The Restory Retreat Centre

Existential Health Uncertainty, Mortality, Identity vs Role The Conversation    Elements From The Conversation  Creative Piece Alberto Giacometti - L’Homme qui marche (The Walking Man) 1960 Alberto Giacometti’s famous bronze figure L’Homme qui marche (The Walking Man) depicts a man walking, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. It has been described as a humble image of an ordinary man, yet at the same time a powerful symbol for all of humanity. Giacometti saw the natural balance of the steps as an image of man’s own vitality. The figure has no clothes, no professional features, no facial expression of bravado. He is simply human—fragile, alone, but still moving. It visually expresses that question: Who are you when you no longer “wear” your roles? You are not the armor of your work or efficiency; you are the essence that breaks through when everything is stripped away. There is a deep irony in the fact that Giacometti's ' L'Homme qui marche I' became one of the most...

I Am Not What Happened To Me   The Conversation Elements From The Conversation Music We bow.... before your bravery and before who you are in essence. With our love. George & Matilda  

Our Wise Guide - Our Body Hello everyone Still no recording. Which is half unexpected, because we should've been better this week from the cold/flu we had last week. Well, that's not the case. Matilda is getting better, but her strength is still low. George has to behave even more quietly than last week, after the doctor diagnosed him with bronchitis. There is no doubt in our minds that such times of less activity and rest are essential. Our bodies are wise guides that take us to places that lie outside the sphere of our heads. It does not help to fight against those bodily messages. However, it is striking how difficult it is often for us to scale back and become quieter. How our inability to be busy, to finish things and to look back on a productive day plays into our identity and mood. How easily we feel guilty. What we use as criteria to justify our existence. Such a time of illness brings you back to the meaning and value of the spiritual truths that have become clearer to...

Photograph: Tilly Meijer Once upon a time, the animals decided they must do something heroic to meet the problems of "a new world." So they organized a school. They adopted an activity curriculum consisting of running, climbing, swimming and flying. To make it easier to administer the curriculum, all the animals took all the subjects. The duck was excellent in swimming, in fact better than his instructor, but he made only passing grades in flying and was very poor in running. Since he was slow in running, he had to stay after school and also drop swimming in order to practice running. This was kept up until his webbed feet were badly worn and he was only average in swimming. But average was acceptable in school, so nobody worried about that except the duck. The rabbit started at the top of the class in running, but had a nervous breakdown because of so much make-up work in swimming. The squirrel was excellent in climbing until he developed frustratio...