Scientific Writing and Yoga Retreat

TitleTimeRoomTeacher
Scientific Writing and Yoga Retreat19.03.2025 09:00 - 16:15 (Wed)TUM Graduate School: Boltzmannstraße 17, 85748 Garching; Room E003/101/102/108Dr. Luisa Demant, Dr. Kerstin Minnich
Scientific Writing and Yoga Retreat20.03.2025 08:15 - 16:15 (Thu)TUM Graduate School: Boltzmannstraße 17, 85748 Garching; Room E003/101/102/108 Dr. Luisa Demant, Dr. Kerstin Minnich
Scientific Writing and Yoga Retreat21.03.2025 08:15 - 16:15 (Fri)TUM Graduate School: Boltzmannstraße 17, 85748 Garching; Room E003/101/102/108 Dr. Luisa Demant, Dr. Kerstin Minnich
Scientific Writing and Yoga Retreat22.03.2025 08:15 - 16:15 (Sat)TUM Graduate School: Boltzmannstraße 17, 85748 Garching; Room E003/101/102/108 Dr. Luisa Demant, Dr. Kerstin Minnich
Keywords: 
Scientific writing, writing with ease, yoga and mindfulness, personal coaching
Course Description: 

When writing a paper or thesis, doctoral candidates have to face several challenges. The text has to address the target readership, be structured logically and stringently, and be written in a precise and concise style. Moreover, the writing process has to be brought in line with professional and personal duties. The complexity of such a writing project can be overwhelming, leading to lack of motivation and enhanced procrastination especially when writing alone, as an isolated author. 

In this scientific writing and yoga retreat the participants have the opportunity to work on their own text, make progress with their manuscripts and profit from the exchange with fellow writers. 

In addition, Dr. Kerstin Minnich gives short writing impulses and input on writing topics each day and provides material for strategies to efficiently plan scientific texts and to implement style and structural conventions during the writing process. 

In between writing sessions, Dr. Luisa Demant offers yoga sessions and mindfulness practices to develop strategies to relax and refresh the body and mind. Participants learn how to connect to the body and use mindfulness as a tool to gain and maintain focus to avoid procrastination. During the yoga practice, we develop clarity and positivity towards the writing process.  

Furthermore, we offer individual sessions for each participant with each trainer to discuss individual issues regarding the writing process and self-management. We will focus on methods to plan, write and revise a text and on finding individual strategies to handle feedback, to overcome procrastination and writer’s block, as well as reflecting on imposter syndrome. This unique combination of writing and yoga coaching equips participants with the right tools for a successful writing process.

Course aims: 
  • Participants are able to make significant progress on their papers and/or dissertations in a relaxed and trusting atmosphere. 
  • Participants get either feedback on their text or input regarding their writing strategies according to their individual needs.
  • Participants have access to material which supports them in specifying their research question, planning a manuscript, getting to know their writing type and applying structure-and style conventions in scientific texts.
  • Participants create a sense for the body and learn strategies to increase their physical and mental wellbeing through yoga and mindfulness. 
  • Participants are able to use yoga and mindfulness exercises to analyse their situation. They gain clarity for the next steps.
  • Yoga and mindfulness practices enable participants to use methods to sharpen their concentration for a successful writing process.
Teaching methods: 

Presentations, structured writing sessions, pomodoro writing, group yoga sessions, partner work, 1-2-1 coaching sessions

This course fits doctoral candidates in the following phase: 

During the doctorate │ at the end of the doctorate

Participation requirements: 

No previous yoga experience needed. 

Technical requirements: 

Participants need to bring a laptop or tablet.

Course preparation: 

Participants need to bring a chapter of their doctoral thesis or paper they want to work on during the course. For the yoga sessions they will need a mat and comfortable clothes.

Additional information: 

None.

What participants say about this course: 
  • I enjoyed switching between physical practice and intellectual work. Even though all participants worked on their own projects, it felt like we worked together. The atmosphere in class was great, and I also enjoyed the individual coaching sessions, where we could discuss our projects and needs.
  • It was a great spirit and helped me a lot to proceed with my PhD
  • Luisa and Kerstin created a warm and motivating atmosphere, I liked the feeling of community and working together.
  • The mixture of yoga and writing input, that it was an intensive writing class focusing on working, the lovely, trustful and focused atmosphere which the two great coaches created.
Category: 
Fachübergreifende Veranstaltung
Event type: 
Seminar/Workshop
Organizer: 
Graduate School Geschäftsstelle
Responsibility for event: 
Hauptverantwortung
Format: 
In Präsenz
Co-Organization: 
TUM Graduate School
Course Language: 
EN
Course Capacity (Max): 
12
Course capacity (Min): 
1
Duration in hours: 
27.25
Financial contribution: 
70 Euro
Trainer: 
Dr. Luisa Demant, Dr. Kerstin Minnich

Dr. Luisa Demant lives and works as facilitator for yoga, embodiment and professional development in Hackney, London. She works with individuals as well as groups and offers yoga classes, group workshops and individual coaching sessions. She works in co-operation with the National Health Service (NHS) as well as Queen Mary University.

Dr. Kerstin Minnich is a biologist who obtained her PhD at the Ulm University Medical Center followed by a postdoctoral research period at the Leibniz Institute on Aging in Jena in the fields of endocrinology and oncology. In 2016, she founded the editing service LIFE SCIENCE WRITING and completed a writing consultant training in 2017 at the University of Education Freiburg. Besides editing scientific texts, she works as an individual writing coach and gives workshops on scientific writing.