We will write and practice yoga mornings and late afternoons on most days, with one full day and several half-days free to explore, rest, swim & kayak.

Our retreats include people with a wide range of yoga and writing experience, from beginners to professionals. We are all enriched by the diversity. While we will offer a daily schedule of suggested activities, writing and yoga sessions are optional: your time is your own.

The yoga is practiced 2-3 hours a day, in the early morning and some afternoons, in a safe, supportive environment with a deep respect for individual strengths as well as for areas of challenge or difficulty. The writing is done in structured groups for about 4 hours each morning and several evenings. You will have opportunity to write in an encouraging, confidential and inspiring setting, in response to exercises we suggest. You will be invited to share what you have just written, and to respond to the writing of others with what is fresh, what you like, what you remember. Patricia will meet with individual writers to discuss their manuscripts or issues relating to their writing life and may offer a special workshop on the craft of writing.

While Patricia and Charles will always be where the schedule calls them, for you all activities are optional, and the entire week should be considered free time. Pick and choose from organized activities to make your own schedule. Take as much time each day as you'd like to set off on your own or with others. A long veranda offers handmade lounge chairs and tasseled hammocks for resting and reading. Visitors can swim and kayak in Lake Atitlan. Explore a nearby traditional Maya village or hike the magnificent lake basin. Villa Sumaya offers a library, outdoor hot tub and sauna, as well as Thai, Reiki, and Swedish deep tissue massage treatments upon request.

Includes:
8 days, 7 nights, shared accommodations;
all meals (& they are wonderful);
two daily writing and yoga sessions;
all instruction and materials;
workshops on the craft of writing;
individual manuscript critiques.
(does not include transportation to and from Villa Sumaya, special excursions, or gratuities.)

Protected by the mountainous islands of Arran and Bute, Cumbrae enjoys good weather and wonderful seascapes. Nestled on its own estate, our retreat centre sits above the small town of Millport, a favorite seaside destination for Scots since Victorian times. Nearby islands are home to ancient ruins and standing stones.

Writing Practice. For 3-4 hours each morning and several evenings, you will have opportunity to write in an encouraging, confidential and inspiring setting, in response to exercises Patricia suggests. You will be invited to share what you have just written, and to respond to the writing of others with what is fresh, what you like, what you remember. (We use the method developed by Amherst Writers & Artists which is described in detail at Our Writing Method.) As time permits, Patricia will offer individual consultations on (short) manuscripts written prior to the retreat or on any writing problems you wish to discuss.

Yoga Practice. Jacqueline will offer gentle yoga sessions in the early morning and more rigorous sessions on some afternoons, indoors or out of doors as weather permits. The practice of yoga, the joining of body and mind, can open pathways for your writing into the feelings, memories, stories and images embedded in the tissues. We will encourage you to use your yoga practice to develop a deeper relationship with your body as well as to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of practice. The sessions are, of course, completely optional.

What is Included:
8 days, 7 nights, all meals, double accommodations, shared baths (all rooms have wash basins). A limited number of single rooms with shared baths; ensuite double or twin rooms; and ensuite singles are are available for an additional fee on a first come, first served basis. The fee also includes all writing, yoga & meditation sessions, written materials, and individual writing tutorials.

At the heart of this retreat is the joining of Creative Writing, Hatha Yoga, and Meditation. Patricia Lee Lewis & Charles MacInerney have combined their energies for 10 years to offer this powerful path to the creative self.

Patricia leads the writing circles in a way designed to help you bypass your inner critic and go directly to images, feelings or memories--to the places steeped in story and natural language. Because this is the time to generate new writing, rather than to critique what you have already prepared, you will be encouraged to write freely to the extent possible, without editing. Gathering in small, intimate groups, you will be invited to read what you have written. Group members respond only with what is strong in the piece, what they remember, what is vivid. The process is highly encouraging and supportive to the natural voice and to you as a writer, whether you are beginning again after years away; an experienced writer in need of a jump start; or you are in the middle of a project and are looking for new ideas and time dedicated to writing.

The Yoga, led by Charles, creates in you a sense of physical well-being, while bringing you back to your body and your senses. Each Yoga class ends with a deep guided relaxation which calms your mind and helps it to relax into a creative Alpha brainwave pattern.

We will gather at Alma de Mujer in the heart of Texas Bluebonnet country. At the heart of this retreat is the joining of Creative Writing, Hatha Yoga, and Meditation. Patricia Lee Lewis & Charles MacInerney have combined their energies for 10 years to offer this powerful path to the creative self.

Patricia leads the writing circles in a way designed to help you bypass your inner critic and go directly to images, feelings or memories--to the places steeped in story and natural language. Because this is the time to generate new writing, rather than to critique what you have already prepared, you will be encouraged to write freely to the extent possible, without editing. Gathering in small, intimate groups, you will be invited to read what you have written. Group members respond only with what is strong in the piece, what they remember, what is vivid. The process is highly encouraging and supportive to the natural voice and to you as a writer, whether you are beginning again after years away; an experienced writer in need of a jump start; or you are in the middle of a project and are looking for new ideas and time dedicated to writing.

The Yoga, led by Charles, creates in you a sense of physical well-being, while bringing you back to your body and your senses. Each Yoga class ends with a deep guided relaxation which calms your mind and helps it to relax into a creative Alpha brainwave pattern.

Your time is your own.   The Main Lodge is a spacious 4,000 square foot, two story sky-lit cedar lodge complete with a natural stone fireplace.  Across a meadow you will find a jacuzzi with a rock, flower and herb garden are nearby. In keeping with the spirit of maintaining a sustainable and healthy environment, Alma has also developed a one acre model organic garden. Alma's garden serves as a role model to the community in using self-sustaining, traditional agriculture methods as well as supplementing our meals.  Canoeing, swimming, and hammocks provide recreation and relaxation. "Madre el Mundo," life-size sculpture is the centerpiece of the meditation knoll.