Thanks to Annie Manson for the photo and testimonial - a passionate advocate for Spanish gastronomy she runs fabulous food and sherry holidays in Vejer, Andalucia - great fun, I loved it! https://www.anniebspain.com/
Writing workshops: For years, people all over the world have been asking me if I could run my writing workshops online, but the fear of technology and vanity about my own appearance on screen had stopped me. I’d never even done Facetime. Now, because of quarantine, I am so glad I have!
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What has surprised me most is that the workshops still seem to have the same therapeutic impact online. Writing down our lives, keeping a notebook or a diary using pen and paper is something we all should be doing… for our own mental health and for future generations to understand how it is for us all, living in the now. Hosting the workshops has also encouraged me to put on proper clothes and make-up and not just live in ‘day-time pyjamas’!
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Mindfulness meditation is a skill I learnt many years ago and it is incredibly effective at dealing with stress and panic at times like this. You don’t have to have to be a Buddhist or spiritual in any way. All you have to do is be still, find where your breath comes into the body and relax. When your attention wanders away, bring it back and perhaps make a mental note of where it has gone – worrying, planning, thinking. It is very much about living in the now, an acceptance of who and where you are in this very moment and not worrying about the future or thinking about the past. Do this for ten minutes and I think you will feel much calmer.
Join me on Zoom 10.30am and 7.00pm London Time for an hour of writing and meditation. Email me elaine@write-it-down.co.uk for the latest log-in details. You don’t have to share any of your writing, you can mute yourself and hide your video. No writing experience needed, just some paper, a pen and a sense of adventure!
My workshops are £20 for one hour and payable via PayPal or bank transfer
See what other writers say:
‘The sessions have been surprising, enlightening, entertaining, challenging. thoughtful, respectful and made me think about my motivations, experiences and what has made me who and what I am.’
‘Thanks again for such thought provoking and comfortable, well crafted sessions. They have been one of the most consistent things over the last year or more.’
‘Thanks again for this morning’s session. I felt emotional at the start and the only way I can describe it is like being hugged.’
‘I’m writing this straight from my first writing workshop with you and I want to let you know what a special hour this has been for me. I’ve been lurking in the shadows too long!’
‘Thank you so much for this morning. It was really good and provided some really valuable focus for writing and being able to get the words to flow onto the paper in a way that felt natural. I will definitely join in the future and am blocking out the space in my calendar right now.’
‘I really love how you guide the sessions and since I’ve been in my first session, I feel much more confident with my flaws and could start to break bad habits and blockades.’