DAY FIVE; Closing

By Bodywriting Day Five our body prints are at a good stopping point, maybe even already finished.  The prints are featured below.  (I apologize to my women that I don't have all of their painting's names)

On our last day we prepare for

Pamela and Tamara in Circle

 a step by step ceremony/presentation to honor our prints as well as the process we have all supported each other through since day one.  

There have been meals, walks, tears and laughter; learning from each other and from ourselves. 

Elements of our ceremony include musical instruments, a recount of our personal retreat journey and speaking from the voice of the image.  Other group participants then safe offer to give feedback according to our established feedback methods before closing.

"Your Death Brings Me Life" by Tamara Matthews

"Saint Luna" by Janat Dundas

by Barbara Holden

 

Joanna's "Resting Woman"

by Julie Rose Kelpin

"BIG JUJU" by Elise Crohn

by Jenn Shultz

"We Are One" by Sharen Chatterton

 Join us for the next Bodywriting Retreat For Women in Taos New Mexico!  For more details visit 

http://www.pamelaunderwood.com/event/bodywriting-retreat-in-taos-new-mexico/

Closing Circle

DAY FOUR; Austin Bodywriting Oct 2012

DAY FOUR

By Sunday morning Bodywriters have developed a strong relationship with their body print.  This image is not the woman herself, it has come from a "print of" the woman but has it's own identity which the participant learns to dialog with in order to give it what it needs next. 

DAY THREE; Austin Bodywriting Oct 2012

Day Three
We bundled up to sit outside for our morning "check in".  After such an energy filled day the day before, it felt great to be outside in the fresh air.  Such a crisp, beautiful morning!  We felt completely comfortable with each other by day three!

Joanna and Elise in circle

Sharen and Jenn sharing their morning journal.



Pamela reading the morning poem

Morning Check In with Talking Stick  

During "check in" participants were invited to read their morning journaling.  The writing prompt was, "Body print, what do you need from me now?"  When we left circle we had determined at least one thing that we would do next on our painting.  That is all we needed at that point.

 

 

DAY TWO; BODY PRINTING Austin Bodywriting Oct 2012

Friday morning we were up at 7:30am journaling and then breakfast at 8am.
We had opening circle check in followed by a Movement Meditation session where we explored how our body might print.



After that... the actual spread the acrylic paint on our body and get down on the canvas part!!! FUN! 





Join us for the next
BODYWRITING RETREAT FOR WOMEN;
OCTOBER 24-28, 2013
TAOS, NEW MEXICO

DAY ONE; IMAGE RESEARCH Austin Bodywriting Oct 2012

 

We had our first 5 day Bodywriting Retreat for Women last week at out Austin Studio.

 

1994 was our first EVER Bodywriting Retreat and it was only 2 days. It progressed to three days then 4.

There was still not enough time to feel satisfied and complete. Now we have moved up to a Five Day Bodywriting Retreat and it makes all the difference! It is a perfect amount of time. I feel like Bodywriting will be a  five day retreat for many many years to come!

We had 8 participants.  Women came to Austin's Bodywriting from Florida, San Diego, Fort Worth Texas and Colorado,  Out of 8 women we had one who had done Bodywriting once before, one who had done Bodywriting 6 times and one who came back for the 4th time -because every time we do Bodywriting, we grow and change and then come back as different women.

PS. This beautiful studio that sleeps 10 on 5 acres in the Texas Hill Country also rents as a vacation rental by owner through VRBO. 

During Sept 1, Project Bodywriting Day, Megan strikes a pose to get a feeling for her body print's arm and profile placement.  I shot this photo and emailed it to her for a reference.  Can't wait to see what happens next!

Bodywriting Testimonial- Thanks Tamara!

 

Bodywriting Testimonial by Tamara Matthews

I will never be the same..i feel embodied.

There is this pure awareness with everything i do. In fact its like the painting…there is no doing, an effortlessness.

This can only happen in a safe and sooththing environment which pamela provides.

Every single person was a contribution. The release that happens in its own individual way was happening with everyone transforming, each of us at a level that was deeper than any known issue.

There is a quality of trust and faith that takes place on the retreat revealing our true self expression not only as women but as spirit in a body.

This could not happen without you, pamela….holding that highest place for us into the unknown. Its out of your invitation and sincere intention to the unknown that we each have this opportunity or not. That part depends on how open we are to the process.

I have done many retreats, long meditations through months at a time and never had such a clean shift in my self at the deepest level.