Come write your heart out at one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. Join master teacher Laura Davis and a vibrant, supportive writing community at the Esalen Institute on the wild Pacific cliffs of Big Sur, California.

The bond between mothers and their children—whether severed, fraught, intact or cherished—is one of the most complex, significant relationships we have in life. Whether you’re a mother, a daughter or a son, this transformative writing workshop will utilize creative exercises, guided meditation, and evocative writing prompts to lead you to a deeper understanding of this most primal of relationships.

Shared story and deep listening will be our gateway to celebrate, grieve, and reconcile our relationships with our mothers—or our mothering. In our days together, we’ll explore how bonds with our mothers and children change across the lifecycle, identify moments those relationships changed irrevocably, unravel the costs and benefits of caregiving, and learn how storytelling can evoke emotion, clarity, healing, and insight. You’ll learn to “find the story beneath the story,” why writers need to “slow down where it hurts,” and the secret of crafting tales rooted in the immediacy of the moment.

As we alternate periods of writing with listening to each other from a place of deep acceptance, you’ll benefit from the strength of a supportive writing circle, witness the healing power of language, and experience the transformation that occurs when we tell true stories and are deeply heard. Open to anyone willing to use words to explore the mother bond and their creativity in a safe, confidential community: mothers, daughters, mother-daughter pairs, and sons. Emerging and seasoned writers are welcome to attend.