"An Embodied Practice of Yoga and Writing to Open Creative Channels"
MY INTENTION: At the end of the retreat, I hope participants feel more awake to their bodies and their creativity. I hope they feel strong. I hope they feel calm. Connected in body and mind. Uplifted by the beauty at Sagrada. I hope they feel alive to the power of words and inspired to continue their playful practices of yoga and writing. WHEN: Fri-Sun, August 8-10
WHERE: Sagrada Wellness (It's such a beautiful retreat space. I took myself here for my 34th birthday and enjoyed the yoga, the time and space to write, the nature walks, the hot tub under the starts, and the lovely, nourishing organic meals!)
Enjoy yoga and writing? Join us for a unique yoga and creative retreat at Sagrada Wellness in the beautiful Central Coast of California. Led by poet/yogi Leslie St. John (MFA/300hrRYT), Prose and Poses will be hosted by Sagrada Wellness owners Scott and Eva. If you enjoy writing and have an interest in yoga, but find yourself short on time to practice both, this retreat is a lovely gift. All levels welcome.Wake to the beauty of birdsong and mist rising off grapevines. Meditate, journal, or take in the pristine, natural countryside. After a light breakfast, we will practice yoga to stretch, energize, and awaken the body; pranayama to open channels for breath and energy flow, and meditation to sensitize the intuitive mind. The second half of class will focus on writing exercises to inspire ideas, clarify existing ones, and refine expression. This retreat is designed to give you time and space to write through lengthy post-lunch breaks. Evenings include organic meals lovingly prepared by Scott and Eva; blue-hour walks; hot-tub soaks; and quiet reflection under the stars.
SAMPLE RETREAT SCHEDULE:
Meditation / Morning Pages
Light Breakfast
Yoga (more active) and Writing
Lunch
Break (free writing time, hiking, resting, etc.)
Yoga (more restorative) and Writing
Dinner
Break (free writing/reading time, resting, hot-tubing!)
Meditation / Morning Pages
Light Breakfast
Yoga (more active) and Writing
Lunch
Break (free writing time, hiking, resting, etc.)
Yoga (more restorative) and Writing
Dinner
Break (free writing/reading time, resting, hot-tubing!)
RATES (3day/2 night yoga retreats- priced are per person):
Communal bedroom shared bathroom - $525 + tax
Private bedroom shared bathroom - $695 sgl / $595 dbl + tax
Communal bedroom shared bathroom - $525 + tax
Private bedroom shared bathroom - $695 sgl / $595 dbl + tax
POET/YOGI BIO:
An Arkansas native, Leslie St. John came to yoga through competitive figure skating and modern dance as a way to heal injuries and continue to explore the body’s range of performance and play. She immersed herself in this dynamic practice and studied to be a yoga teacher with Tias Little, whose methods synthesize the safety and stability of Iyengar with the strength and mobility of Ashtanga. She continues to deepen her practice and hone her teaching skills by studying with renowned yogi Noah Maze. Leslie's Vinyasa classes emphasize “right effort”— the balance between exertion and surrender.
Poetry is a source of inspiration and balance in her life. While earning an MFA in creative writing from Purdue, she served as poetry editor for the Sycamore Review and hosted Looseleaf community writing workshops. Author of Beauty Like a Rope, by Word Palace Press, she has published poems in various journals. She won the MacGuffin Prize, judged by Thomas Lux, was runner-up for the Florida Review prize, and nominated by Lisa Lewis and Ai for a Pushcart Prize. As a dancer and yogi, she is interested in intersections between body, movement, and poetry. In addition to Prose and Poses, other current projects include: “Sun and Moon Flow: Yoga to Support Women with their Cycle.” co-taught with Alycia Kylie and “Two Voices,” a Poetry tour with Lauren Henley, and “Unveiling Self,” an anthology of student memoir essays. She teaches Composition, Romanticism, and Poetry at Cal Poly and Sweet Vinyasa at Smiling Dog Yoga in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Personal Reflections on Yoga & Writing…
Yoga and writing are my two greatest passions. At 22, after many years of struggling with an eating disorder, yoga returned me to a loving relationship with my body; what was once my antagonist is now my ally. From a young age, writing poems and taping them to the back of my father’s office door, into adulthood, writing has been my primary method of inner knowing and outward expression. In my thirties, I prayed to synthesize seemingly disparate aspects of my life—yogi/teacher/writer—and imagined a practice both spiritually fulfilling and deeply creative; thus, Prose and Poses was born. From doing my personal practice of yoga and writing in my dining room/converted yoga sanctuary, to sharing this gift in yoga studios and retreat centers on the Central Coast, Prose and Poses continues to emerge as a rich, delightfully satisfying experience.
An Arkansas native, Leslie St. John came to yoga through competitive figure skating and modern dance as a way to heal injuries and continue to explore the body’s range of performance and play. She immersed herself in this dynamic practice and studied to be a yoga teacher with Tias Little, whose methods synthesize the safety and stability of Iyengar with the strength and mobility of Ashtanga. She continues to deepen her practice and hone her teaching skills by studying with renowned yogi Noah Maze. Leslie's Vinyasa classes emphasize “right effort”— the balance between exertion and surrender.
Poetry is a source of inspiration and balance in her life. While earning an MFA in creative writing from Purdue, she served as poetry editor for the Sycamore Review and hosted Looseleaf community writing workshops. Author of Beauty Like a Rope, by Word Palace Press, she has published poems in various journals. She won the MacGuffin Prize, judged by Thomas Lux, was runner-up for the Florida Review prize, and nominated by Lisa Lewis and Ai for a Pushcart Prize. As a dancer and yogi, she is interested in intersections between body, movement, and poetry. In addition to Prose and Poses, other current projects include: “Sun and Moon Flow: Yoga to Support Women with their Cycle.” co-taught with Alycia Kylie and “Two Voices,” a Poetry tour with Lauren Henley, and “Unveiling Self,” an anthology of student memoir essays. She teaches Composition, Romanticism, and Poetry at Cal Poly and Sweet Vinyasa at Smiling Dog Yoga in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Personal Reflections on Yoga & Writing…
Yoga and writing are my two greatest passions. At 22, after many years of struggling with an eating disorder, yoga returned me to a loving relationship with my body; what was once my antagonist is now my ally. From a young age, writing poems and taping them to the back of my father’s office door, into adulthood, writing has been my primary method of inner knowing and outward expression. In my thirties, I prayed to synthesize seemingly disparate aspects of my life—yogi/teacher/writer—and imagined a practice both spiritually fulfilling and deeply creative; thus, Prose and Poses was born. From doing my personal practice of yoga and writing in my dining room/converted yoga sanctuary, to sharing this gift in yoga studios and retreat centers on the Central Coast, Prose and Poses continues to emerge as a rich, delightfully satisfying experience.
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