Got Body? Yes you do! And that means you have a treasure trove of stories to discover. Join us for a 3-day generative writing retreat this October, on the iconic and stunning Maine mid-coast. Spend Friday-Sunday with a small group of women (max 10-13 participants) at a quintessential Maine Inn, a true unassuming gem, surrounded by breathtaking nature & ocean.

 

Bring your body, all the treasures it carries, curiosity to discover how to collaborate with your body in writing, your notebook/laptop, and a desire to generate new, revelatory writing. You will also write in community (and in solitude – we will make room for both!), share (only if you wish), join us for some gentle morning yoga and body-mindfulness meditation, make new friends, relish the gorgeous Maine coast, air, and surroundings, and of course, if it's your delight, there will be lobster!

 

You will leave our time together with a changed perspective on how to access your life-memories and stories, energized to resume and/or recommit to your writing journey and projects. You will have gained tools to help you continue unlocking stories that your body carries, feel connected with new, fellow body-writing travelers, and you will carry the beauty of the natural Maine coast with you forever, in your body.   

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PS: THIS RETREAT IS LIMITED TO 10 PARTICIPANTS,

SO SECURE YOUR EARLY REGISTRATION BY SUBMITTING FORM BELOW

 

 

Who is this writing retreat for?

Embodied Stories is for everyone curious about how tapping into the human body for creative inspiration can lead to discoveries and realizations that will enrich your writing. Whether you are deep into your memoir or personal essay writing or just starting out, over the weekend you will have gained wisdom and skill from exploring how your body gives your stories texture, depth, and perspective. You will recognize your bodily knowledge of past events in your life and gain more awareness of the space and consideration (and appreciation) your body deserves in your writing for having carried you so far and so well already. Together, we will create a collaborative environment in which to honor and gather the wisdom of the body-stories we carry. 

 

About your body-writing guide, teacher and host:

Nina B. Lichtenstein is a native of Oslo, Norway who has lived in the US since the 1980’s. She holds a PhD in French literature from University of Connecticut (2007), and an MFA in creative nonfiction from the Stonecoast program at University of Southern Maine (2020). She has taught languages, writing, and literature for more than thirty years, on three continents, and is the founder and director of Maine Writers Studio where she runs literary salons & open mics, workshops and retreats. Her work has been published in many outlets, her book Sephardic Women’s Voices: Out of North Africa was published in 2017 (Gaon Books), and her memoir, Body: My Life in Parts is forthcoming from Vine Leaves Press in 2025. She is the mother of three grown sons and lives in mid-coast Maine with her husband.   

Check out testimonials about Nina's workshops HERE. 

 

Nina will be joined by Heather Shaughnessy-Cato, a Certified Teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion, Yoga, and Mindfulness, and an Integrative Health Coach with a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She will guide us in gentle yoga and body mindfulness meditation to help us land in our bodies, gain more awareness of, and aliveness in, these glorious collaborating partners of ours. 

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Check out Heather's website HERE.

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Body massage is possible on site (for an extra fee: $95 for 60 min, $75 for 30 min, $85 for 45 min) with the amazing Kathy Paul, (LMT) who has the best hands ever (I know!) Sign-up and non-refundable payment required ahead of time. 

 

About the Driftwood Inn and your lodging:

You will experience a truly iconic Maine camp: The Driftwood Inn is a 3rd generation Inn (or 4th? It opened in 1905!) loaded with charm, situated on the Bailey Island (accessible by car), 40 minutes north of Portland. The owner, David, is deeply invested in his coastal gem that has provided a haven and breath of fresh air for guests for over a century. We will stay in the Inn’s charming, salt of the earth rooms in the Pleasant Place building, each room has private toilets and sinks, and shared showers down the hall. There are space heaters in the rooms, but it will likely be cool in Maine in mid-October, so bring fleece layers and cozy flannel pajamas. This retreat is for curious and open minded writers who appreciate authenticity and value over pretention and posh: in other words, a true down-to-earth Maine experience. 

 

Retreat Cost:

$1200 early bird (sign up before August 20th) 

$1350 (sign up by September 20th) 

 

Includes: Accommodation in private room (3 doubles/shared rooms with 2 separate beds each are available if friends want to room together and receive a $100 discount), meals (2 dinners, 2 lunches and 2 breakfasts), non-alcoholic beverages, yoga and meditation (if you wish to participate), 3 group writing lesson/sessions with Nina (1 hr. Friday, 2 hrs. Saturday & Sunday), and most importantly, an unforgettable creative & inspirational Maine experience. 

Excludes: Transportation to and from retreat, alcoholic beverages, massage (optional).

 

This is a 3-day retreat running from mid-afternoon Friday October 17th

until mid-afternoon Sunday, October 19th, 2025. 

 

Tentative Schedule:

Friday: 

2-3pm: Arrive & Check-in  

3-4pm: Gathering, refreshments and introductions

4-6pm: Your Body, a Wunderkammer of Stories: a presentation & warm-up writing session 

6:30pm: Dinner at Cook’s (although Maine seafood is their specialty, there are meat and vegetarian option on the menu) 

8:30pm: Smores & stories around the fire pit, weather permitting/indoor in cozy lobby of our lodge

 

Saturday: 

6:30-7:30 am: Wake up your body and mind with Sunrise Yoga with Heather

8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast

10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Exploring our body-writing tools

12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch 

1:30 - 3:30 pm: Time to write, rest, or explore

(2:30-3:30 pm: yoga with Heather if Sunrise Yoga has to be moved due to space issue)

4:00-5:00 pm: Short hike along cliff path w/ body awareness & writing prompt

6:00 pm : Dinner at Driftwood Inn (vegetarian option available)

7:30 – 8:30 pm: Open mic & schmoozing 

 

Sunday: 

8:00 - 9:00 am: Breakfast

10:00am  - 12:00 pm: Digging deeper with our body-writing tools

12:00-12:30 pm: Check out of rooms

12:30-1:30 pm: Lunch

1:30- 2:00 pm: Closing session & goodbyes

2:00 pm: departure

 

Some Travel Logistics:

If you drive, follow directions to the Dritftwood Inn, Bailey Island, Maine. (Approx. 2.5 hrs. from Boston.) If you arrive by air, we recommend flying to Portland Jetport, renting a car there or taking taxi or Uber to Brunswick Train Station. From there we can arrange a ride to the retreat (approx. 20 min away). An alternative is to fly to Boston/Logan airport, rent a car and drive, or take the Concord Bus Lines Logan-Portland Express to the Portland Transportation Center, then taxi/Uber to Brunswick. 

 

What to bring: 

This will be a totally casual weekend. Bring comfortable clothing for both lounging, writing, and hiking, sneakers for hiking (short Saturday hike), rain gear, hats & mittens (if weather forecast indicates the need), warm layers and fleece. If you don’t have or can’t bring a yoga mat, let us know and we will provide one for you.