The combined practice of meditation and freewriting is a powerful spiritual tool that can help writers and non-writers alike clarify seemingly vague ideas and comprehend the value of their lives with enormous self-compassion; spaciousness; loving inquiry; and an expansive window of welcome for paradox, beauty, and synchronicity.
In my retreats and closed groups, participants will move through two to four meditations, ranging from potent guided visualizations to silent reflections that will set the wheels of creativity in motion. You need not be a writer to enjoy and be enriched by this process. All that is required is a deep desire to experience liberation from the discursive mind, and a willingness to be guided to the small, gentle, still voice within that longs to express its wisdom.
After each meditation, participants will be offered a poem or short piece of writing to contemplate, as well as a writing prompt that allows our inherent creativity to emerge from our in-the-moment experience.
The majority of our time together will be for meditation instruction and writing, but the final minutes will offer room for sharing our experience and writing. My focus on the meditations, poetry, prose, and prompts I choose is liberation from suffering and oppression, as well as a deep connection to awe, wonder, and historically marginalized perspectives.
A pen, a journal, a comfortable area to sit or lie down, and a spirit of gentle curiosity.
My eight-week groups are a powerful place to deepen your practice in a community of like-hearted others.
Although I’m not currently offering any closed groups, please fill out the form at the bottom of the page for updates about upcoming offerings for BIPOC womxn.
“Thank you as usual, Nirmala. This morning’s session was so very powerful. I appreciate how your prompts seem to always be on time with what I am dealing with in the moment. I am so grateful for the space that you provide for us to write, meditate, renew, and just be without judgment. The poetry and readings are so inspiring and relevant. I feel blessed to have been here.”
—Derise
“I’ve had a very uncomfortable relationship to writing. It used to feel hard, very hard. Through Nirmala’s closed group sessions, I’ve learned to not just enjoy writing, but I LOVE freewriting. There is a potency in the combination of meditation, listening to poems, and freewriting where the heart opens and you get to know yourself in ways that no other practices allow. So much meaning making happens in this contemplative space. It’s a chance to be with oneself through a collective container. No overthinking—simply letting my spirit come through my hand onto paper. Nirmala knows how to pick just the right prompts, poetry, and meditations to lovingly guide the group. I always feel nourished after our sessions.”
—Usa Lee
“Nirmala creates a beautiful space for BIPOC womxn to be with one another. Even though we don’t share much as a group—just some check-ins and check-outs, with most of the time devoted to guided meditations and self-exploratory writing—it’s a powerful, one-of-a-kind space to surrender into.”
—Bo
Closed groups for BIPOC womxn are offered on a sliding scale from $50–250. For the half-day retreats, the suggested donation is $25–100. While donations are welcome, they are not required—and I encourage you to give freely or not as your heart wishes. Your presence is a gift!
If you wish to contribute, please send your donations via Venmo: @Nirmala-Nataraj or via following form:
