The Restory Retreat Centre

Notes from a different drummer Learning the unforced rhythms of grace The practical How Soul nurturing Treat-time Next up - FUN! And not just any fun, but tailor-made-for-you-and-you-alone fun. Sounds too good to be true? Read on. Again, we draw on the wisdom of Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, and introduce you to Artist’s Dates. We prefer to use the term Treat-time for the same concept, because we have experienced that many people’s immediate reaction when confronted with Artist’s Dates are to visibly shy away. They say something like: “I’m not creative”, “I’m no artist” or “I can’t draw or paint to save my life”. This is not about being a painter, potter, writer, dancer or actor. Nor will you need to take up any artist’s tool if it is not your inclination. This tool was created by Julia Cameron whose area of expertise lies in the unblocking of creativity, which she refers to as the inner artist or the inner child. We will in due course...

Notes from a different drummer Learning the unforced rhythms of grace. The practical How Soul nurturing Wake-up notes So let’s get started. For this game of hide-and-seek we need some writing paper and a pen or pencil, crayon, or whatever takes your fancy to write  with. Now, don’t take fright. This is no writer’s course. We are into soul nurturing, into seeking out the hidden child within. Only the most gentle and undemanding probing will be met with a favourable response.  So we start off by listening, pen in hand and paper to catch the sounds on. Julia Cameron, writer of The Artist’s Way is famous for the genius of her tools of creative recovery, which she calls Morning Pages and Artist’s Dates. We can do no better than her and having experienced the transformational potential of these tools for ourselves over many years, we give her the credit and share it as she so generously advises us to.     Morning Pages, in our context, w...

Notes from a different drummer Learning the unforced rhythms of grace. The glory of God is a human being fully alive. - St. Ireneaus The practical How Soul Nurturing Living a contemplative life starts here. In this place, at this time, with this body, mind and soul known as Me. It can happen in no other way. Nothing more is needed. We have everything we need (and more) to move in one instance from being nowhere in particular, to being on the contemplative way. All it takes is a waking up to it, as we have pointed out in  It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing . The notes from a different drummer, like rain, had fallen onto the pregnant soil of your soul. Soon a tender shoot starts showing. The seed of the Essential You is sprouting. How do we tend this into growing into a life that will bear the incredible harvest only you are capable of?  By careful and deliberate nurturing, like you would a rare sapling or a new-born baby. T...