Writing the Body

by | Apr 10, 2015 | Clockhouse Writers Conference

by Heather Leah Huddleston 

Heather Leah Huddleston at Practice

Heather Leah Huddleston at Practice

Writing is akin to breathing. Those of us who are passionate about words accept this as a deep truth. As writers, we know both the magic and practice that go into threading words together to create meaning, emotion, and story. So, for me, it makes sense that yoga and writing make the perfect couple.

Yoga itself is a perfect metaphor-in-motion for writing. As writers, practice, practice, practice becomes our mantra. We do that through writing, reading, and trusting the process, and every time we show up to our practice, we are pouring parts of ourselves onto the page. I’ve found the same to be true in my yoga practice. Sure, there are alignment principles we can work towards to make a pose more comfortable; there are techniques we can use to craft a pose. But, ultimately, there is no “right or wrong” in yoga; there is simply pure expression. Sound familiar, writers?

When I offered my “Writing the Body” workshop last year at the Clockhouse Writers’ Conference, I had no idea what to expect. The room filled with three novice and three seasoned yogis; all, of course, were experienced writers. What moved me the most was how willing everyone was to delve deeply not only into the space of words but into the space of the body. Part of my intention for the workshop is to guide people into the body, into all the sensations that are present, in order for them to write from a deep and authentic place. And from the energetic space of yoga, meeting something we’ve done over and over again from a different perspective allows things to be shaken, stirred, and become unstuck. We had a participant experience a breakthrough in a piece she had been stuck on for a long time; we had another participant write a prophetic poem where she intuitively experienced the poses before they were expressed (we are at Goddard, after all!); we had three hours where nothing mattered but breath, body, words.

The blank page…the yoga mat…they are both mirrors, safe and sacred places for exploration and creative expression. Each time a yoga pose is expressed, it’s different—no matter how many times we do the pose—just as each time we go to the page, the experience and expression are different—no matter how long we’ve played with these beautiful, tricky things called words.

I’ve found that through practice, I am guided through the sacredness of process. Sometimes all we need is to simply create space for the words to come. And that is another intention for the workshop: People sitting, breathing, writing the body.

The yoga practice offered in the “Writing the Body” workshop is a gentler practice, accessible to every individual’s unique body, and the writing prompts offered are sure to bring one into the space of their work from a different perspective.

Workshops are another important component of the CWC Conference & Retreat.  Heather Leah Huddleston is part of the marketing and publicity team for CLOCKHOUSE, the literary journal published by CWC in partnership with Goddard College and the MFAW program.  The workshop she offered during last year’s CWC Retreat, Writing the Body, drew on her experience as a yoga instructor as well as a writer.  It will be back by popular demand this year. Come join her, and us.  Registration open at clockhousewriters.com

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CWC

CWC is the alumni association of Goddard's MFAW Program. It holds the annual summer Clockhouse Writers' Conference & Retreat in Plainfield, Vermont, and the annual winter Lighthouse Conference & Retreat each winter. Its national literary journal CLOCKHOUSE is published in partnership with Goddard College and the MFAW Program. For more information, please visit www.clockhousewriters.com or contact CWC's lead steward, Lucy Turner.