Three years ago, I was in the midst of struggling with a new diagnosis of a unilateral headache disorder that affects the trigeminal nerves in my face and learning how to navigate a new relationship with my body. I had spent a few years being so angry at my body as my headaches became debilitating and affected my life to the point where I was constantly exhausted and worried that I might lose my position as an adjunct professor at a local college.
As a writer, I was also struggling to learn to how to write about my body. I knew that writing, even if it was just for myself, had always been a way to process and heal from pain and trauma, but being vulnerable about a body that always seemed to be malfunctioning seemed to have me writing in circles about how I really felt. I also realized that my relationship to community and friends was changing, as not everyone in my life could hold space for the chronically ill me. I wanted to be in community with chronically ill and disabled writers who were having vulnerable, nuanced conversations about their bodies.
I pitched a new writing class to a local writing space that held evening workshops and was looking for more remote or virtual classes. I created Reconnecting to the Body as a way to both hold space for writers of all experiences who were trying to have conversations with their bodies. Three years later, I have just finished facilitating my third virtual Reconnecting to the Body six-week series through Austin Bat Cave’s adult classes. You can find more resources from the Spring 2021 workshop on my blog.
Check back in Spring, 2022 for the next Reconnecting to the Body Series!
Leticia Urieta 