WRITING & YOGA
Writing & Yoga: the Match of a Lifetime
In both writing and yoga, we look for the seemingly opposite. We look for openness and courage. Softness and strength. Boundaries and possibilities. We look for flexibility and rootedness, all in the same breath. It’s this willingness for wild calm, a tolerance for crazy wisdom that can transform exercise into yoga and scribbling into writing.
A writer can form the strongest paragraphs and best dialogues, but if she is not willing to touch what is most alive in herself, her writing will be lifeless. A yogi can move through a series of asana flawlessly, but without soulfulness and strength, it’s nothing more (and nothing less) than a workout. To avoid merely flopping limbs around in a Lululemon legging or creating proper sentences, the writer-yogi, the wrogi, must be willing to drop down. She or he needs to shed the aversion to sweat, earth, darkness and moist. Because it’s exactly in those swamps, the tropical rainforests in our minds and hearts where life thrives. Our life, to be precise.
Both writing and yoga can take you there. When combined, they strengthen each other. When your writing becomes dull, the pulsating sensation of a contracted butt cheek will cut through your conceptual mind. When your yoga practice switches to automatic gear, writing will provide vision. Together, they create an awareness of this one great, unimaginably short and mysterious life that can’t help but turn into gratitude.
The term WROGA
WROGA is a word I made up to describe a fusion of yoga, meditation and writing. WROGA means not only writing from your brain, but also from your body and skin. It is an exploration of three roads leading to the same destination: letting go and opening up to Life. Each road has its own characteristics, its own fortes and pitfalls. I have found that by combining them, they not only supplement but strengthen each other.
(Click here to check out the Writing & Yoga workshop AGENDA)
Reactions of previous workshop participants:
“De cursus is de leukste cursus sinds tijden, het is leuk, ontspannend, leerzaam, bevrijdend, inspirerend, een ontdekkingsreis.”
“Geertje is zeer inspirerend door haar aanstekelijke enthousiasme en humor. Op een down-to-earth manier weet ze heel diepzinnige thema’s zo over te brengen dat je als vanzelf meedoet.”
“toegankelijk, puur, verrassend; WROGALICIOUS!”
“Geweldige cursus, zorgde voor nog meer bewustzijn, alertheid. ‘Bracht me veel inzichten, nieuwe schrijf ideeën. Het stimuleert om naast het dagboekschrijven (wat ik bijna heel mijn leven doe) eindelijk serieus bezig te zijn met verhalen schrijven.”
“Ik vond het een fantastische cursus die me veel meer heeft gegevens dan ik ooit had kunnen bedenken, en teveel om hier op te schrijven. Ik ben vooral minder gaan moeten van mezelf en meer gaan doen wat goed voelde. Dat leidde me naar dingen waar ik al heel lang over nadacht maar me nu pas echt in verdiep.”
“Spontaan, echt, eerlijk, “schaamteloos”!”
“Inspirerend, ik zie dat er al in de kleinste dingen een verhaal zit. Plezier in schrijven is weer aangewakkerd. Dat niet altijd ‘mooi’ hoeft te schrijven om er plezier in te hebben en dat het de beleving van je eigen leven kan verdiepen.”
“Uitnodigend. Prikkelend!”
“Het gaf me een ingang, een manier om te beginnen met schrijven, mijn eerste gedachten en gevoel te volgen in plaats van er over na te denken en uit te stellen.”
“Deze cursus kwam als geroepen, Geertje inspireert me en geeft handvatten om aan de slag te gaan met die inspiratie.”
“Vernieuwend en verhelderend.”
“Geertje opened doors for me that I did not know could be opened. Freshly coming from highschool, my writting capabilities had been brainwashed into writing dull reports and essay’s leaving no room for creativity. With Geertje’s insights to writing and exercises that we practiced, completely let go of any writing boundaries I had… I SAW THE LIGHT! I saw the beauty of using writing as a therapeutic tool, and exposing myself. I hope to someday inspire people with my chosen words.”
“An immediate flow of inspiration was triggered when she walked into the room. She radiates creativity and love through her eyes, appearance and tone of voice. She soothes me, whilst being unaware of it, by sharing her original ideas and letting our minds flow freely.”
“Working with Geertje has been an honour, she is one of the most inspiring people I have met so far. Her uplifting spirit triggers my creativity. Thank you Geertje!”
My WROGA and writing workshops are based on my new book, ZIN; Lust in je Leven door Schrijven (Lust for Life through Writing)
