In Need of Some Hip Tranquility

I'm sad. The Woodhull writers' retreat where I was to teach this weekend has been canceled, due to power outage up at the house (don't worry -- this doesn't happen often). So here I am in this crazy city, trying to quiet my mind and regroup. All of which reminds me that I've long been wanting to do a post on Kimberley Wilson, the Hip Tranquil Yoga Chick herself.

I met Kimberley up at the Woodhull house last year and was quite taken by her calm--and her style. A few years back she came out with a book, called guess what, Hip Tranquil Chick: A Guide to Life On and Off the Yoga Mat. She's also created an impressive hip and tranquil empire -- the Tranquil Space Yoga studio in Washington DC, the Tranquil Space Foundation (which assists young girls with finding their inner voice), podcasts, a blog, a column, charity soirees, and a clothing line. Her website, as Marci reminds me in comments this week, is an excellent example of "platform" and pulls everything together well.

You know, I'm always interested in what authors write in books when they're asked to sign them. I've seen "With lots of feminist love," " "In sisterhood, uninterrupted" (guess who), and "Blessings." Kimberley signed the copy she sent me, "Keep shining." But my favorite thing of all about the Shine Girl is this: She describes herself as "a self-diagnosed bibliophile whose heart begins to race when she enters a bookstore," and "a teacher, designer, speaker, activist, and entrepreneur, with a master's degree in women's studies."

If you're jonesing for a taste of some of this hip tranquilty, or some tips for a mindfully extravagant life, you can catch Kimberley teaching a week long yoga course at the Omega Institute on June 1-5.

So what's the moral of the story here. Let's see. When one retreat closes, another one opens? Hmm. There's another Woodhull nonfiction writers retreat I'll be teaching at 0n July 11-13, too.