SewaneeLetters.com

Good news for writer-yogis. Mary Ann O’Gorman has a plan:

I am planning on teaching a weekly gentle yoga class this summer especially designed for readers and writers. No experience is necessary to take this class. It is free of charge and open to SOL students, faculty, staff, and family members. Unfortunately, children under 12 cannot be accommodated. The only requirement I can think of is an ability to get down on the floor and back up, but I may be able to accommodate you if you can’t do that. Let me know. (I’ll need to see what the Fowler Center has to help with that accommodation.)

The focus of the class will be hips, shoulders and backs, all of which contract into tight little wads in the six weeks we are on campus, along with our work the rest of the year. The class will run for an hour.

I haven’t set a day and time yet, and I will be working with the director at the Fowler Center to firm up the details. I am narrowing it down to one of three times: after morning classes but before lunch on any day but Wednesday (11:30);  4:45 in the afternoon any day but Wednesday; or 6:30 p.m. any day but Wednesday. (I have no classes on Wednesday and am keeping that day free for homework.)

If you would like to take the class and have a time preference, please let me know your preference so I can confer with the director at Fowler.

What to bring: a yoga mat (Walmart has them for app. 10.00) and stretchy clothing you can move in. You may also want to pack a good beach towel to use as a blanket in class, a five pound bag of rice in sturdy plastic (trust me on this one…it is a gift from me to you!), and a bathrobe belt to use as a strap.

My credentials: I have been in yoga teacher training since October 2008, working towards my 200 hour Yoga Alliance Certification. The training consists of over 500 hours of lecture, practice, reading, workshops, and lesson planning. I will be completing my 200 level in September, so I am at the finish line. I have been teaching at my local studio and also at a local chiropractor’s office.

Philosophy: Yoga is for everyone. Flexibility is not required. Youth is not required! You start where you are, and you stay there for a while. There is no checklist or rubric in yoga. Injuries and limitations are part of life, and with yoga, you can work with them instead of against them.

I am looking forward to this summer and seeing you all again. I hope some of you plan on joining me at my yoga party.

Jenn Lewin has kindly offered to lead a once-a-week reading group this summer, to be called “The Bible for Teachers and Students of Literature.” Students interested in participating should just bring a Bible (Jenn suggests the King James version) with them this summer.

Here’s the invite from Pete Trenchi, who knows how quickly our schedules fill up in June:

Since a yard party at my place is part of the deal & since I have been having monthly porch party / jam sessions, the two should converge into one yard party / jam session on Saturday June 20, 2009.  Save the date.  It will start in the afternoon & continue; food will be basic plus what folks bring; drinks will be spring untested spring water plus what folks bring.  etc.

John Grammer forwarded me this photo. Someone fill me in!

Nick and Ashley hosted an informal fiction workshop at the family lake house last weekend. I didn’t get many photos of the serious critique that took place, just the dockside shenanigans afterwards. (Like how I worked in that Sewanee reference?) Here’s Jason, Megan, Jimmy, Mr. and Mrs. Nichols and their entertaining lab, Tucker.

It was good to see some Sewanee faces beyond “the Domain,” and Jimmy, at least, got a decent workshopping. The next writer’s group is loosely planned for December 6th, in Atlanta. Where there is no magical lake and splendid fall foliage to distract us from our task.