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Reflective Poetry Prompts from Writing Retreats: A Contemplative Writing Practice

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee March 17, 2023 Leave a Comment

Image shares information about writing retreats in 12 colorful blocks framed by leaves and flowers. The text reads: Writing retreats. One-day retreats: 6 dates open. 10am-4:30pm ET. Join via Zoom. Guided meditations. Lots of writing time. Optional 1:1 coaching. Reflective prompts. Group check-ins. Writing community. Available for groups, too. Sliding-scale fees. Facilitator Beth Godbee, Ph.D. Heart-Head-Hands.com.”

This post shares a few reflective poetry prompts (along with my poetic answers) from recent one-day writing retreats. For context, I’ve been facilitating one-day, online writing retreats for a few years now. I love the retreat space not only for supportive writing community and dedicated writing time, but especially for reflection. Throughout the day, reflection happens through guided meditation, freewriting prompts, and group conversation. To close each retreat, I offer ... Read more ...

Questions for Honoring Creative Energy and Play

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee February 13, 2021 Leave a Comment

seven balls of yarn (in shades of yellow, orange, cream, green, and teal) for my current crochet project

Throughout today's writing retreat, I've been considering how to honor creative energy and engage in creative play. Inspired by the CHANI app (and surely by this week's new moon), I’ve been feeling such a pull toward creative play (crocheting, drawing, baking, gardening, and even listening to and writing poetry). And I’m realizing that creative play (with color, texture, shape, craft, and purpose) might be just what’s needed to fuel, inspire, and sustain more serious ... Read more ...

Invitation to Join Upcoming Theatre of the Oppressed Workshops

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Emotional Literacies, Everyday Feminism, Racial Justice By Beth Godbee October 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

This screenshot shows the online article “Forum Theatre: Using Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed to Build Receptive Competence by Rasha Diab, Ph.D. and Beth Godbee, Ph.D.,” part of the website Contemplative Practices for Anti-Oppression Pedagogy. It shows a paragraph of text against a blue background and the black, red, and white book cover of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.

This fall, as part of the 40-Day Practice: Strengthening Emotional Stamina to Counter White Fragility, I’m facilitating two workshops using theatre of the oppressed. I invite you to join one or both of these workshops, if you’d like to experience Augusto Boal’s powerful approach, rehearse interventions into everyday racism, and connect with others engaged in this work. Here are the workshop dates and description: Friday, October 16th 2-5pm EasternFriday, November 6th ... Read more ...

Turning 40 with the Gift of 40 Miles: Why I’m Taking Myself on Walks This Month

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee May 8, 2019 1 Comment

Here a teal-blue hiking backpack (lighter day-pack with thermos visible) sits against a stone bench.

May is both my birth month and a time of transition (when the school year ends and summer begins). For as long as I can remember, I’ve looked forward to May and its potential for renewal. This year I’m celebrating my 40th birthday and wanting to mark the occasion with extended time on trails. Specifically, I’m setting a goal to hike 40 miles on my own this month: miles that I’ll walk toward understanding how to be independent within interdependence. Why This ... Read more ...

Sweet Peanut-Butter Spread for Snacks, Parties, Lunches, and More

Filed Under: Recipes By Beth Godbee December 27, 2018 6 Comments

This photo shows a blue bowl against a white tabletop. Inside the bowl is the sweet spread (a light brown color with creamy texture) next to sliced apples (light, yellowish centers with red skin).

Years ago, I had a college cookbook with super easy recipes: each with roughly 5 ingredients, taking about 5 minutes, and costing only $5. That cookbook taught me that “cooking” can be easy and still delicious. Recipes can be simple enough to be remembered and reproduced through rough estimations. That cookbook had a sandwich that I enjoyed for years while vegetarian, and it was one of the first recipes I “veganized” by making a few substitutions. The idea is to create ... Read more ...

Parenting Myself 101

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Emotional Literacies By Beth Godbee December 21, 2018 4 Comments

This image shows two abstract figures -- a larger person (presumably parent) and smaller person (presumably child) reaching for each other's hands. The title "parenting myself 101" appears in blue against a light teal background. The figures are in a darker shade of teal.

Over the past few months, I’ve been learning more about how to care for myself—a sort of self-care that I’m calling “parenting myself 101.” After a career change, cross-county move, and intense internal work “inside the chrysalis,” I’ve recognized the need to put good self-parenting into place. The language of “parenting” has been helpful for me to break from “self-care” focused on relaxation as an escape from everyday life. Rather than experiencing self-care as ... Read more ...

A New Spell for a New Space

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism By Beth Godbee August 3, 2018 1 Comment

Printed copy of the spell (words that appear in this blog post) taped to a bathroom mirror with a colorful shower curtain showing part of a tree reflected in the mirror. The photo has a pink tint.

These past few weeks I’ve been focused on moving and settling into a new home. The move has called attention to all sorts of stuff, habits, and emotional swings—things I’d like to keep and release, to shore up and tear down. This process has reminded me, too, of the contemplative practices that contribute to a sense of grounding: grounding needed to stand TALL for justice. One of these practices is spell-casting, which I learned from activist-writer-healer adrienne ... Read more ...

“We’re All the Ages We’ve Ever Been”

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies By Beth Godbee March 24, 2018 Leave a Comment

Coloring page with image of four owls.

As much as I value self-care, there are times when it flies out the window. I’m no longer the adult caring for my inner child, but I'm the toddler or teen full of emotion and pursuit of immediate pleasure. This week, I’ve been really in touch with my 2-year-old self, who’s been demanding attention. When it’s running the show, I’m inclined to emotional meltdowns, sugar binges, irregular sleep, over-tired crying, and resistance to naps. I readily settle in front of the TV ... Read more ...

A Few of My Favorite Things

Filed Under: Contemplative Practices, Everyday Feminism, Recipes By Beth Godbee December 13, 2017 Leave a Comment

December. It’s a hard time for folks walking on wires to please others. It’s a hard time for folks finishing semesters when running on fumes. It’s a hard time for folks grieving family hurts or losses. It’s a hard time for processing what comes up in contemplative moments and social interactions alike. This December is especially hard because it punctuates a year of great injustice, dehumanization, and the increasing visibility of wrongdoings. Now, as so many of us ... Read more ...

Holding Space and Being Present: Two Resolutions Following the Las Vegas Shooting

Filed Under: Emotional Literacies By Beth Godbee October 3, 2017 Leave a Comment

This excerpt from the blog post appears in white font against a dark grey background: "In the wake of the Las Vegas shooting—and with a lot of humility and love—I’m asking myself how I can better hold space and be present."

I woke yesterday morning to news of the Las Vegas shooting, continued calls for aid needed in Puerto Rico, and boos for kneeling NFL players at Sunday’s games. Though seemingly unrelated, these news stories relayed a larger message about the presence of everyday violence in our lives. My social media feeds were naming and critiquing this violence. People were already calling for action, for donations, and for prayers—for linking individual narratives with larger social ... Read more ...

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bethgodbee

Today's newsletter "Welcome spring, poetry prompts Today's newsletter "Welcome spring, poetry prompts, and reading recommendations" begins with the following wishes: 

"Welcome spring!

It's time to reawaken.
To stretch with longer days.
To regenerate after the stagnation of winter.
To plant seeds and intentions and to tend to those we're planting.
To experience renewal with wonder, play, curiosity, and laughter.
To revive our senses and grow with the growing light.
To bloom. To blossom. To become.
To compost. To create. To cultivate."

Read more here: https://mailchi.mp/6de7a1751064/mar-2023

#spring #springrefresh #springreflections #springwishes
Thanks @inspirationalsoulqueen for all that goes i Thanks @inspirationalsoulqueen for all that goes into this deep work of recognition, of holding space, of strengthening community. 🧡

#Repost @inspirationalsoulqueen with @use.repost
・・・
Register now! 2023 Hiphop Literacies Conference & Concert honoring LGBTQ+ contributions to hiphop and social equity. March 30-31, free, virtual and in-person. The conference that puts educators, scholars, artists, youth and the community in dialogue. Concert features 🔥headlining artist @SaucySantana. go.osu.edu/hhlc #BlackQueerandTransFeminismsAndLivesMatter. #OSUHiphop #HiphopIs50
Welcome spring! IMAGES: -- First two photos show Welcome spring! 

IMAGES:
-- First two photos show cherry blossoms here in DC.
-- Third photo shows the wider scene of me standing in a construction zone. My arms are reaching up and snapping photos with my phone. I'm wearing layers of jackets, black pants, and a black hat. ~ This tree is flourishing in the midst of it all! <3

#cherryblossoms #spring
New blog post today: "Reflective Poetry Prompts fr New blog post today: "Reflective Poetry Prompts from Writing Retreats: A Contemplative Writing Practice" 
 
This post shares a few reflective poetry prompts (along with my poetic answers) from recent one-day writing retreats: https://heart-head-hands.com/reflective-poetry-prompts/ --> link in bio.
 
May these prompts support reflection about the writing process, our identities as writers, and gratitude for all that writing teaches. <3
 
[This image shares information about writing retreats—where these poetry prompts have emerged—in 12 colorful blocks framed by leaves and flowers. The text reads: Writing retreats. One-day retreats: 6 dates open. 10am-4:30pm ET. Join via Zoom. Guided meditations. Lots of writing time. Optional 1:1 coaching. Reflective prompts. Group check-ins. Writing community. Available for groups, too. Sliding-scale fees. Facilitator Beth Godbee, Ph.D. Heart-Head-Hands.com.”]

#writing #writers #writingcommunity #writingretreat #writinggroup #writingretreats #coaching #writingcoach #writingprompts #journaling #journalprompts #poetry #poetryprompts #reflectivepractice #reflection #reflectivewriting #contemplativewriting #contemplation #contemplativepractice #writersofinstagram #writinginspiration
The next writing retreat is this Monday, March 6th The next writing retreat is this Monday, March 6th. There’s still time to join: https://heart-head-hands.com/product/writing-retreats/ 

Link in bio.
 
Thanks to Rachel Bloom-Pojar for this description of the retreat experience. :-) — @rachel_bp5 
 
[IMAGE: On the left side (against a beige background), the image reads: “Testimonial: ‘As with any space Beth helps create, these retreats center our humanity and ground us to recognize a variety of activities (i.e., reading, journaling, going for a walk) as important contributors to our writing goals and care for ourselves as writers.’ —Rachel Bloom-Pojar, retreat participant.” On the right side (against a gray background), the image reads: “Writing Retreats / Next = March 6th 10am-4:30pm ET / Heart-Head-Hands.com” and shows a workspace with a computer in the foreground and light streaming into a room filled with cushions and plants.]

#writing #writinginspiration #writingcommunity #writer #writersofinstagram #WritingResources #WritingSupport #WritingLife #WritingCenterLife #WritingTime #TimeToWrite #writinggoals #writersblock #writingmotivation #writerscommunity #writers #WritingCoach #WritingRetreat #OnlineRetreat
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About Beth Godbee

I'm an educator and former writing studies professor who believes our fully embodied selves matter in the world. We can’t just think our way out of the incredible injustices, dehumanization, violence, and wrongdoing that characterize everyday life. We must feel and act, too. [Pronouns: she/her.] Read more ...

This image shows books alongside the words: courses, coaching, consulting. learning + unlearning.

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