Contact me at susan @ susanbarrtoman.com to bring a Mindful Writing workshop to your group or organization.

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Meditation, Movement, and The Muse

Writing may seem like a purely intellectual activity, but movement and meditation can play huge parts in the creative process. In this afternoon workshop, we’ll explore how mindfulness meditation, body awareness, and yoga can inspire and unblock the flow of your words. We will discover these tools through gentle guided meditation and movement activities, and explore how to apply them through focused writing prompts. 

The workshop includes an introduction to mindfulness meditation, a gentle 45-minute yoga class, and plenty of opportunities to write and share–if you choose!

Whether you are working to develop a daily writing practice or to gain freer access to your literary imagination, this workshop will help you discover how your body can give you information about yourself and others, how to quiet the inner saboteur, and how a deeper awareness of the body can enhance your writing.

Participants should bring their own yoga mats and writing materials (preferably notebooks and pens for writing by hand), and wear comfortable clothing suited for movement.

INSTRUCTORS:

Susan Barr-Toman inspires people to discover and write their true stories with the tools of mindfulness. During her years at the Penn Program for Mindfulness, she developed and led mindful writing courses, including her foundational Building a Mindful Writing Practice, now the heart of her work. For over a decade, she taught college writing from first year composition to MFA creative writing. Her work has been widely published in outlets including The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She is the author of the award-winning novel When Love Was Clean Underwear. She earned her MFA at the Bennington College Writing Seminars.

Joanne Ruelos Diaz is a Filipino-American writer, editor, and children’s book author. She is the author of The Little Book of Joy: 365 Ways to Celebrate Every Day and The Little Book of Words That Matter: 100 Words for Every Child to Understand (Magic Cat/Abrams). Her very first job was at Sesame Street Magazine writing dialogue for Grover, poems about the number 4, and facts about manatees. Since then, her mission has been to nurture children’s literacy and to help make the world more like Sesame Street — kind, silly, diverse, and inclusive. As a freelance writer, she’s written board books, early readers, picture books, Mad Libs, and essays about parenting. Joanne is trained in Teaching Yoga and Mindfulness to Children (Little Flower Yoga) and completed her 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher Training with Bhakti Barn Yoga.

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Celebrate the Spring Equinox: A Mindful Writing Workshop

Here in Philadelphia, this has been the coldest winter in my memory. And even though Punxsutawney Phil warned us we had six more weeks of winter weather, our days are getting longer. Spring is coming!

The beginning of each season offers us an opportunity to pause and reflect on where we are at in our lives and in our writing. The Spring Equinox brings us balance and begins a season of rebirth and renewal. A time to lift our heads toward the sunlight. A time to recommit to our writing practice.

Spend a couple hours connecting with your true creative self and with others through meditation, visualization, and NOW writing. Share your experiences and words in a safe, fun, supportive environment. Learn what mindfulness can bring to your writing practice and what writing can bring to your mindfulness practice. 

Be sure to have paper and pen to write by hand (if possible).

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Testimonials

I love Susan’s classes! I have gained a sound foundation in the combination of meditation and writing. Workshops afford a unique broadening of perspective as I glimpse bits of life through the stories my classmates choose to write and to share.

Susan effortlessly creates an inclusive and inspiring online classroom that feels like a weekly bit of normalcy and connection in this disaggregated time.

Amy L., Cherry Hill, NJ

Susan’s writing classes (I’ve enrolled in several) have been transformational. I hadn’t been able to write regularly or successfully for years, and Susan’s deep knowledge of literature–and her experience with both the craft of writing and the practical details of the publishing world–have been incredibly helpful and inspiring.  Thanks to her course, and the supportive community it has created, I now have a regular writing practice, and have even submitted some pieces for publication, with more planned for the future. This course is the highlight of my week despite a busy work schedule.

Catherine W., Haddon Township, NJ

I participated in my first 6-week personal essay workshop with Susan over a year ago, and haven’t stopped since! Susan creates a vibe in the group that fosters positive and constructive feedback, and I’ve come away from each session with improvements in my own writing and inspiration from my fellow writers, now friends. I highly recommend for anyone with a story to tell — which is everyone!

Jeanne M., Wayne, PA