What is a practice period?

Twice a year, my Zen center does what’s called a “practice period.” This is a time where you dedicate more time and energy to your meditation and Buddhist study. Because Zen practitioners all over the globe are engaging in a practice period each fall and spring, you get an added boost of inspiration, knowing others are devoting more time to practice, too. This makes it easier to sit down on your cushion, to pull out your journal, to mindfully eat a meal. At our Zen center, we also have special classes and times to gather and connect with one another to discuss practice. We might collectively work on a koan, explore specific themes, read the same book.

I realized practice period would be a perfect thing for writers to do, too.

🌿 If you’re looking for a relaxed, low-stakes, but intentional way to recommit to your writing practice, to reconnect with your words, and to give yourself permission to luxuriate like a cat in the sun with your imagination…then Writing Practice Period is for you.

🪷 If you’re curious about integrating mindfulness and playing with different ways you can support yourself in the writer’s seat when the inner critic, comparison, or other little monsters come to call…then Writing Practice Period is for you.

📚 If you’re a bit of a nerd and love the idea of getting weekly easeful assignments and juicy readings to inspire your creativity…and maybe have an excuse to buy a new notebook…then Writing Practice Period is for you!

🌸 Please note that Practice Period is for women only. 🌸

What I’ve created is a practice period as much for myself as for all of you. It’s a time to get back to devoting ourselves to the actual practice of writing—beginning with our attention. As Mary Oliver says, “Attention is the beginning of devotion.” I quote this all the time because that’s what our writing asks of us: to pay attention.

As this is my inaugural Writing Practice Period, I thought that, instead of a theme, we could just work with that word: practice. What does it mean to practice writing? What does it mean to have a writing practice? What about your practice is working…and not? What do you want more or less of?

Practice period with me is a combination of exploratory and craft writing exercises, tracking our practice, check-ins, and bite-sized pieces of inspiration that we dip into on our own each week.

For 8 weeks, this is what will happen:

• Beginning Sunday, February 23rd, you’ll receive an email each week with a reflection on practice from me, a writing exercise, and a mindfulness practice that you can work with inside and outside of the writer’s seat. You’ll receive these every Sunday through April 20th.

• Our practice community will meet 4 times on Zoom for 90 minutes for reflection, Q+A, meditation, and some writing time, with an optional prompt from me.

• We’ll be using my Writing Cave sign-in sheet to keep track of our practice as well as keeping a “Writer’s Log” to go deeper with how the practice period is impacting our work, our mental health, and our flow.

• Throughout the practice period, I’ll be sharing readings from mindfulness and creativity texts to support your journaling and inquiry as you work to deepen your understanding of your own writing practice.

• Optional reading of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Book of Longings. I have found this to be one of the most gorgeous novels on claiming writing for yourself, as your own practice. (I didn’t do this on purpose, but the book is kind of seasonally perfect too, as our practice period ends on Easter and this book is a reimagining of the life of Christ, as told by his wife. I’m not Christian, but I’ll take some synchronicity any day!)

• Optional Breakthrough Calls with me: These can be booked in addition to the Practice Period and are a great way to get 1:1 support from me with whatever is coming up for you. Learn more about the calls here.

Exchange: $150