Body Writes -Moving, Resting, Writing, Sound - Half Day Micro Retreats at Exeter Library

BodyWrites: Moving, Resting, Writing, Sound

Micro Half-Day Retreats at Exeter Library, Rougemont Gardens

Oct 17 / Nov 21 / Dec 19 | 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Come back to your body, your breath, and your words.

BodyWrites is returning to Exeter Library this autumn, hosted by Ceri Baker, Grand Bard of Exeter. Having trained in multi-style yoga and sound healing at the Himalayan Yoga Association in Rishikesh, India, Ceri is bringing an extended offering back to the city's bardic seat, right here on Rougemont Gardens.

What started as a practice developed during her time as Bard (2023-2025) is now growing into something longer and richer. These half-day retreats are playful, exploratory, nurturing spaces for building self-connection, community, and creativity through moving, resting, writing, and sound. No experience needed. No performance expected. Just show up as you are.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Each session will be on a different theme and follows a loose arc, held gently:

An arrival circle and landing to settle in. Warm-up, stretch, and grounding based on accessible yoga practice. Self-massage to release tension. Short writing warm-ups and journaling. Sharing of specifically chosen poetry as prompts for your own writing. Group sharing and reflection (low-key, no expectations). A break for tea and flapjacks, connecting, chat, and a stretch or walk in the gardens. Back for re-grounding, personal writing, and a closing sound bath.

The whole afternoon is focused on creative self-connection and group connection, building trust, playfulness, and safety. Each session will have a theme, but Ceri holds wide-open space for you to go off piste physically and creatively if you wish or need to. Many things can exist at once here. If you know Ceri's work, you know she's as much about sweary tittin' about as trusting the quietness of the breath. Irreverent reverence is the style: deep respect for yoga and sound healing, accessed fully when we lighten our expectations and loosen our grip on outcomes.

ABOUT CERI BAKER

Ceri Baker is an award-winning performance poet, multi-slam champion (including the WOMAD Festival Slam and Lyra South West Show Down Slam 2024), and the current Grand Bard of Exeter. She founded Speakease at Rafikis, a spoken word poetry night in Ashburton, Devon, and is Creative Producer and member of team Spork! Poetry in Exeter.

She is also a specialist diagnostic assessor for Dyslexia and ADHD (BA Hons SpLD, PG Dip) and former SENCO, bringing a deep understanding of neurodivergent minds to everything she facilitates. Her yoga practice spans daily home practice and training including Beatz Yoga with Iva Dekovic, Women's Hormone Yoga with Radka Exnar, TeenYoga and Mindfulness teacher training with Charlotta Martinus, a 40-hour Yin Yoga for Menopause and Beyond certification with Niamh Daly at Yinstinct, and Level 3 Sound Healing with Yogini Disha at the Himalayan Yoga Association. In September 2025 she completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training at the Himalayan Yoga Association in Rishikesh, India, covering mixed yoga practices, pranayama, meditation, and sound healing.

Now in the early chapters of her seven-year role as Grand Bard, Ceri is in an exciting phase of building community, access, practice, and creative connection across the city. BodyWrites grew out of her Bard Manifesto, combining music, movement inspired by yoga, creative writing exercises, and poetry to write from an embodied place. After years of developing this practice, she's deepening it and widening its reach through these longer, gentler gatherings.

PRACTICAL DETAILS

Dates: Saturday 17 October, Saturday 21 November, Saturday 19 December 2026

Time: 1:30pm - 4:30pm (arrive 5-10 minutes early)

Location: The Rougemont Room, Exeter Library, Rougemont Gardens, EX4 4LZ (third floor, stairs and lift available)

Group size: Maximum 16-18 people

Bring: Yourself, cosy clothes, and layers if you need them. Writing materials if you have them, though Ceri will have spares to buy. Everything else is provided: mats, cushions, blankets, eye bags, and refreshments.

Parking: Howell Road car park, EX4 4LZ (code 29015, £3.40 for 2 hours via Ringo), 5-minute walk

Accessibility: The yoga movements are designed to be quite accessible, so don't panic. Please make your own assessment of your physical limitations throughout and adjust your participation accordingly. If you have specific injuries, physical limitations, or learning access needs, please let Ceri know before the workshop so she can suggest modifications. Basic advice: if it hurts, stop and adjust.

Media: Phones off and put away during the session to avoid distraction. If you need your phone or tech during writing exercises, that's fine. Ceri may take photos during writing exercises to promote future events; if you'd prefer not to be photographed, let her know.

INVESTMENT

Spaces are limited to keep the setting intimate and unhurried. This is a sliding-scale offering, kept affordable for those who need it and open to greater investment from those who can, to help grow the practice. There are no overheads beyond Ceri's time, as the Library kindly provides the space free of charge.

£18 - Solidarity rate

£26 - Supporter rate

Choose the tier that feels honest for where you are financially right now. 

WHAT PEOPLE SAY

"I find so much creativity in these sessions and love giving over time to yoga and being so in my body."

"Ceri holds the space very well, it feels very open and free and easy for people to feel their own way."

"The space felt soft, inviting and honouring. Thank you."

"I was crazy tired today and so it's to your credit that the yoga was really accessible and I felt able to take part."

"Pure joy, the sharing of words, movement, space and energy was... well, happy actually!"

"I skidded in late from a really stressful week and just so glad I made it. I'm leaving feeling so much healthier, happier and lighter. I've already booked onto the next one!"

Book your place below. Spaces are limited.