Retreat to Replenish

Waking up in the tranquility of an over-sized tree-top bedroom with an expanse of windows that overlooked the forest canopy, I knew that my decision to retreat was exactly what I had needed.  Each morning I awoke beneath crisp white linens listening to the various birds, the sound of the wind among the branches, sometimes to the rain, always to the dog across the lake barking and I counted my blessings:  "Thank you" I whispered, "for this house, the time, the means, the privledge of escaping my daily routine.  Thank you for the time to paint, and write, and just sit....yes....to just sit, to be and not do."

As the first few days passed and I saw the benefits of my time away, (I felt relaxed, my creative brain was sprouting new ideas and I felt refreshed) I began to wonder how I could take some of this "retreat" back home with me to my real life. 

I have long practiced a morning "quiet time".  At home I have a big comfy chair in a small room where I go each morning to journal, and think and pray.  Of course on vacation this quiet time sometimes stretched on till late morning, but on a busy day at home even 10 minutes can be sufficient to help me approach the day with gratitude.

Another thing that I loved about my retreat were the walks, morning walks, walks in the rain and evening walks.  Not a power walk, not a walk to anywhere, just a meandering, slow paced walk.  A leisurely walk allows me to see things that I might otherwise miss, it also helps me to put things in perspective.  Years ago when my daughters were little and I was often weighed down by worries, I would walk and look up.... how immense is the sky, how vast this planet we call home.  Somehow by looking at my "problems" from under a big sky, rather than from under a small roof always helped me to believe that everything would be just fine.

Solitude, sunrise and a quiet country road

When I walk with the intention of noticing, of being truly aware of colours, textures and scents, when I close my eyes for a moment and really focus on the feeling of the wind, it is as though the path says, "Look over there, take a peak under this shrub."  When I do, I am often rewarded with amazing displays of nature's endless beauty.  These discoveries nourish my spirit and feed my creativity.

Following a path led me to this picturesque sugar shack

A Trillium, just steps from our door

These two habits, a morning quiet time and a leisurely walk help to keep my creative well primed. 

Thank you for taking the time to visit My Turquoise Kettle Life. Have a beautiful day.

Sandra