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[POSTPONED] Authentic Heart: Yin Yoga Illuminated by the Work and Life of Mercedes de Acosta

Date / Time

  • February 17, 2024
    2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Location

2008-2010 Delancey Place, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, United States

Registration

  • Admission is $25. 50% off for Rosenbach members, free for the Delancey Society. Not a member? Learn more.
  • This is an in-person program at The Rosenbach. Please check your spam folder for your email confirmation. If you have questions, please call (215) 732-1600 or email [email protected].
  • Registration opens for Delancey Society on December 6, for Rosenbach members on December 14, and for the general public on January 3.   

Register

 

Description

Mercedes de Acosta was many things: a playwright, poet, novelist, and cultural influencer of the early 20th century, but she is perhaps best known for her liaisons with Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and other “silver screen” actresses. Unlike many other lesbians of her day, especially those in the spotlight, de Acosta would not conform by staying in the closet. Her sense of self, strength of will, and ability to meet professional and personal rejection with resilience are among the reasons she is regarded today as an LGBTQ+ icon whose depictions of lesbian desire, experiences, and struggle inform and inspire. What gave her the confidence to live the way she did? 

This two-hour workshop, co-led by yogi Liza Seltzer and Rosenbach Manager of Tours and Volunteer Services, Isabel Steven, will introduce you to de Acosta’s work and legacy and invite you to take a deep dive into what it means to be truly authentic. The workshop will include guided discussion about the author’s life and work, the chance to get up close and personal with some of the Rosenbach’s de Acosta collections holdings, and an extended yin yoga practice, featuring passive, longer-held poses that seek to invoke stillness in body and mind. The practice will be accessible for all bodies and experience levels; the only prerequisites are curiosity and an open heart. 

The program will run as follows: 

  • 10 minutes of introduction to Mercedes de Acosta’s life and work 
  • 90 minutes of contemplative yin yoga practice 
  • 20 minutes of show-and-tell with artifacts, manuscripts, and books owned by Mercedes de Acosta 

About the Instructor

Liza Seltzer is a Rosenbach Board Member and RYT500 with certifications in Vinyasa, Kripalu, Yin, Chair and Restorative Yoga.