The Restory Retreat Centre

Gluten-free pumpkin and coconut fritters with homemade fig preserve. Photo by Matilda Angus Trying to follow a gluten-free diet is not easy. Mainly because we are so used to having staples like bread and pasta, and not to mention snacks like cookies, rusks and muffins! As any serious dieter will tell you, the secret to sticking to the regime is to avoid feeling deprived. The fact that problems with blood sugar levels and colon are a thing of the past, makes up for a lot of what have to be sacrificed, but yet, by now I know the look in George's face that says "I will swim the mighty Apies river for a brownie or a slice of lemon meringue pie." We are lucky. The gluten-free revolution have brought along huge advances and variety in products that are easy to use, if rather expensive. For a special treat (or an emergency), I keep a packet of gluten-free cake flour in the pantry. Today I tried my hand at pumpkin fritters which is a very traditional South African co...

The practical How Soul nurturing Healthy habits (Cultivating a spiritual practice) Just as our bodies need nourishment and rest at regular intervals, so it is with our souls as well. We’ve mentioned a number of things that serve to nourish our souls, but to a large degree it is carried by a regular practice. Often the distinction is made between an informal and formal practice. The way you live your life consciously with awareness and applying all your senses is your informal practice. It takes place in the general daily living and doing. But it is important to have a formal or more structured practice as well. Where 20 minutes to an hour is set aside every day where you become quiet and silence the constant chatter of your mind. Through experience and trial and error we’ve found the following to work for us: To get up early in the morning before the day with all its activities and commitments starts in full force Light stretches or gentle exercise help to wa...

A quiet moment down by the river. Photograph by Matilda The importance and necessity of Silence in living contemplatively and with awareness, cannot be emphasized enough. It is by quietening the mind that we become aware of the inner voice, which points the way to a more meaningful life. Although Silence plays an integral role in all of the retreats at The Restory, the following types of retreats are dedicated to Silence: Quiet days. Day visits to become quiet and centered in a safe and beautiful environment can be arranged for people who do not have the need to stay over. These days can be guided or unstructured as required. Rates are adjusted accordingly, also as to meal requirements. The rate for a basic unguided day without meals is R100.00 per person per day. Contact us  to make a booking. Silent Retreat At this retreat the value of silence in helping us gain new balance and focus in life is explored over one weekend in a gentle introduction to the age...

Inner child exploration: playing with coloured pencils.   What if you are way more talented than you thought you were? What if life can’t wait to reveal wonderful things to you? What if something is waiting to come into being, but it can only happen through you? What if your thinking is too limited in terms of resources, opportunities and everything possible? What if….. Are you the proud owner of a pulse? Then you are creative. And it has to do with much more than paint on canvas, clay on wheel or wood chips around your feet. Too many people struggle with the word creativity . You can almost be certain that by hearing it they conjure up images of painters in paint smeared overcoats standing in front of large easels with a beret perched sideways on the head. Or even worse, someone wandering the street, one-eared and tormented. They give it one look and decide it’s not for them. In any case, the closest they’ll ever come to drawing is the drawing up of papers and contra...

A mindful stroll in Kimiad, Moreleta Park, Pretoria When thinking of a retreat, images of retreat centers, nature, silence and even isolation, arise spontaneously. Although it is necessary to have this respite from the hustle and bustle of life in towns and cities, for many it may not be possible to attend a retreat at a remote location. Hectic schedules and unending demands cause havoc to our inner peace, resulting in a feeling of meaninglessness.    We strongly feel that the building blocks to mindful living should be readily available to city dwellers in order for them to see and experience how one can live and find meaning in an urban environment. To this purpose, the City retreat was developed which follows a parallel program to our Mindfulness Retreats  at The Restory.  We are available to facilitate this concept retreat where ever there is a need for it. Costs will be customised with regards to travelling distance and facilities. Please  Cont...

Eylene and Christopher built their wood cabin on an undeveloped piece of land that still have to be tamed. They are pioneering it with no water or electricity  Leon and Deidré converted an old cottage on the farm to suit their needs, while farming full time under harsh conditions. And then, one day, they are grown. With no real need of me. Busy building lives, houses, careers. Working on important relationships which do not include parental ones. I visit in homes where they do things their way. I listen to conversations where I am not included. In their lives they've had more than their piece of my mind, I'm sure. It is hard for me to find my balance on this tightrope they are unaware of. Yet, I look at what they are trying so very hard to do: finding their own feet, doing what they know or love best, following their instincts, as I so hoped they would. And I stand amazed and proud. They are grown and independent of me. Someone once told me tha...

We have found that a very handy tool to use in meditation or any quiet practice is drawings. It helps to free us from the tyranny of the rational mind and leads to unexpected insight and discoveries, literally something not being thought of. You can make your own drawings or experiment with doodles. The use of existing drawings or intricate designed patterns is another option. There are lovely mandalas (literally meaning “circle”) available on the internet that can be downloaded or printed. At our recent introductory retreat into mindfulness, we had copies of mandalas available for retreatants to choose from should they wish to use it in their meditation sessions. For the uninformed it might have looked like pages from a child’s colouring book lying scattered on the table. After you’ve chosen your mandala or mandalas (we suggested that they take two each at this specific retreat) it is totally up to you to use it or discard it. And should you decide to use it the ways in which...

Notes from a different drummer Learning the unforced rhythms of grace The practical  How Soul nurturing Soul friendship (Spiritual direction) "It is easier to find guides, someone to tell you what to do, than someone to be with you in a discerning, prayerful companionship as you work it out yourself. This is what spiritual direction is.”                                                                      ~ Eugene H. Peterson In the previous posts Spiritual Direction - 1 , Spiritual Direction - 2 and Spiritual Direction - 3 we've dealt extensively with the subject of spiritual direction. (See also the label heading Spiritual Direction that leads to other posts that touches on the subject). Here, we are merely indicating its importance in the process of Soul Nurturi...

Photograph by Matilda Angus Grown-ups are like that...  … When you tell them that you have made a new friend, they never ask you any questions about essential matters. They never say to you, “What does his voice sound like? What games does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?” Instead, they demand: “How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?” Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.  If you were to say to the grown-ups: “I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof,” they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: “I saw a house that cost $20,000.” Then they would exclaim: “Oh, what a pretty house that is!”  Antoine de Saint-Exupery: The little Prince