Time to Awaken: A Virtual Retreat

Join us May 24* for a day of writing, yoga, and meditation

*Please note that this retreat has been re-scheduled to Sunday, May 24

It’s been a full winter. As we tiptoe more fully into spring, do you find yourself longing to feel more grounded? Are your body, mind, and spirit yearning to shake off the cobwebs and feel more vigorously alive?

Join yoga instructor Joshua Lewis and author Trevor Corkum for Time to Awaken, a one-day virtual retreat. As much as possible, we’ll replicate the quiet serenity and restorative benefits of an in-person retreat. Over the course of the day, we’ll engage in revitalizing yoga, deep meditative practice, and a series of reflective writing practises designed to nourish your body and sharpen your sensory awareness. Together we’ll embrace the energetic calling of spring, leaving you anchored in body and mind. Special musical guest, kirtan artist Lana Sugarman, will join us for the day.

No prior yoga or writing experience necessary. While participants will practice from home, we’ll offer suggestions for easy hacks for at-home equipment you can use, so if you don’t have yoga props or equipment at your disposal, no worries! We’ll also provide some special healthy recipes and additional activities to help support your day.

PWYC Sliding Scale Fee: $50-$75 per person

*If you have the desire and means to sponsor somebody to attend this retreat offering at the full price, we would humbly accept a donation on your behalf above the $75 fee noted above.

OVERVIEW

Sunday, May 17

10:00 AM Arrive & Opening Meditation
10:30 AM Hatha Yoga for Awakening Vital Energy
11:30 AM Writing Activity
12:15-1:00 PM Health Break
1:00 PM Writing Activity (continued)
1:45 PM Gentle Movement and Restorative Yoga
2:15 PM Music & Mantra with Lana


WORKSHOP PRICE INCLUDES:

-3 yoga/meditation sessions
-reflective writing and journaling exercises
-healthy plant-based recipes and optional exercises
-special musical guest performance
-discounts on future workshops, writing and yoga sessions
-yoga nidra audio recording

REGISTRATION

Please contact Joshua Lewis at yoga@joshualewis.com to reserve your spot. Full payment is due upon registration.

Payment Methods

1. Email money transfer (send to yoga@joshualewis.com / no password required as I’m set up for autodeposit)

2. Paypal via: www.paypal.me/yogawithjosh

Learning from an inspiring group of fellow authors

Behind the scenes at Write by the Sea!

Yolande Essiembre attended last year’s Write by the Sea retreat from Shediac, New Brunswick. Yolande generously agreed to answer a few questions about her experience writing, sharing, and learning in a warm community of fellow writers.

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CATCHING UP with Write by the Sea Participant Yolande Essiembre

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Yolande, why did you first decide to attend the Write by the Sea retreat? 

I felt called to attend as soon as I read the title. I love to write, I love being by the sea and I love retreats! It sounded like it could meet all my needs.

What were some of the lessons you learned from the writing workshops at the retreat? What were the benefits to your writing?

I am writing my first book so I had a lot to learn. I learned about the technicalities of writing, about structure, process and prompts. But I mostly learned through conversations, and sharing with a wonderful and inspiring group of authors. Trevor asked questions that brought conversations to a level much deeper than thought. I appreciated the discussions about perseverance, intuition and creativity. I loved listening to the inner wisdom of the participants as they shared their work. 

In terms of benefits, I understood that I was not to compare myself or my writing to other people. I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released. I now understand more fully the process of writing a book and the amount of time it may require to have it completed. This helped me to assess where I am presently in my project, where I want to go with my book and the kind of help I would need to move forward. Consequently, I have hired Trevor as a writing coach. My book and my writing has greatly improved, along with my confidence.
  

I finally grasped the concept that all books are written in stages… first draft, second draft, third draft and so on until it is ready to be released.

Apart from writing, what were some of the highlights of the retreat and your time on PEI?

One of the things I truly enjoyed was meal times. At noon, healthy lunches were prepared and brought to us at the little school house by Joshua Lewis. He also led us through meditation and yoga session during the week which was a bonus. Both Trevor and Joshua made themselves very available to us, also sharing the evening meals (most of which were included) with the group. It was a great time for socializing and sharing tips with other authors. The last meal together at The Hideout —where authors shared their work — was truly a gift. 

Any advice for those who might be considering Write by the Sea this year?

I believe that we get from the retreat what we invest in the retreat. Participate in events, enjoy your alone time to move forward with your writing. Appreciate the new friends with their knowledge and wisdom and you will have a week to remember. 

What are you working on currently, Yolande? 

I am working on a memoir. Long Lost Mom is my story as a mother who gave a child up for adoption. It is also the story of an adult child searching for and finding his long lost mom after 46 years of being separated.  

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Yolande is the mother to four adult children and grandmother to two wonderful grand daughters. In addition to accreditation in various types of counselling and coaching, Yolande Essiembre holds a master of theology degree from Université de Sherbrooke (Quebec), a certificate in social work and a certificate in religious sciences from the Université de Moncton (New Brunswick).  During the last 15 years of her career, she worked in organizational development and as a wellness counsellor in the human relations field. Since her retirement, she has created and facilitated sessions in personal and spiritual development and is now in the process of writing her book. She is a member of WFNB (Writer’s Federation New Brunswick).  You can find Yolande’s website here.

Surrendering to the mystery

Photo credit: Ann Millar

Reflections on the 2018 Victoria Literary Festival

The Victoria Literary Festival wrapped up last weekend, and I'm full of inspiration and humility. It's always with joy and awe that I step into a workshop space. I wonder at the folks who will arrive. What stories they carry, what goals and dreams lay just below the surface. 

I love the feeling of surrender that we share when we work together. There's a surrendering to the creative process itself, trying to sidestep the urge to censor and allow the stories that need to be told the space to come to life. There's the surrendering to a sense of awkwardness and vulnerability. What if I make a fool of myself? What if I say something ridiculous?

Each time I facilitate a writing workshop, I am reminded of how few opportunities there are for adults to come together with what might be called "beginner's mind"--that wide-open, non-judgemental space where new ways of seeing come to life. It's important for me as a facilitator to cultivate a space of safety, where we're able to take risks together and feel the pulse of creativity come to life.

The workshops at the Victoria Literary Festival vibrated with life. We dove in deep, cultivating stories from our lives, writing tiny memoirs, breathing together, crafting haikus. We danced and played. We held silence. Most of all, we remembered that when we come together with openness and curiosity, incredible things can happen.

Reading from "Emily and Me" during the VILF evening review (Photo credit: Ann Millar)

I'm grateful to have served as this year's VILF as writer-in-residence, and thankful to all the folks who took part in this year's workshops and the evening review. Thanks also to the local Island media for such great coverage of the festival. Here are a few highlights:

Award-winning writer says self-confidence is the key ingredient to success (Journal-Pioneer)
Weekend of writing by the sea (The Guardian)
Victoria Literary Festival opens (The Guardian)
Writing and yoga part of Victoria Literary Festival (Journal-Pioneer)

If you missed the festival and are hoping to dive into your writing early this fall, I'll be hosting a one-day retreat here on PEI on September 22. It's filling up quickly, so if you're hoping to join us, get in touch soon to reserve your space. 

In the meantime, enjoy these last days of summer, and happy writing.