International Lifestyle Magazine Issue 56 | Page 99

participants are invited to meet
for a gentle awakening with
Esana’s yoga class. Following a
lavish buffet breakfast, Sue leads
prompted writing practice and
feedback until lunch. In 2014, poet
James Dewar led one workshop
focused specifically on poetry. In
addition to publishing and editing
poetry, he is an inspiring teacher
and enjoys sharing his passion
for the art form with writers at all
skill levels. His work has appeared
in magazines, anthologies, and
books, including his own collection,
The Garden in the Machine (2007).
He will be offering optional poetry
writing sessions in 2015.
In 2015, Radical Restoration in
Italy is providing two additional
AWA-trained facilitators, Deepam
and James, who will also be guiding
the prompted writing sessions and
feedback.
Another new feature for the 2015
Radical Restoration Retreat is oneon-one feedback on up to ten
pages of pre-submitted writing.
This offer will be particularly
helpful for those who are thinking
of, or working on, a long term
project such as a novel, memoir or
collection of poetry.
These retreats restore and enliven
both the body and the creative
impulse, but they also offer both
structured activity and free time.
In Italy, this balance is particularly
valuable, since the surroundings
are so rich with possibilities for
exploration.
Not only are there challenging
hiking paths in the countryside,
but the Franciscan road (a welltravelled
pilgrimage
route),
gives several opportunities for
short or long walks by olive
groves, vineyards, wild flowers,
and farmland that has been
husbanded for generations with
the same deep respect for the
land. The nearby towns of Assisi,
Gubbio and Perugia offer diverse
historic, cultural, architectural,
and gastronomical delights. The
small town of Valfabbrica is just
3 kilometres from Le Torracce,
a walk lined with fields of apple
In the birdsong-filled mornings, blossoms, olive groves, sheep
Umbria, with its rich history
and spacious vistas, is the ideal
environment to unwind and be
inspired. Le Torracce was chosen
on the recommendation of an
Italian colleague, and in April
2014, it proved to be a perfect
venue with its spectacular meals,
gracious hosts, the lush, peaceful
setting, and a selection of
workspaces to accommodate any
group size.
Esana Lotfy has been teaching
her unique restorative version
of Kripalu yoga since 1989, an
approach which focuses on
allowing rather than striving;
being
rather
than
doing.
Her teaching style dovetails
seamlessly with the generous
and safe writing environment Sue
Reynolds creates. Sue has trained
with Natalie Goldberg, Ellen
Bass, and Pat Schneider, and has
been a certified AWA (Amherst
Writers and Artists) facilitator
since 2002. The AWA method
of writing believes that whether
your purpose for writing is artistic
expression, communication with
friends and family, the healing
of the inner life, or achieving
public recognition for your art the foundation is the same: the
claiming of yourself as an artist/
writer and the strengthening
of your writing voice through
practice, study, and helpful
response from other writers. Sue
Reynolds is the author of Strandia,
a young adult fantasy novel for
which she won the Canadian
Library Association’s Young Adult
Novel of the Year award.
Deepam Wadds is certified in
various
therapeutic
healing
modalities from Osho Multiversity
in Pune, India, and has had a
private practice in bodywork and
therapy since 1989. She is also