Story Alchemy®: Becoming the Hero of Your Own Life

THIS IS A TWO-SESSION WORKSHOP. March 11 and 18, 2 hours each session. Tuition includes both sessions.

Location: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ Downtown Sarasota Campus

Class Fee: Members $130.00, Non-Members $165.00

Facilitator: Rachel Schaeffer Wolfe, StoryAlchemy.org

Stories are powerful, especially the ones we tell ourselves. Our true story is one of self-love, but too often we become the villain or antagonist of our stories, grinding out tales of self-doubt, self-judgment, feelings of anxiety, people-pleasing, and guilt. Reclaim your role as the hero of your life through the four pillars, or “Elixirs,” of Story Alchemy®:

Elixir of Creative Journaling, Elixir of Meditation, Elixir of Mindful Movement, and Elixir of Nature.

In this introduction to Story Alchemy®, you’ll begin to:

• Tap into the Elixir of Nature to transform old beliefs and patterns
• Cultivate healthy self-love
• Shift your perspective through an innovative process called “Transformational Narration”
• Access the knowledge, creativity, and confidence you need to write a new life story

2 sessions, once a week, 2 hours each session

Know before you go

• 2 sessions, March 11 and 18, 2 hours each session. Tuition includes both sessions.
• General admission is included in the course fee. We encourage you to stay and enjoy the Gardens after class.
• Portions of this experience will be outdoors. Please wear shoes suited for walking, and bring water and any items you will need to be comfortable in an outdoor setting.
• Bring a journal or notebook and water. Wear comfortable clothes, shoes, a hat, and sunscreen.

FAQs

What is Story Alchemy®?

Story Alchemy® is the practice of becoming the hero of your life.

Our true essence is self-love, but too often we become the villain or antagonist of our narratives, grinding out tales of self-doubt, self-judgment, anxiety, people-pleasing, and guilt. We all have unquestioned harmful beliefs that become comfortable bad habits. Left unchallenged, they can wreak havoc. The Story Alchemy® process shows you how to harness this energy, transmute it, and propel you forward toward your innate potential.

What are the four pillars of Story Alchemy®?

Story Alchemy® is built on four dynamic pillars known as The Elixir Practices: Elixir of Meditation, Elixir of Writing, Elixir of Yoga/Movement and Elixir of Nature. Think of the Elixirs as medicine for your soul. Separate, each of these healing modalities is potent; together, they are magic.

These elixirs form the framework of the Story Alchemy® structure, where modern science and ancient wisdom combine to help you access your inner resources for healing. Each practice has extensive evidence-based research showing its therapeutic efficacy.

How can Story Alchemy® help me?

Story Alchemy® is for people who want to be happy, rise above suffering, and live at their full potential.

We are not our past stories, our traumas, or our suffering. They do not define us. And it is not the stories themselves that harm us or have control over us, but rather the emotional attachment we have to them and how we identify with them.

You’ll begin to transform and let go of limiting beliefs and old patterns. You’ll challenge your old stories using a process distinctive to Story Alchemy® called “Transformational Narration.” Here, you gain a new perspective, through the practice of looking at your beliefs non-judgmentally through the lens of both fact and fiction, the brain and the heart, detachment and wonder.

What are the benefits of taking Story Alchemy® at Selby Gardens?

Our outer environment affects our inner landscape. Story Alchemy® is the process of cultivating your inner terrain, planting the seeds for your natural states of joy, harmony, peace and trust. There’s no better place to do this than the natural beauty of Selby Gardens’ bayfront sanctuary.

Nature is powerful medicine. We know intuitively that being in natural places makes us feel better. They make us feel alive. Medical science is proving the effects of the natural world on lowering stress, improving sleep and mood, and sharpening mental focus. Spending time in the great outdoors gives the cognitive parts of our brain a vacation and helps us return to our problems with creative ways of thinking.

Much research has focused on green spaces such as parks and forests, but researchers are now also studying the benefits of blue spaces, places with water views. Selby Gardens has both.

What can I expect in a Story Alchemy® workshop?

Expect to gain valuable insights while having fun in a supportive community. You’ll experience simple meditations, creative journaling, Taoist-inspired guided visualizations, gentle movement practices, and a deep connection to nature. You’ll become adept in play and perspective, both of which have been shown to be important predictors of mental health.

Do I need prior experience in writing or meditation?

No experience is necessary. In fact, nothing is required during our time together except your presence.

Who is the presenter?

Rachel Schaeffer Wolfe developed the Story Alchemy® process after 20 years of leading mind/body workshops to enhance emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual growth for thousands of participants. For the past decade, she has taught Story Alchemy® programs around the country at large retreat centers such as Kripalu Center and Omega Institute, as well as hospitals and universities.

With a graduate degree in Counseling, Rachel was a faculty member at Montclair State University and Caldwell University in the Physical Education as well as the Psychology departments.

A long-time columnist for Natural Health and other national magazines, Rachel wrote Yoga for Your Spiritual Muscles—winner of the Benjamin Franklin Gold Seal for Excellence in Psychology. She’s been featured on national radio and television including Bloomberg News and QVC.

She’s been a contributing writer for print and online magazines including Prevention, Self, and Family Circle on health/wellness, women’s issues, and human rights advocacy.

Rachel was the Host/Executive Producer of The Red Couch, a talk show where hundreds of guests shared transformational stories. The Red Couch won the Positive Impact Multimedia Award in Arts & Entertainment.

Rachel founded “The Power of Love,” Sarasota’s annual event to help end violence against women and girls, featuring keynote speakers such as Golden Globe award winner Dylan McDermott.

How can I learn more about Story Alchemy® and Rachel Schaeffer Wolfe?

Listen to her recent podcast interview about Story Alchemy®: https://www.pageandstage.art/p/the-stories-beneath-the-stories?utm%5C_source=publication-search

Go to StoryAlchemy.org

Read an article from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health’s website:

https://kripalu.org/resources/fact-or-fiction-lies-we-tell-ourselves