RESTORYING RETREATS
This week I am launching into the second of our annual Soulistic Journey retreats in Avebury, England. Each retreat brings with it both a deepening into our own personal story, as well as revealing new maps into previously uncharted territory. The best bit is that we never really know where we are going until we gather together and take our first steps on the journey together!
In preparing for our circle this week, I started contemplating the word ‘retreat’ in the context of our modern social story. With all the perceived political, environmental and cultural chaos right now are we really being called to ‘retreat’?
I think not.
One of my teachers Laurel Elizabeth Keys once said that “What the world really needs are sacred spaces away from the busyness of life where people can come for few days, sink into silence and restore themselves and their spirits before going once more renewed back into the world with vigour and courage”.
The important word for me here is RESTORE
Of course, in my work this of often adapted one stage further into the concept of RESTORYING.
And what does this mean?
Restorying is the act of taking time to step outside of the current boundaries of your life story/drama and listen for the clues that will help you to evolve, transform and inspire a new context.
This context can mean new characters appearing and old ones leaving the stage.
It can mean a shift in backdrop to a new environment, a new job or a new way of life.
It can mean ripping up elements of your script’s old beliefs and assumptions so that new ones can be written and lived ‘live’ on the stage of your life.
But to do so requires that you take the time to get off the stage and view your story from the place of the audience. This gives us perspective and insight.
I believe that our current global human story is in the dynamic process of being restoryed from the inside out. As we all choose how to respond to the various pressures that are bearing down from us on the ‘outside’ of life, we are co-creating our future narrative with every choice we make, no matter how seemingly small or trivial.
Restoration is happening everywhere on a social and environmental level. Of course, the two are inextricably linked.
Restory-ation is needed in every aspect of our lives in order that we continue to evolve and grow, ultimately sustaining ourselves and our planet for future generations to come.
This is a process that requires both time and dedication.
Both practice and repetition.
Commitment and courage.
Laurel built a cabin in the Colorado mountains that she aptly named The Restorium.
Today we begin a journey in our small circle that will restory our lives individually and the collective story of our small community.
It will also restory all of life on Earth because we really are all that connected!
Want to gather and restory with us?
