Episode 57
Rebecca Gold - Yogic Writing
January 13th, 2021
54 mins 33 secs
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About this Episode
Rebecca Lyn Gold has been writing since the age of 6 when she found a floral cloth covered 5-year diary (with a lock and key) in her Christmas stocking.
She is now an author, editor, writing coach and the founder of Yogic Writing-- a practice that utilizes the philosophies and disciplines of yoga, meditation and journaling for writers of all levels to break through resistance, uncover memories, and find story nuggets buried within.
Her books include: "Till There Was You: An Adoption Expectancy Journal," "A Wizard Called Woz: a biography of Stephen Wozniak," "That's Why We're Here: Stories from passionate James Taylor fans," "How To Write It Funny" with author/humorist Amy Koko, and "A Friend Named Sunny Skies: A Memoir of Trauma, Healing, and the Music of James Taylor."
She is currently writing: "From Your Mat to Your Memoir: Creating a yogic writing practice to find and write your life stories."
Rebecca believes that writing is a spiritual practice, much like yoga or meditation. It takes courage to forge ahead, even when you have no idea where you are going.
You step on the mat, you greet the page, you meet your resistance, and then you Let. It. Go.
Rebecca has 3 children (who live in 3 different states-- although she tries not to take that personally), three grandchildren, and a 4th on the way. She lives with her husband Osvaldo and their dog Brownie in Providence, Rhode Island (for now).
She leads workshops, retreats and online programs using Yogic Writing as a tool for women to find and write their life stories.
- Rebecca has a deep connection to the music of James Taylor due to a healing she experienced through his music, and would turn to music and storytelling as a way to comfort and connect to herself when she felt depressed or lonely.
- Rebecca was 13 when she experienced a traumatic event that forced her to keep secrets. it’s also when she discovered journaling as a tool to access her deeper feelings process her emotions, and taking back her power.
- Rebecca teaches her Yogic Writing Method that allows women to first connect to their body to access its deeper wisdom, and then to write from that deeper place.
- If 100 Women were surveyed and asked if their lives dream were to write a book that at least 85% would share the desire to tell their story through a book.
- Every woman has a story to tell, they just need to believe that their story is worth telling.
- Initially Rebecca was doing a lot of surface level writing until she discovered yoga and began combining the practices of Yoga and Writing, and what she found is that the two were beautifully suited to one another.
- Yogic writing helps women to break through to deeper levels of story-telling, and to stand in the center of their story as survivors and thrivers, vs, victims.
- Breath practices, prompts, and yoga poses are all part of her writing retreats given throughout her programs.
- Women who have experienced trauma ( and many of us have) are able to use this method because it’s gentle and self-guided, but also very effective at moving the stuck or trapped emotion through and helps women tap into deeper insights that come through in their writing.
- When the pandemic started, Rebecca and many others found solace and comfort when she created a group called “The Corona Chronicles” on facebook and each day she would write a prompt and the group members could share what they had written.
- From your mat to your memoir is a workshop Rebecca offers a few times a year, and she keeps it to a small and intimate group so that they can share their writings with each other and get the individualized attention to their writing.