Yoga + Writing Retreat Returns!

“You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.”

—from “Wild Geese” by  Mary Oliver

Yoga and Writing Retreat

Loving Yourself 101    a day of nurturing

By now, we’ve all been slapped with self-help jargon touting the importance of learning to “love yourself,” but what does that really mean? Often times we are lead to think self-love is something hard earned, (I will love myself when/if I…lose weight, run a marathon, volunteer every day, get a “good” job, find the perfect person, etc), or something we must convince ourselves of in clichéd affirmations to our terrified reflection in the mirror (“You are a vision of beauty. I am a sacred feminine goddess. You embody wisdom and magic of the universe. I am one with the divine”, etc). Nothing against mantras, but if they are vague or inauthentic, we are merely confusing ourselves! No wonder it’s not working!  (How about cut to the chase: I LOVE MY VARICOSE VEINS!)

Most of the time we are so used to doubting, neglecting, criticizing, scaring, denying ourselves, etc, that we don’t even realize we are doing it; for many of us, beating ourselves up is a habit we picked up in order to survive and/or fit in.  And while we are well aware that society/media, etc, capitalizes on this insecurity by bombarding us with messages laden with fear, (protect yourself with insurance of every kind, love yourself with stuff, prettiness, money, get a facial, etc), sadly we are all susceptible to turning against ourselves in favor of popular opinion or old habits where we learned to do whatever we could to get love, even if meant not loving ourselves.  The good news is that we are already “loving ourselves” all the time—even in ways we are unaware, natural organic ways that remind us that self-love is a healthier, though underemphasized (and under sensationalized), means of survival. As Mary Oliver reminds us, we only have to let our soft animal body to love what it loves.”  Sometimes we have to find our soft animal body in order to remember what it loves.

In this integrative workshop we will discuss and practice what it means to truly nurture and love ourselves in ways that feel authentic, loving, and honest by bringing personal meaning to a crucial adage—love thyself—and why we need it now more than ever.

Our Day Together

Restorative/Gentle Yoga (no experience required)

Hands-on Healing (Thai Yoga Bodywork, Reiki)

Writing/Sharing

Writing/creating fresh, new, personal MANTRAS (physical and written)

Laughter Yoga

Nourishing Lunch

Saturday February 18, 2012     10am-4pm Sunnyside South Minneapolis Beach Studio  $99   Registerrox@writingwithrox.com 

612-703-4321   All Welcome!

Cori Levin, RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) comes to us live and direct from sunny Sayulita surftown, Mexico where she taught and lived yoga on the shores of the Pacific Ocean for one year with her family. “Come do nothing” her latest mantra, embodies her philosophy as a teacher and mother: break the rules, challenge yourself by changing your pace, feel totally supported by doing nothing by giving yourself permission to do nothing…and love yourself for it. 

Rox Sadovsky recently added a few more letters to her credential salad as a CLYL (Certified Laughter Yoga Leader) yet she still hasn’t gotten the hang of her multiplication tables. Lately she and her 4 year-old Jude have been chanting  “skidleeeaye! skildleeeeeoh!”  to relieve tension and find calm in shared giggles. “Trust spontaneity”, and “I am a ninja” and “look around right here and now at all the gifts,” are three of her favorite personal mantras. Learning to love herself, flaws and all, continues to challenge and surprise her everyday.

Belated, but Never Too Late (Truth Be Told) Holiday Letter

This week's prompt is inspired by one of my students who today wrote the most exquisite holiday letter I have ever seen. Pure poetry in the from of a holiday letter. No, she didn't talk about all her kudos and juju and bauhaus and awards she got for her bling bling and boom boom. She did not rock out over her kids' being the bomb or tell us anything was all good, nor did she wish anyone anything merry or ringy. No sleigh bells flew in this note! However, what she did write was the holiday letter she always wished she could, but "wouldn't dare." The truth. The whole truth. The result? Beautiful. Full of love, insight, compassion... the change she wants to see in the world clearly reflected there in her details of flying hawks and summer mowing.

How does your DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND EVERYONE ELSE holiday/New Year letter really go? Write it. No need to send it, but you might just want to. And of course, I really want a copy so post it either here (anon if you wish!) or back home privately, for my eyes only, at the email ranch at  rox@writingwithrox.com!

Look forward to writing with you soon! 

         ROX 

Welcome to My New Home! Like it?

Here we are. We made it. I can't believe I am off on my first official Cyber Tour! Oh, the places I will go!

How was the trip? Probably a lot easier for you than it was for me. First I had to decide where to move... check out the Blog real estate and tour a few layouts. Didn't know what I was doing at any of them, still don't, but here we are.  

Perhaps you can tell me what to do next.  


But anyway, stay a while. Make yourself at home. Take off your shoes.                    

It's lonely out here in Cyber Space. I miss my Inbox Family already, where my neighbors JUDE, XERXES, DADA, ESPANOL, SYNESTHESIA, DRUMMING/YOGA/KIRTAN, LOFT, FUNNY, AND LATER live.  I wonder if they miss me. They told me I was getting too big for the E-block, that I had to go see the world. "Besides," they said, "stop knocking on other people's inboxes uninvited. Don't you think they got more important SPAM to read?"  Thus, they encouraged me to see the world.

Am I now in THAT world?

Tell me where I am. Tell me where you are and where you are in relation to me. Tell me what's nearby. Tell me what I should see, who to visit and where you like to go. Who are you best cyber friends? Are there any dangers to look out for?

Better yet: SHOW ME.

Yes, that IS the prompt.  (you can be yourself, your blog, your inbox, your SPAM, or any other creative VOICE you'd like to venture! Remember: It's just writing.

As always, write until you feel it is enough and share if you'd like.  If you'd rather share privately like the good old days on the E-block, you are always welcome to knock at rox@writingwithrox.com

And of course the website still has all the upcoming classes, workshops, retreats, etc, which speaking of which, Intuitive Writing at the Loft Literary Center starts soon and is filling fast, so register asap! How do you get there? Well, you turn left and exit out of this text box. Then you gotta get off this blog, make a left, and warp-click to the Literary Galaxy (this is the Write your Truth Galaxy, satellite to the Creativity=Madness Galaxy) and find Planet Loft at www.loft.org and navigate tour their house. It's quite lovely this time of year. Lots of reds and blues. It's busy over there, so don't be shy. Just say hello and tell them I sent you and that you come in peace.



www.writingwithrox.com