Embodied Word: Tabula Tantra (at Holding Patterns)

About this event

A fusion of poetry, embodiment, and self-exploration to deepen self-connection, creative expression, and sensual awareness.

Join us on a transformative 8-part journey. Each session, we’ll explore a new aspect of sensuality, emotional openness, and expressive freedom - rooted in spoken word and tantric-inspired embodiment practices. We’ll journey through the chakras (from Root to Crown and beyond), learning to embrace and refine our unique voices. By the end, you’ll have cultivated a meaningful piece of poetic performance to showcase, celebrating your unfolding authenticity.

Embodied Word: Tabula Tantra is an 8-part journey designed to help you:

• Rediscover & celebrate your authentic Self: Through reflective inquiry, guided embodiment, poetic practice and spoken-word performance.
• Release shame & embrace empowerment: Incorporate principles from tantric philosophy, attachment theory, and polyvagal theory to cultivate deeper mind-body connection and creative authority.
• Craft & perform a transformational poem: Over the course of 8 sessions, you’ll develop a piece that reflects your personal and poetic journey of self-love and soulful expression - culminating in an optional showcase.

“Tabula Tantra” Explained

Tabula Rasa regards the mind as a “blank slate” open to shaping and learning, though we acknowledge inherited influences such as epigenetics and generational trauma.

Tantra emphasises conscious awareness - uniting body, mind, and spirit - to reprogram limiting beliefs, and nurture our empowered selves.

Together, Tabula Tantra recognises our conditioning and our power to transform it, helping us consciously cultivate what we wish to embody.

This intimate 8-part workshop series is designed for deep creative and personal exploration. Spaces are limited to just 12 participants for Saturday cohort and 6 participants for Sunday cohort to ensure a safe, connected, and supportive group environment.

This workshop is designed for participants aged 18 and over.

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Dates & locations

We’re running two parallel cohorts so you can choose the day and location that suits you best. Each cohort meets fortnightly (some dates vary) for 1.5 hours:

Saturday cohort:

Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM (1.5 hours)

Venue: Hyde Park Book Club (Snug), 27-29 Headingley Lane, Leeds, LS6 1BL

Sessions: 8th March, 22nd March, 5th April, 19th April, 3rd May, 24th May, 7th June, 21st June

Sunday cohort:

Time: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (1.5 hours)

Venue: Holding Patterns (Nook), 2 Albion Place, Leeds, LS1 6JL

Sessions: 9th March, 23rd March, 6th April, 20th April, 4th May, 25th May, 8th June, 22nd June

Final Showcase (Optional):

Scheduled for Sunday, 27th July at Hyde Park Book Club. Time TBC.

Participants from both cohorts may share their final pieces.

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Workshop Flow & Themes

Each in-person session (1.5 hours) combines mindful movement/meditation, creative writing exercise and discussion. We explore:

[Session - Title - Intention]

1 - Feeling Out Your Fetish (Root)*

Grounding: Appreciate body-wisdom and recognise meaning in the mundane

2 - Shedding Shame & The Art of Authenticity (Sacral)

Liberation: Embrace emotional honesty and authentic self-expression

3 - Pleasure, Purpose & Prose (Solar Plexus)

Empowerment: Tap into personal power, purposeful creation

4 - Cultivating Connection & Attunement (Heart)*

Heart-Centered: Foster emotional intelligence and open-heartedness

5 - Elemental Alchemy (Throat)

Expression: Harness elemental energies and infuse with the voice

6 - Expansion & Contraction (Third Eye)*

Clarity: Expand perception and exercise discernment for editing

7 - Sex Magick (Crown)

Transcendence: Channel heightened awareness into embodied artistry

8 - Ecstatic Expression (Earth Star)

Integration: Anchor all previous learnings into confident sharing

Optional - Showcase

Celebration: Honour growth, courage, and community support

[*Co-facilitation with Zac Clarke]

What to expect from each session

During the workshop (1.5 Hours): We’ll open with a brief landing and introduction. The session will weave in reflective discussions, followed by gentle movement, mindfulness or meditation (led by certified yoga instructor, Zac Clarke, for the sessions annotated:*). From there, we’ll explore creative writing exercises, and a chance to share in a safe, supportive space.

All activities are designed to flow seamlessly and can be adapted to individual comfort levels.

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Who this is for:

✔ Poets & Writers – Looking to deepen authenticity, embodiment, and emotional connection in their work.

✔ Introspective Seekers – Wanting gentle but intentional and focused exploration of your internal world, leading you to doorways and giving you tools to create keys.

✔ Movers & Somatic Practitioners – Seeking to bring words and voice into their embodied practice, for dancing between left and right brain for interoceptive intelligence.

✔ Anyone Curious – No prior poetry, performance, or embodiment experience required - just a willingness to explore.

Why join?

🌿 Transform creative blocks into embodied expression

🔥 Unpack the layers of fear, shame, and inhibition to access raw, authentic creativity

🎙 Learn performance techniques that amplify your voice and stage presence

🌀 Deepen connection with yourself through movement, voice, reflection and writing

Limited spaces available – Secure your spot today!

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Inclusivity, accessibility & safeguarding

Safe, supportive space: Upholding Safe Spoken principles - respectful listening, valuing diversity, fostering inclusivity and zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment.

Accessibility:

The Snug at Hyde Park Book Club has external ramp access (available upon request), with the main part of the establishment available from the ground floor.

The Nook at Holding Patterns has stair access as it is a lower-ground establishment.

Please contact us with specific needs so we can do our best to accommodate.

Emotional well-being: This workshop encourages vulnerability and self-expression. You are always in control of how much you share.

Confidentiality: We ask that participants respect one another’s privacy; what’s shared in the workshop stays in the workshop.

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Trauma-informed approach

I am not a licensed mental health professional. My workshops incorporate a trauma-informed approach based on extensive self-study, conference attendance, practical experience in embodiment and informal psychoeducation. While “trauma-informed” isn’t a legally protected term, I practice my continued learnings of this as an individual and in my facilitation style.

My workshops are not therapy or a substitute for professional mental health treatment, but they do incorporate principles of safety, choice, empowerment, and mindful exploration.

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About the facilitator

Mary Mnemosyne melds their passion for science, philosophy, and psychology into poetry, embracing it as a profound medium for connection, reflection, and personal evolution on their tantric path. Their journey began as a committee member for the University of Leeds Spoken Word Society, and they remain an active participant in the Leeds poetry scene through open mics and events. A finalist with Team Leeds at UniSlam 2021 and a competitor in Mind Over Slammer 2024, Mary also serves on the Safe Spoken task force, helping to develop safeguarding resources and training for the spoken word community. Their performances emphasise emotional depth, creative expression, and audience engagement.They are the founder and lead facilitator of Embodied Word, a workshop series blending embodiment practices with poetry.

Instagram: @mystic_of_mnemosyne

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/embodiedword

Co-facilitator & yoga instructor

Zac Clarke has been practising yoga for over 6 years, and is a qualified Vinyasa and Hatha teacher. Their teachings are centred around helping people rediscover a place within that helps them to feel peaceful and at ease.

Zac will joins us for ~20-30 minutes in the sessions annotated (*) to guide mindful movement, breathwork, and meditation.

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Ticket options & pricing

We offer a sliding scale to maintain inclusivity while valuing the depth of this journey:

Community: £13 + booking fee

Standard: £23 + booking fee

Please note, spaces are limited to just 12 participants for Saturday cohort and 6 participants for Sunday cohort, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Why the sliding scale?

• Community tier ensures financial circumstances don’t become a barrier to self-discovery and creative empowerment.
• Standard tier is for most participants, reflecting the true value of providing the workshop.

For anyone unsure about which tier to choose, please reach out privately either by email or Instagram.

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Spaces are limited to just 12 participants for Saturday cohort and 6 participants for Sunday cohort - secure your spot today and join us on this transformative journey!