, or extend your stay to go to Oaxaca city or the Sunday, March 13, Tlacolula market.

Best29_Writing-22

You are a woman with something to say.

  • You keep journals, notes, drafts of unpublished material.
  • You dream of writing and never have.
  • Ideas percolate, and you want to capture and develop them.
  • Perhaps you have written and/or published a while ago, let the writer’s life lapse and you want renewal and encouragement
  • You may want guidance and support to continue an unfinished piece or publish it.

The Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat: Lifting Your Creative Voice is your place to learn, express yourself, and be the woman who writes — and keeps writing.

Our workshop leader and coach is published author/poet and university professor Robin Greene. With her help and feedback from the group, you’ll gain knowledge and perspective about the art and craft of writing.  There will be plenty of time to retreat for writing — what you come here for!

Best41_Writing-19

You are encouraged to write in the genre that best suits you:  memoir, journal, poetry, creative nonfiction or fiction.

  • We accommodate novices and experienced writers.
  • We limit enrollment to 10 women to guarantee personal attention in a small group.

WritingWorkshop (71 of 199)Daily yoga sessions with Beth Miller enhance your writing.  We tailor the sessions to fit each person’s physical level and needs. As you flex your body, you stretch your imagination. Yoga develops core strength to find voice and creative center.

This is a perfect combination of the physical and spiritual, says past participant Lee Ann Weigold.

Best29_Writing-25

What Participants Say

  • I learned I am fully capable of being the writer I dreamed of becoming.
  • The location, teaching and program structure creates a truly transcendent experience of enormous value.
  • I was challenged and that turned out to be exactly what I needed.
  • Far exceeded expectations. Got many suggestions for how to write healing stories.
  • It was wonderful!
  • The combination of writing, yoga, meditation and shared sisterhood is transformational.
  • Oaxaca feels safe, safer than my hometown in the USA.
  • I identified a writing project that engages and excites me.
  • The balance of intensive writing workshops, cultural excursions and yoga lead to a powerful experience on all levels.
  • The feedback was so thoughtful.  I honestly can’t think of anything I would change.
  • Beth’s yoga is the best I have ever experienced.  A perfect combo of the physical and spiritual.

Best41_Writing-13

We are based in the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del ValleOaxaca, in a woman owned and operated guesthouse. Accommodations are basic, clean and simple. The food is delicious, home-cooked and organic. Vegetarian options are available.

Best41_Writing-16

Imagine a setting so beautiful that it inspires all the best within you.  Here, amid the flowering Bougainvillea and in the shade of red pomegranates, with the backdrop of 9,000 foot mountain peaks, you will enjoy a rich and rewarding experience. Our workshop is perfect for renewal and self-reflection. 

Best41_Writing-24

From Instructor Robin Greene

“The writing retreat is very relaxed. This year, I am asking each participant to send me a work in progress or writing sample before the workshop. I will distribute these, one to each participant, who I will ask to make editing suggestions. We will all bring these to our first session for discussion on editing. Our goal is to develop craft and we will support each other in this learning process.

I’ll also have plenty of prompts, writing exercises, and suggestions—and, of course, as women write, we energize each other. “As the writing instructor, I like to encourage women to find their voices so that the retreat experience is personally meaningful. In addition to one scheduled conference with each person, I’m available for feedback and coaching throughout our time together.  And, because I teach creative writing, I have a repertoire of techniques and strategies to share with writers at all levels. “While I’m a university professor, this Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat remains my favorite teaching experience.”

Best29_Writing-19

We cannot promise that you will win a poetry prize, as did one of our participants after writing her winning poem at the retreat, or be published in The Sun Magazine and Minerva Rising literary journals as several past participants have. We CAN promise that you will explore, develop and deepen as a writer if you are open to the experience.

What the Retreat Includes:

  • 21-hours of group workshop and feedback
  • One-hour individual coaching session
  • Focused sessions to hone your skills: grammar, reading in public, publishing, grammar, editing
  • 7 yoga sessions tailored to your skill level
  • Yoga at Yagul archeological site, includes transportation
  • Self-guided map of village
  • 8 nights lodging
  • 8 breakfasts
  • 6 dinners
  • Final Group Reading with Celebratory Fiesta Dinner

Optional Added Fee-based Activities:

  • Shiatsu or Zapotec Massage scheduled during the workshop, $30 per person
  • Zapotec cooking class in Teotitlan, arrive early, spend one additional night, includes lunch, dinner, breakfast, $125 per person  (2 person minimum)
  • Temescal women’s sweat lodge, scheduled during the workshop, $30 per person

*What is Temescal?  The pre-Hispanic temescal of Mexico was used by the Aztecs, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, and the Maya for therapeutic and purification purposes—coming-of-age rites, childbirth, the burial of a relative, and other tribal ceremonies. Temescal comes from the indigenous Nahuatl word temazcalli, meaning “bathhouse.” The temescal is a rectangular or round adobe structure with a vaulted roof. In it volcanic rocks are heated, and steam is produced by throwing herbal teas, such as rosemary and eucalyptus, on the rocks. The bather is gently whipped with ritual or medicinal plants. Curanderas, locally trained folk healers perform the ritual. They say it is important not to bathe for twenty-four hours after!

The Spanish friars fought against this custom during the viceroyalty because they considered mixed-gender bathing inappropriate. Nevertheless, the temescal survived and is still used in certain parts of Mexico, mainly for bathing, for alleviating illness, or for recovery after childbirth. However, there is an increasing interest in reviving the traditional religious aspects of the temescal as part of the country’s heritage.

Best29_Writing-21 Best41_Writing-27 Best41_Writing-26

2015 Exquisite Corpse Poem

The Exquisite Corpse Poem is a collaboration.  Each writer in the group contributes a random sentence or phrase that then becomes part of a complete poem. The result is surprising and creative!  We do this each year as part of our closing ceremonies for the Oaxaca Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat. For 2015, our mission was different however.

We adapt the Exquisite Corpse Poem based on the game developed by the Parisian Surrealist Movement.  Professor Robin Greene, our writing instructor and coach, takes liberties with the concept and edits what we have contributed into something more coherent than abstract, but always beautiful!

This year, we dedicated our Exquisite Corpse Poem to honor returning participant Becky, in celebration of her upcoming marriage in North Carolina over Memorial Day Weekend.  Congratulations, Becky.

Best41_Writing-19


To Becky, Upon Her Upcoming Marriage

Becky, it’s spring at last under the beloved fields

in Teotitlan, where the earth is full and steady,

constant and quick as our rushing breath,

constant and slow as the rotating moon;

love, we wish to tell you, is light and dark,

bitter and sweet, rough and smooth. So let

the planet remain round, Becky, let your leaves

open and rustle; let your moments be amazed

and electrified, changed and unchanged—as

marriage is both perfect and imperfect, full

and empty, and light radiates in the star-

filled darkened sky. Becky, we are your sisters

now, braiding your hair with soft ribbons, asking

you to hug the space between all spaces, allow

the romance of cockroach and swallow to matter,

give yourself to the heart-merging of all white

daisies in wind. And in return, we give you

our blessings: for you are so lucky, Al is so lucky,

and so lucky are we.


NewYearsCollage-2

 What Women Say . . . “I better learned how to put together a writerly life.  The coaching session will help me stay on track.  I enjoyed listening to and evaluating each others’ work.  What a great group of women.” –Leslie Larson, California

“I came with the hope of being rejuvenated.  I am leaving with a lightness and grounding that is beyond comprehension.”  –Rebecca S. King, North Carolina

“The instruction was excellent and supportive. The personal coaching session offered me a chance to talk about my writing in a way I never had before.  The workshops are especially valuable because the feedback is so thoughtful.” –Susan Lesser, New York

“I discovered that my writing entertains people!  Beth’s yoga is the best I have ever experienced.  A perfect combo of the physical and spiritual.  –LeeAnn Weigold, British Columbia, Canada

“There is amazing resonance between Robin’s and Beth’s teaching — vigorous, solid, and accepting.”  –Deborah Morris, M.D., North Carolina

“It was all perfect. You gave us a beautiful writing workshop in a beautiful village setting and you also gave us a strong community-of-women bond that will far outlast this conference. Mil gracias!” — Katie Kingston, MFA, Trinidad, Colorado

Best41_Writing-12 Best41_Writing-8 Best41_Writing-3

“The quality of the teachers was stellar and the combination was a perfect fit for me. Robin has a clarity that is lovely, supportive, truth-telling, knowledgeable, superbly skilled. Beth is a beautiful, beautiful teacher. Combining the yoga and sound with writing was profound.” — Nancy Coleman, Portland, Maine

“Robin’s knowledge impressed and guided me throughout the week.  She is one of the most generous people, instructors and writers I have ever met. The week gave me the insight to reinvestigate life and write about it.”  Kathryn Salisbury, North Carolina

“The week helped with my intention to write my book. There were too many valuable parts to list! We experienced an amazing time together, sweating leaves, meditation, chanting, writing, and honoring our lives. This was an awesome experience.” — Susan Florence, MFA, Ojai, California

“We learned from the other women in the group, from the culture, the language and people in the village. It was magical.” –Bridget Price, Mexico City

Best41_Writing-22 WritingWorkshop (66 of 199)

Your Workshop Leaders: Robin Greene and Beth Miller

Robin Greene is the McLean Endowed Professor of English and Writing, and Director of the Writing Center at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is also co-founder and senior editor of Longleaf Press, a literary press that publishes contemporary poetry. Greene is the recipient of a NC Arts Council/NEA Fellowship, a university teaching award, and a visiting professorship in Romania. Her work is widely published in literary journals. Greene has served as a writing consultant and has taught creative writing for over two decades. Her books include Real Birth: Women Share their Stories(nonfiction), Memories of Light and Lateral Drift (collections of poetry), and Augustus: Narrative of a Slave Woman . Greene holds an M.A. in English from SUNY-Binghamton and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. See Robin’s website: www.robingreene-writer.com

Beth Miller combines yogic practice and philosophy with meditation, creativity and improvisation. She specializes in Vinyasa-Hatha yogic traditions and employs sonorous yoga practices as an approach to help women of all ages to give voice to their lives. Beth has a background in Holistic-Health Counseling, working primarily with teen girls and young women to inspire healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, Beth is a vocal artist, performer and teacher of Western classical and sacred music. She holds a B.A. in music from Westminster Choir College, is Certified Holistic Health Counselor.

Best41_Writing-6

Preliminary Workshop Outline

  • Friday, March 4, travel day, arrive and check-in (dinner on your own)
  • Saturday, March 5, introductions, orientation, editing session, writing exercises, yoga (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Sunday, March 6, editing, yoga, writing (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Monday, March 7, yoga, writing, coaching, optional temescal and/or massage (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Tuesday, March 8, yoga, writing, coaching, optional temescal and/or massage (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Wednesday, March 9, yoga at Yagul archeological site, writing, coaching, optional temescal and/or massage (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Thursday, March 10, yoga, writing, option to go to Oaxaca city or Mitla archeology site (breakfast and dinner included)
  • Friday, March 11, yoga, writing, group reading and closing dinner (breakfat and dinner included)
  • Saturday, March 12, departure

Note: You may enjoy extra days in Oaxaca at the end of the trip or extend your stay in Teotitlan del Valle to go to the always exciting and wonderful Tlacolula Market.  Added nights in Teotitlan del Valle are $55 per night, which we can add on to your invoice. Added nights in Oaxaca city are $110 per night, which we can add to your invoice.

Best41_Writing-15

Lodging/Accommodations and Cost.  To keep this program affordable, we have selected clean and basic accommodations at family operated guesthouse/posada. Local cooks prepare delicious meals from scratch, including organic, locally grown corn tortillas. Vegetarian options are available.

Cost: 

  • $995 per person double occupancy with shared community bathroom across the courtyard
  • $1,095 per person single occupancy with shared community bathroom across the courtyard
  • $1,295 double room with private bath (sleeps 2)
  • $1,495 single room with private bath (sleeps one)
  • Added nights before or after in Teotitlan, $55 per night (includes breakfast and dinner)
  • Added nights in Oaxaca City before or after retreat, $110 per night (includes breakfast)

There will be a sign-up for massage and temescal appointments after you arrive. You will pay for these services directly to the providers. Estimated cost is $30 per 50-minute session.

The workshop does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips, travel insurance, liquor or alcoholic beverages, some meals, and local transportation to and from Oaxaca city.  We can arrange taxi pick-up and return from/to the Oaxaca airport at your own expense. We reserve the right to substitute instructors and alter the program as needed.

Reservations and Cancellations A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The last payment for the balance due (including any add-ons) shall be paid by January 10, 2014. We accept payment with PayPal only. We will send you an itemized invoice when you tell us you are ready to register.  After January 10, refunds are not possible.  You may send a substitute in your place.  If you cancel before January 10, we will refund 50% of your deposit.

Best29_Writing-28

Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance:  We require that you carry international accident/health/emergency evacuation insurance. Proof of insurance must be sent at least two weeks before departure.  If you do not wish to do this, we ask you email a PDF of a witnessed waiver of responsibility, holding harmless Norma Hawthorne Shafer and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. Unforeseen circumstances happen!

Workshop Details and Travel Tips.  Before the workshop begins, we will email you a map, instructions to get to the workshop site from the airport, and documents that includes extensive travel tips and information. To get your questions answered and to register, contact: oaxacaculture@me.com

This retreat is produced by Norma Hawthorne Shafer, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to make itinerary changes and substitutions as necessary.

Best29_Writing-29 Best29_Writing-24

 

Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat 2015: Lifting Your Creative Voice

Announcing the 5th Annual Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat.  Arrive Friday, March 6, depart Saturday, March 14, 2015–8 nights, 9 days with market tour,  plus options for traditional Oaxaca cooking class, and temescal* sweat lodge.

SOLD OUT!  JOIN THE JULY 28-AUGUST 6, 2015 SESSION.

Group2 You are a woman with something to say. You keep journals, notes, drafts of unpublished material. Or, you dream of writing and never have. Ideas percolate and you want to capture and develop them. Perhaps you have written and/or published a while ago, let the writer’s life lapse and you need renewal.  You may want guidance and support to continue an unfinished piece or publish it.  The Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat: Lifting Your Creative Voice is your place to learn, express yourself, and be the woman who writes. A_WritingRetreat-29  WomenWritingReading-6 With published author/poet and university professor Robin Greene‘s guidance and coaching, you’ll gain knowledge and perspective about the art and craft of writing.   During the workshop you receive writing exercises and triggers, thoughtful discussion, caring feedback, and the simple gift of time to bring up the words and let them flow. YogaFoodWriting-12  A_WritingRetreat-5 Here, you are empowered to tell your story well. Write in the genre that best suits you:  memoir, journal, poetry, creative nonfiction, or fiction.

  • We accommodate novices and experienced writers.
  • We limit enrollment to 9 women to guarantee personal attention in a small group.
WritingChurchTlacolula-6  YogaFoodWriting-10

The daily yoga with Beth Miller enhances your writing.  We tailor the sessions to fit each person’s physical level and needs. As you flex your body, you stretch your imagination.  Yoga develops core strength to find voice and creative center.  This is a perfect combination of the physical and spiritual, says past participant LeeAnn Weigold. YogaFoodWriting-35  A_WritingRetreat-22 What Participants Say

  • I learned I am fully capable of being the writer I dreamed of becoming.
  • The location, teaching and program structure creates a truly transcendent experience of enormous value.
  • I was challenged and that turned out to be exactly what I needed.
  • Far exceeded expectations. Got many suggestions for how to write healing stories.
  • It was wonderful!
  • The combination of writing, yoga, meditation and shared sisterhood is transformational.
  • Oaxaca feels safe, safer than my hometown in the USA.
  • I identified a writing project that engages and excites me.
  • The balance of intensive writing workshops, cultural excursions and yoga lead to a powerful experience on all levels.
  • The feedback was so thoughtful.  I honestly can’t think of anything I would change.
  • Beth’s yoga is the best I have ever experienced.  A perfect combo of the physical and spiritual.

We are based in the Zapotec weaving village of Teotitlan del ValleOaxaca.  Imagine a setting so beautiful that it inspires all the best within you.  Here, amid the flowering Bougainvillea and in the shade of red pomegranates, with the backdrop of 9,000 foot mountain peaks, you will enjoy a rich and rewarding experience. Our all-inclusive workshop is perfect for renewal and self-reflection.  A_WritingRetreat-27  WritingChurchTlacolula-44  A Message from Your Workshop Leader, Author/Poet and Professor Robin Greene “The writing retreat is very relaxed, and in the past four years–yes, this is our fifth!–the participants have been wonderfully supportive and open-hearted. You don’t need to bring any writing, but if you wish, you can–anything from a piece in progress, notebook ideas, some journal entries, or finished work. Oaxaca is a lovely place and finding writing topics is easy. Also, I’ll have plenty of prompts, writing exercises, and suggestions—and, of course, as women write, we energize each other. “As the writing instructor, I like to encourage women to find their individual voices so that the retreat experience is personally meaningful. In addition to one scheduled conference with each participant, I’m available for feedback and coaching throughout our time together.  And, because I teach creative writing, I have a repertoire of techniques and strategies to share with writers at all levels. “While I’m a university professor, this Women’s Creative Writing and Yoga Retreat remains my favorite teaching experience.”

YogaFoodWriting-44  A_WritingRetreat-50

We cannot promise that you will win a poetry prize, as did one of our participants after writing her winning poem at the retreat, or be published in literary journals as several past participants have. We CAN promise that you will explore, develop and deepen as a writer. A_WritingRetreat-36  A_WritingRetreat-31 You’ll have an opportunity to write on your own during open time in the schedule.  And, if you choose, there’s also plenty to do here. We’ve scheduled options for you to take part in a cooking class, shiatsu massage, and temescal Zapotec women’s sweat lodge.  You might take a walk, a hike, watch birds, and visit village weaving and artists’ studios, too. What the Retreat Includes:

  • 21-hours of group workshop and feedback
  • One-hour individual coaching session
  • Focused sessions to hone your skills: grammar, reading in public, publishing, grammar
  • 7  yoga sessions tailored to your skill level
  • Guided visit to Tlacolula regional market
  • Self-guided map of village
  • 8 nights lodging
  • 8 breakfasts
  • 5 lunches
  • 6 dinners

Optional Added Fee-based Activities:

  • Shiatsu Massage scheduled during the workshop, $50 per person
  • Zapotec/Oaxaca cooking class, arrive early, spend one additional night, includes lunch, dinner, breakfast, $125 per person  (2 person minimum)
  • Temescal women’s sweat lodge, scheduled during the workshop, $50 per person

*What is Temescal?  The pre-Hispanic temescal of Mexico was used by the Aztecs, the Zapotec, the Mixtec, and the Maya for therapeutic and purification purposes—coming-of-age rites, childbirth, the burial of a relative, and other tribal ceremonies. Temescal comes from the indigenous Nahuatl word temazcalli, meaning “bathhouse.” The temescal is a rectangular or round adobe structure with a vaulted roof. In it volcanic rocks are heated, and steam is produced by throwing herbal teas, such as rosemary and eucalyptus, on the rocks. The bather is gently whipped with ritual or medicinal plants. Curanderas, locally trained folk healers perform the ritual. They say it is important not to bathe for twenty-four hours!

The Spanish friars fought against this custom during the viceroyalty because they considered mixed-gender bathing inappropriate. Nevertheless, the temescal survived and is still used in certain parts of Mexico, mainly for bathing, for alleviating illness, or for recovery after childbirth. However, there is an increasing interest in reviving the traditional religious aspects of the temescal as part of the country’s heritage.

YogaFoodWriting-62   YogaFoodWriting-52 WomenWritingReading-2 2014 Exquisite Corpse Poem: In Oaxaca, Anything is Possible Now the eye of day closes, garlic and sapphires in the mud, the cactus flower fading, crumbling, becoming earth, the pond house evaporating like a cloud. And on the floor, still as any corpse, my spirit reaches, finds the flame, the infinite of the women around me, a workshop of distilled memory, the smell of fire I will miss, the crying mother who puts an arm around my shoulder, walks me toward the white curtain, open now, then drawn shut. It is only the Virgin de Guadeloupe, I tell you, who can quell my heart, take my pain like water from cactus. But as I prostate myself before her, explain that I only want the easy stuff, pap and pamper—not the bent knees and arms, upright and splayed, launched and launching— she focuses on the sensuous, on the lesson of emotion, on the long braided women, clunky mountain tops of stout brittle trees, on the practice that tells me: this shadow is fat, this heart is iron, this wind is voice. *Exquisite Corpse is a surrealist tradition, as Robin Greene explains, in which many create a piece of collaborative art.  The Corpse Pose in yoga is the Shivasana ending pose.  Robin asked each participant to add a favorite line or two that she wrote during the workshop. Robin collected the lines, wove them together, and created a poem in one voice to lift us and carry us forward as we leave.  Here is In Oaxaca, Anything is Possible. YogaFoodWriting-83  A_WritingRetreat-15 There are lovely walking paths around the village, along the river and into the countryside near a local reservoir. You are welcome to venture out and explore the village on your own. Personal safety is not a concern here. YogaFoodWriting-84  A_WritingRetreat-8 What Women Say . . . “I better learned how to put together a writerly life.  The coaching session will help me stay on track.  I enjoyed listening to and evaluating each others’ work.  What a great group of women.” –Leslie Larson, California “I came with the hope of being rejuvenated.  I am leaving with a lightness and grounding that is beyond comprehension.”  –Rebecca S. King, North Carolina WomenWritingReading-14 WomenWritingReading-13 WomenWritingReading-4 “The instruction was excellent and supportive. The personal coaching session offered me a chance to talk about my writing in a way I never had before.  The workshops are especially valuable because the feedback is so thoughtful.” –Susan Lesser, New York “I discovered that my writing entertains people!  Beth’s yoga is the best I have ever experienced.  A perfect combo of the physical and spiritual.  And I loved the cooking class.” –LeeAnn Weigold, British Columbia, Canada A_WritingRetreat-41 There is amazing resonance between Robin’s and Beth’s teaching — vigorous, solid, and accepting. –Deborah Morris, M.D., North Carolina A_WritingRetreat-26 A_WritingRetreat-51 “It was all perfect. You gave us a beautiful writing workshop in a beautiful village setting and you also gave us a strong community-of-women bond that will far outlast this conference. Mil gracias!” — Katie Kingston, MFA, Trinidad, Colorado “The quality of the teachers was stellar and the combination was a perfect fit for me. Robin has a clarity that is lovely, supportive, truth-telling, knowledgeable, superbly skilled. Beth is a beautiful, beautiful teacher. Combining the yoga and sound with writing was profound.” — Nancy Coleman, Portland, Maine Robin’s knowledge impressed and guided me throughout the week.  She is one of the most generous people, instructors and writers I have ever met. The week gave me the insight to reinvestigate life and write about it.”  Kathryn Salisbury, North Carolina “The week helped with my intention to write my book. There were too many valuable parts to list! We experienced an amazing time together, sweating leaves, meditation, chanting, writing, and honoring our lives. This was an awesome experience.” — Susan Florence, MFA, Ojai, California “We learned from the other women in the group, from the culture, the language and people in the village. It was magical.” –Bridget Price, Sydney, Australia and Mexico City WomenWritingReading-19  WomenWritingReading-8 Your Workshop Leaders Robin Greene is the McLean Endowed Professor of English and Writing, and Director of the Writing Center at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is also co-founder and senior editor of Longleaf Press, a literary press that publishes contemporary poetry. Greene is the recipient of a NC Arts Council/NEA Fellowship, a university teaching award, and a visiting professorship in Romania. Her work is widely published in literary journals. Greene has led community and conference workshops, has served as a writing consultant, and has taught creative writing for over two decades. Her books include Real Birth: Women Share their Stories(nonfiction), Memories of Light and Lateral Drift(collections of poetry), and Augustus: Narrative of a Slave Woman (published in 2011). Greene holds an M.A. in English from SUNY-Binghamton and an M.F.A. in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. See Robin’s website: www.robingreene-writer.com YogaFoodWriting-32  WomenWritingReading-17 Beth Miller is our yoga instructor who combines yogic practice and philosophy with meditation, creativity and improvisation. She specializes in Vinyasa-Hatha yogic traditions and employs sonorous yoga practices as an approach to help women of all ages to give voice to their lives.

BethMillerPortrait

Beth has a background in Holistic-Health Counseling, working primarily with teen girls and young women to inspire healthy lifestyle habits. In addition, Beth is a vocal artist, performer and teacher of Western classical and sacred music. She holds a B.A. in music from Westminster Choir College, is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor, and completed the chef training program from the Institute for Culinary Education. A_WritingRetreat-12 A_WritingRetreat-13 Norma Hawthorne produces arts and educational programs in Oaxaca, Mexico, operating as Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC since 2006. She offers textile and fiber arts, tapestry weaving, natural dyeing, creative writing, and photography workshops that people throughout the world attend.  During her 30-year university career, Norma organized national award-winning programs for Indiana University, University of Virginia, and George Washington University.  Before she retired, Norma raised more than $23 million for The University of North Carolina School of Nursing. She holds the B.A. from California State University at Northridge and the M.S. from the University of Notre Dame.   Preliminary Workshop Outline

  • Friday, March 6, travel day, arrive and check-in
  • Saturday, March 7, introductions, orientation, village walk, writing exercises, yoga
  • Sunday, March 8, regional market visit, yoga, writing
  • Monday, March 9, yoga, writing, coaching, temescal
  • Tuesday, March 10, yoga, writing, coaching, weaving demonstration
  • Wednesday, March 11, yoga at Yagul archeological site, writing, coaching
  • Thursday, March 12, yoga, writing, option to visit World Heritage archeology sites
  • Friday, March 13, yoga, writing, reception and reading
  • Saturday, March 14, departure

Add-on 1:  Come early, arrive Thursday, March 5, and take a cooking class on March 6, $125 per person, includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, lodging on March 5. Add-on 2:  Oaxaca Textile and Shopping Excursion. Stay a day later. Spend the day and night in Oaxaca city.  Norma will take you to the Museo Textil de Oaxaca and her favorite shopping spots.  Includes one night lodging on March 14. Depart March Sunday, 15.  $185 per person shared occupancy with private bath.  $255 per person single occupancy with private bath. A_WritingRetreat-35 A_WritingRetreat-43 Lodging/Accommodations and Cost To keep this program affordable, we have selected clean and basic accommodations at family operated bed and breakfast inns.  Local cooks prepare delicious meals from scratch, including corn tortillas, with organic ingredients. Vegetarian options are available. Cost: 

  • $1,195 per person double occupancy with shared community bathroom facilities
  • $1,395 double room with private bath (sleeps 2)
  • $1,495 single room with private bath (sleeps one)
  • $50, add-on Shiatsu massage
  • $50 add-on Temescal sweat lodge
  • $125, arrive early, add-on traditional Zapotec cooking class and learn to make mole. Includes lodging on March 6 with breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Oaxaca Walk and Shop, $185 shared/$255 single occupancy in Oaxaca city on the night of March 14.  Includes transportation and lunch. Depart Sunday, March 15.

Most travel workshops of this type and length cost more than twice as much! YogaFoodWriting-46  WomenWritingReading-10 The workshop does NOT include airfare, taxes, tips, travel insurance, liquor or alcoholic beverages, some meals, and local transportation to and from Oaxaca city.  We will arrange taxi pick-up and return from/to the Oaxaca airport at your own expense. We reserve the right to substitute instructors and alter the program as needed. A_WritingRetreat-33 A_WritingRetreat-49 Reservations and Cancellations A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your spot. The final payment for the balance due (including any add-ons) shall be paid by January 10, 2014. We accept payment with PayPal only. We will  send you an itemized invoice when you tell us you are ready to register.  After January 10, refunds are not possible.  You may send a substitute in your place.  If you cancel before January 10, we will refund 50% of your deposit. Required–Travel Health/Accident Insurance:  We required that you carry international accident/health/emergency evacuation insurance.  Proof of insurance must be sent at least two weeks before departure.  If you do not wish to do this, we ask you email a PDF of a notarized waiver of responsibility, holding harmless Norma Hawthorne and Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC.  Unforeseen circumstances happen! Workshop Details and Travel Tips.  Before the workshop begins, we will email you a map, instructions to get to the workshop site from the airport, and a document that includes extensive travel tips and information. To get your questions answered and to register, contact: normahawthorne@mac.com  Since we are in Oaxaca most of the year, we are happy to arrange a Skype conversation with you if you wish. A_WritingRetreat-34 This retreat is produced by Norma Hawthorne, Oaxaca Cultural Navigator LLC. We reserve the right to make itinerary changes and substitutions as necessary.

Literary Journal Publishes Women’s Writing Retreat Essay

Minerva Rising Literary Journal co-editor and poet Dulcie Witman invited me to write a guest essay for their blog.  My essay, Women Who Have Something to Say, reflects the women’s creative writing and yoga workshop/retreat experience.

Minerva Rising Literary Journal celebrates the creativity and wisdom in every woman.  Their blog invites guest writers to contribute essays, stories, experiences, insights and perspectives.  The pieces are usually creative non-fiction written in the first person.

Minerva Rising publishes two editions per year.  It seeks submissions of written works that include photographs.  The current theme is “rebellion.”  Give it a try!

YogaFoodWriting-30 YogaFoodWriting-83

A Passport Travel Wallet Designed by a Traveler

That “traveler” would be me!

My friend, Asheville, NC, artist Gwen Diehn, is at it again.  This time, in addition to writing books about art journaling, and making hand-made art books and book binding,  she is delving into the world of creative, recycled wallets and related paraphernalia — called Piece Work Wallets & Things.

We met up last weekend in Asheville over a great dinner with mutual friends Natalie and Paul.  I admired (and coveted) her whimsical wallets and ordered one custom-made to hold money, credit cards, and a travel notebook.  THEN, I thought, what about a Passport holder that would hang around my neck so I wouldn’t have to fumble for it going through airport security.  I described it and she sketched it on the spot.

Gwen knew I was leaving tomorrow for Oaxaca, so she immediately manufactured what I described (using her “new” treadle sewing machine and recycled found materials).  Lo and behold, there it appeared on my front doorstep less than two days later.

See Gwen’s Website/Blog call Piece Work Wallets & Things:  Click here on the link  to see (and order) a whimsical wallet or Passport holder for yourself.

From Lark Books, Real Life Journals: Designing and Using Hand Made Books by Gwen Diehn.