Writing from the Body

“Imagination is evidence of the divine,” wrote poet and visionary William Blake more than 200 years ago. And yet we experience the world, imagine, and create through our very human bodies. In this retreat designed for artists and dreamers of every ilk, we will drop into the body and connect to the deepest parts of ourselves from which we all too often disassociate in our creative work. Through immersive yoga practices, including asana, guided breathing, and relaxation, coupled with writing exercises, we will unleash and explore the power that is our birthright, face our fears, generate new material, make resolutions, and discover the stories that emerge from and are written on the body. Between facilitated sessions participants will have time for solitude, reflection, and play in nature on the sacred grounds of beautiful Gilchrist.

Poet Mary Oliver wrote that “the most regretful people on earth are those who felt the call to creative work, who felt their own creative power restive and uprising, and gave to it neither power nor time.” In this retreat we’ll give both power and time to the practices that will allow us to not only live without regret, but with fierce love, joy, and passion.

About the Facilitator
Marin Heinritz, PhD, RYT-500, is associate professor of English at Kalamazoo College where she teaches creative writing, literature, and journalism; and she is senior faculty for Sangha Yoga Institute and an instructor at Kalamazoo Barre in Kalamazoo. Writing and the body are inextricably linked in her work on the page and in the classroom, and helping others fulfill their potential through both endeavors is, for her, a spiritual practice.

Registration and Lodging Details
The retreat begins in WindHill at 6:30 p.m. Friday and closes at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Early bird registration is $225 before October 1, 2019, and $250 after that. Space is limited, and participants must register for the retreat with a minimum $75 deposit before reserving a cabin at GilChrist, with remaining cost of retreat due by November 1, 2019. 

Lodging fees and reservations are separate, and participants are encouraged to complete a registration form and submit payment early to secure a spot and secure a GilChrist cabin. After you have registered and paid for the program with the facilitator via marinheinritz.com, contact GilChrist to reserve your cabin using the online registration form or by calling the main office at (269) 244-1130.

Participants will check into their cabins between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. on Friday, November 1 at a time you communicate via your cabin reservation. Cabin check-out is at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 3.