I remember walking into Saje Wellness about a year ago and thinking to myself, “Wow, this space is beautiful….it’d be perfect for a poetry workshop!” I loved the aesthetic and of course, the fresh scent of the store. As soon as you walk in you feel a sense of peace and relaxation as you can both see and smell the mist coming out of the diffusers.
Fast forward to a year later, and here we are, a #YTAPoetryWorkshop (yours truly, Ani poetry workshop) in their Berkeley location! It’s truly such a blessing that I get to collaborate with incredible brands like Saje to create a safe space for the Community. Saje is all about wellness and self care, which aligns perfectly with my brand and my workshops.
What also made it special was the fact that the workshop was on World Mental Health Day. I myself have dealt with depression and anxiety, and after experiencing breakthrough, I realized the power of words over my body and life. Since then I’ve wanted to share that with my Community, especially on this important day!
Before the workshop, Erika, the Store Manager, gave us some education and a demo on how to use Saje’s essential oils. She had us apply the Brainstorm blend on one hand, rub our palms against one another, then breathe in the scent of the oil to take in all of its benefits! This specific blend is meant to “help spark new ideas and keep energy flowing” so it was literally perfect as we got into the workshop!
I always start my workshops with a meditation, and this time was no different. It’s a great way to get in the right frame of mind while also calming down our bodies, and both are essential when attempting to write positive affirmation focused (aka self love) poetry.
When it comes time to write out poems, I encourage writers to use their creativity: your poem doesn’t have to rhyme. It doesn’t need to be written like a traditional poem (for example in sonnet form) but you can use the entire paper to write it and create a shape out of your words! I encourage them to trust themselves and to just go with it. Some beautiful poetry was written and it was such an honor to have facilitated the workshop where such creativity was formed!
Saje was generous enough to offer all attendees 20% off a purchase of $100+ and also raffle out the Pocket Farmacy Kit to one lucky attendee!
Fun Fact: About two years ago I was invited by UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Marketing Association to speak on wellness, eczema, and the elimination diet at Comal in Downtown Berkeley. It was so exciting for me to do another workshop in Berkeley but this time on Fourth St. As a Cal grad, Berkeley has and always will have a special place in my heart. I have so many sweet memories there, with both friends/classmates and even my family. I remember going to Fourth Street with my parents to have coffee and explore the adorable shops there. Last Thursday, we created new memories that I’ll always hold dear to my heart!
Get 10% off of your Saje Natural Wellness purchase with this link.
Huge thank you to Austin Li of Pixels Shot who did all the photography and to Erika, Gabi, and Jae of the Saje Berkeley Team. You all rock!
Thank you for stopping by and I’ll see you next time!
yours truly,
Ani
P.S. A question for you: When was the last time you WROTE something you love about yourself? I challenge you to write somethign either in the comments or email me. Thinking about it and saying it out loud is one thing, but writing it down makes it more official. 😉