“ ...a revolutionary approach to the process of writing.”

-Yoga City NYC

"A unique combination of writing and Feldenkrais-inspired movement to help people investigate their inner experience."

-Kripalu's Thrive

"Kent’s workshop challenged Struggle’s worth and reminded me of the original impulse that led me to make my life about writing."

- Elephant Journal

“I was lucky at that time to find a teacher to guide me. Her name is Madelyn and her technique is called Sense Writing. By bringing together her knowledge of movement, neuroscience and healing, she offered me a way around the blocks.”

-The Curious Reader

"Most of the students wouldn’t say we were ‘writers’ per say, but during these exchanges, the things that poured out of us were startlingly vivid and articulate. We got “there” precisely because we weren’t trying to.

- Guernica Magazine

“For those seeking relief from the anxiety of the blank page, this approach is providential.”

-Le Temps

To read some articles written by Sense Writing students, click here.

 I didn't quite know what to expect from the class. From the name, I thought it would have to do with Somatics, but I was under the impression that it would use yogic or meditation techniques to ease and relax the creative brain and free it up for writing.

What I discovered instead was something quite different. I discovered a process of awareness, made possible through gentle micro movements and deep rest that in turn unleash sensations that would otherwise remain dormant. I discovered the energy that lives in the tiniest of movements which also translates into thoughts, ideas and feeling; and also the freedom that comes from releasing constraints (mental or physical). My mind reached for ideas, situations and words freely without the clutter of expectation or force.

-Iva Radivojevic, Filmmaker, Guggenheim Recipient

"Madelyn is a truly gifted instructor. She's thoughtful, insightful, intuitive, sharp, patient, organized, creative, clear, encouraging, and inspiring. She truly believes in her students and develops a strong connection to their work. When she reflects on my writing, she says things that help me see things in it I didn't even notice or that open up all these opportunities for me to expand on it. The Sense Writing workshops access a profundity that other writing workshops have rarely attained at this level."

Raluca Albu, Fiction Editor, Bomb Magazine

“In the year that I have studied with Madelyn, I have learned more about writing rich, detailed, complete stories than in any of my previous writing courses."

-Amanda Cargill, Writer/Editor

"This course gave me permission — permission to be myself, and feel the weight of that in my work and not downplay it. That was mind-blowing to me... It came totally at the right time."

-Michael Busse, Photographer

"Over the last year I've attended a writing workshop series called Sense Writing. The workshop applies the principles of the Feldenkrais method--a kind of "somatic education"--to both free and planned creative writing, fiction or non-fiction. The workshop has been a sort of psychic therapy for me, and, furthermore, a tremendously comfortable environment to share my writing. The classes are refreshing, and I leave with a lifted feeling. This sounds like a pitch because I want to use the most deliberate words possible. Indeed, I have a vested interest in seeing this beautiful community of writers grow.

Writing workshops can be scary, but Sense Writing is unpretentious, un-intimidating, and unbound. In this place, sharing your writing is both exhilarating and safe... You don't need to be a seasoned writer, just someone who wishes to express themselves more intrinsically. "

-Hannah Sparks, Writer/Editor

In film school I learned so much about creative writing and working under pressure. But I felt exhausted and I knew that the way I was working wasn’t sustainable… Sense Writing helped me to reconnect to my body and go within and then go outwards again. Suddenly there are all these details and layers and little secrets. By allowing myself to really explore, in a way that’s connected to my body, I no longer feel lost or hopeless in my writing. It’s now one of the most important parts of my toolkit.

-Ruth Bendl, Screenwriter

"Sense Writing rocked my world. Although I knew much about writing and editing when I walked in the door, I grew my writer's muscles exponentially during every session." 

-Ruth Ebenstein, Journalist
*Read her article about Sense Writing “Melting Cancer-Induced Writer’s Block” here.

"Before Madelyn's workshop I did not work on my writing everyday. I did not finish most of the projects I began, and I did not feel that I had many options with the work I was working on, which often times amounted to just "work."  After taking Sense Writing I-III, all of that changed.  I am able to write long-form prose, experimental poetry, blog articles on any topic, even investigative journalism pieces with relish and gusto... The work we do in these classes is very subtle and when you're "in it" it's hard to know what the lasting outcome will be."

-Aleks Degtyarev, Artist

"Sense Writing is like running along a river from rock to rock and the rocks just appear below your feet, and you've gotten to where you want to be. It is the art of letting go of the mind while still using the mind."

-Jean Rhode, Creative Director/Copywriter 

"Okay, what's a less dramatic way of telling you that this class has changed my life?

I have a BFA in Playwriting but struggled for years to feel that "flow" where the magic lives. With these very precise, low-key sequences, I was able to access an unstressed, honest voice. I took Madelyn's intro workshop at Kripalu Retreat this past March and was initially skeptical of all the woo-woo (this despite being a yoga teacher myself...) But I noticed from the very first weekend that the stuff I was writing in the writing sequences was-- how to say this-- more my own voice that anything I'd written in years.

Since then, I've done Sense Writing II and III in Brooklyn, and the way I write has been totally transformed.  That is no exaggeration-- I feel like I have discovered a whole new tool belt full of tools! I recently got into a prestigious non-fiction writing intensive on the strength of work from Madelyn's class.

Whether you call yourself a Writer capital W or are looking for a juicy way to get in touch with all the matter swirling in your mind, don't think twice about taking a Sense Writing class.  (And I do recommend the workshop at Kripalu too-- they serve really good risotto in the cafeteria!)"

-Olga Kreimer, Columnist at the Los Angeles Review of Books

Sense Writing has rehabilitated my practice back to being something that I love. I’ve learned ways of tuning into my body and shifting my nervous system and reaching into my work in a different way. And that hasn't gotten old to me. I keep using the practices again and again, and they help me to enter into that state of mind and move out of that harshness that I can sometimes start with, of trying to nail it down or trying to get somewhere, and to get to places that I didn’t even know yet, which is what I really want.

-Luke Simon, Yoga Teacher and Writer

"I can honestly say this Sense Writing workshop has transformed my writing more than any other class. With Madelyn's training, I now glide into writing and am able to defeat writers block completely. Madelyn's techniques of deep meditation and sensitivity training enables you to "feel" your own writing as if it is really happening.  You are able to find new meaning in otherwise ordinary memories and scenes. Her techniques can be integrated into your everyday writing routine. I highly recommend this class for writers of all levels who want to add a new layer of meaning and authenticity to their writing."

-Lauren Lubrino, Teacher

“I've taken a lot of writing courses that have been helpful and interesting. But this method, in particular, is different. It helped me move beyond capability to a much more organic sense of discovery. It's just changed for me the whole experience of writing."

-Carol McGory, English Professor and Artist

“I recently took several of Madelyn's Sense Writing classes and they changed me.  After 5 minutes in Madelyn's presence I felt completely relaxed and safe. And after several sessions I became exhilarated with the process and with finding my voice. It was a powerful feeling. Sense Writing opened up a pathway for me to creativity and introspection that led to a feeling of confidence and self-knowledge that has been invaluable to me ever since.”

-Emily Tobey, Writer and Editor