Spring Equinox: Saturday March 21, 2026

10 am – 4 pm pre-registration required $105 limit 10 students

Reading and writing poetry are radical acts of self-care. This, in a world that can overwhelm us not only with the demands of daily life but also with headlines that deplete our spirits, making it near impossible to tap into the strength and hope needed to work for change. During our day together, we will explore ways poetry can deepen our contemplative lives, empowering us to recenter ourselves, even in times of planetary (and sometimes personal) turbulence. We will read the poetry of Maya Angelou, Mary Oliver, Joy Harjo, Norma Cantu, Wendell Berry, Walt Whitman, and Rumi, among others. Their works will provide points of departure for writing our own poetry of renewal, and Demetria will offer ways that participants can take this soul-tending practice home.

Jules will have us walk her labyrinth with an exercise to recenter ourselves with our five bodily senses, breath, intuition, and observation. We will also be free to wander the Poetry Playhouse  grounds of natural beauty. In case of inclement weather, this exercise can also be done indoors with a meditative exercise. Jules will follow this with a writing exercise focusing on poetic language and how to claim your voice and ground yourself in a poetic practice.

Together, we will discover ways to read a poem that focus on breath and why we are drawn to a poem, exploring our senses. This day of renewal will leave us feeling more focused and empowered to take risks using poetry and poetic inquiry as a radical act of self-care.