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 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...

Exploring the Enneagram through Art (continued) The Signature of this personality is their genuine generosity and helpfulness. The unconscious childhood message they received however, was that it isn’t good to have your own needs. They therefore have insecurities about others’ affections for them and reach out to others in an attempt to be needed and loved. This may lead to Twos losing touch with their own needs and hurts. They may even believe that they themselves don’t need support and take great pride in this.This pride blinds them to their own needs which get neglected in favour of the feeling of well-being they experience from helping others. The result in the long run may be physical, emotional and even financial burn-out. They connect with their own Life essence when they learn to nurture themselves and look after their own needs. Two’s come to the realization that love cannot be earned.They become aware of unconditional love which is always present and always availabl...