The Restory Retreat Centre

The Enneagram is a geometric figure that maps out the nine fundamental personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships. Growing from ancient roots and usage in many different spiritual traditions, it was taken up and developed further by modern psychology. The word Enneagram comes from the Greek for “nine— ennea —and “figure” - grammos , which means it is a nine-pointed figure. It is a tool to understand human motivation and behaviour better, mainly by inducing self-knowledge. Personality develops in order to protect and defend our essential being, or essence. By adopting coping mechanisms  in childhood we survive in the physical world, but get cut off from our essential nature. The Enneagram as tool directs us to the depths of our soul and shows the way to deeper meaning in life. George was introduced to the Enneagram during his training as spiritual director and finds it of great help in his work. For me the journey with the Enneagram st...

In keeping a day of quiet this past weekend , I went for a walk with my camera. I tried to be present to everything around me, quieting my mind and simply observing. A few very strong images presented themselves, which I photographed without a mental understanding of what it was conveying to me in my current situation.  I still don't feel like cluttering them with many words. They do speak for themselves. And I share them with you, quietly thankful for the hope it brought me. Death New life Growth leaves stretch marks, even on trees The season for preparing for what is to come A footpath to follow where others have gone before Limitless sky, unlimited possibilities Matilda

We arrived in Grahamstown after dark, having travelled 1000+ kms; leaving home at 05:00, our car and trailer heavily loaded with sculptures, tool kits and gear for the two week duration of the National Arts festival. We had allowed ourselves two days in which to set up the exhibition before the official opening on 28 June 2012. This would ensure that we locate a hardware store, printer and stationer in case of an emergency.  Since it was our first experience of exhibiting at an arts festival, we didn't really know what to expect, but with all the bravado of the uninformed, we believed we would be able to handle any situation. Gracious Grahamstown We didn't then know that we would also need a haberdashery when Eylene (my daughter and fellow artist) ran out of buttons and pins or a milliner's shop to buy metres and metres of black fabric to create makeshift covers for the plinths on loan that were a most unbecoming shade of brown. Staying with our dear friend Doreen, a ...

I recently discovered this list by Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project . He wrote it on the 1st of May this year and it is so full of simple solid wisdom that I really want to share it. I also want to live it. Tomorrow is my birthday — always an opportunity for reflection, but especially this time. For several weeks now, I've been thinking about what I've learned during the past six decades that really matters. Here's a first pass: 1. The more we know about ourselves, the more power we have to behave better.  Humility is underrated. We each have an infinite capacity for self-deception — countless unconscious ways we protect ourselves from pain, uncertainty, and responsibility — often at the expense of others and of ourselves. Endless introspection can turn into self-indulgence, but deepening self-awareness is essential to freeing ourselves from our reactive, habitual behaviors. 2. Notice the good.  We each carry an evolutionary predisposition to dwell on what...