There are two kinds of yogis in my opinion: Those who get nothing but pain out of stretching themselves into shapes reminiscent of animals or death ("downward-facing dog" and "corpse pose" anyone?) and those who find some state of relief and calm in all the bending,twisting and coordinated breathing. If you're in the latter group or consider yourself a creative being, or have previously been in a yoga class completely inspired to stop being a triangle for a moment and go write something down, this workshop is for you.

Co-organizers Roseanne Harvey and Adriana Palanca are taking over Ashtanga Yoga Montreal on Ste-Catherine this Sunday from noon to 2pm to give a yoga class with integrated writing breaks.

The workshop aims to be "an exploration of creativity, accessed through yoga postures," says Roseanne. So, participants will do some yoga, pause, write, repeat.

There are no fancy creativity-inspiring poses in the workshop, so expect a classic hatha class lead by both instructors. You don't need to make friends with the rest of the class, you don't need to read your work after you've written something, and you don't need any yoga or writing experience to participate. For $20 (not much more than a drop-in yoga class some places, AND there's a sliding scale for students), it's worth a shot whether or not you currently find yourself creatively stuck.

"You just need to be willing to sit and breathe and experience whatever's coming up," says Adriana.

What to bring: Paper, pen, an open mind, and a willing body.

The big play button above is for an interview I did with Roseanne and Adriana for CKUT radio about the upcoming workshop, stories of previous incarnations of the workshop, and more about their experiences with writing and yoga-ing.

Writing the Body: A Yoga and Writing Workshop
When: Sunday, October 16, noon - 2pm
Where: Ashtanga Yoga Montreal (in the Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine West, suite 118)
How Much: $20, but sliding scale for students
Why: Because with all the mountains, warriors, and dead bodies in yoga, you're bound to come up with a good narrative...or, you know, be more creatively open to whatever you need to express through writing.

Photo: "everything hits at once" by colchuk on the Midnight Poutine flickr page