“Just as blood is a fact of your physical body and nothing you invented, creativity is a fact of your spiritual body and nothing that you must invent.” - Julia Cameron
Regardless of the career path we follow, all of us experience at some point of time a “creative block” and loss of inspiration. Whether it is due to unreasonable demands on our time, work pressure, obligations, fatigue or a combination of it all, it is a challenging and sometimes very unhappy space to be in. We might feel that we are just living a rat-race to manage deadlines and ensure that our lives stay more or less intact. And as we lived through a year of the COVID pandemic that affected our lives on all levels, our bodies and souls are still recovering from the traumatic effects of it all and our souls might remind us that we are lacking. It is the kind of Dark Night of the Soul that brings to awareness that we have lost imagination and creative inspiration, and that it is time to retrieve it.
This retreat aims to help us develop tools that we can use in our daily lives to recall the Creative Muse and keep our inspiration alive. We will engage Mindfulness Practices like Meditation and Movement, Music and spontaneous Creative Activities to assist us with this. The retreat programme will focus on the following:
Early morning walks, Stretches and Mindful Movement
Movement Meditations, including Walking the Labyrinth
Music and Colour Journeys
Creative Expression through drawing, painting or collaging
Creative Writing
A session on creating Mandalas facilitated by Gillian Bowman
Evening Sound Journeys
Visualisation, Affirmation and Goal Setting for Returning
Having Fun!
The retreat fee is R 3 700.00 for shared accommodation and R 4 200.00 for single accommodation and inclusive of brunch and dinner daily, coffee/tea with snacks as well as all retreat activities and art materials used. Checking in-time will be from 14:00 on Friday 26 November and we will gather 16:00 for the start of the retreat. The retreat will end at 13:30 on Sunday 28 November, although the fee includes free accommodation for Sunday evening for those that can stay over. Supper on Sunday evening will be at your own cost. The restaurant, Tebaldi’s at Temenos is closed on Sunday evenings, but you can order a take away at the restaurant before 2pm, or choose to self-cater. The cottages at Temenos are fully equipped for self-catering. An immediate deposit of R 1 000.00 secures your booking. The outstanding balance must be paid by Friday 19 November. Payment options can be discussed. Discount will be offered to participants who repeat this retreat. Please book soon as space is limited. For bookings, contact Johann at johann@johannvangreunen.co.za or 021-914 1294 or 083 764 5978.
About your facilitators:
Johann Van Greunen
Johann is a Specialist Wellness Counsellor in private practice with training and background in Pastoral Therapy. In his practice he focuses on counselling, Reiki healing and training, teach ing mindfulness meditation and he runs various workshops focused on mindfulness practices and inner wellbeing Johann has realised the value of Meditation and Mindfulness Practices early in his life and has co me to know Mindfulness Meditation as an invaluable aid in assisting us to develop integrated and coherent life stories.
With an interest in Integral and Complementary Medicine from early on, Johann qualified as Reiki Master to offer a hands on healing pra ctice that complements his counselling practice. Being a Master in Reiki, he teaches courses on Levels 1, 2 and Master Level.
Johann had been training in both ballroom and contemporary dance for years and developed a strong interest in the healing power of creative processes, especially in art, movement and music. He uses these processes working with groups and during his workshops and retreats teaching Mindfulness Practices. He encourages his clients coming for counselling to use creative processes in o rder to develop new narratives for their life stories.
Johann holds an Honours degree in Psychology from the University of Pretoria and a M.Th. (Clinical Pastoral Care) from the University of Stellenbosch. He is registered as Specialist Wellness Counsellor at the Association for Supportive Counsellors & Holistic Practitioners. He is involved with mentoring programmes for the City of Cape Town which involves psycho social support for health clinic staff and clinic managers. His work with these teams includes team building, trauma debriefing and teaching mindfulness practices. Past work in this field includes mentoring programmes for HIV/AIDS counsellors at Lifeline, Wola Nani, Sothemba AIDS Action Group, Positive Muslims and Desmond Tutu TB Centre linked to t he University of Stellenbosch. He was also supervisor for the M.Th. Clinical Pastoral Care (HIV Counselling) programme for 5 years.
Johann is passionate about life, the arts, music, dance, nature, good food, coffee, wine and soulful friendships. He lives with his partner in the leafy suburb of Kenridge in Durbanville and is the servant of a big fluffy ginger cat.
Gill Bowman
Gill Bowman originally studied as a teacher, specialising in art. In 1987 she qualifies as a FAMSA Education Counsellor and a family and marriage counsellor, also completing a certificate in counselling through the University of Port Elizabeth. After this she began work as mentor and counsellor to students at the Eastern Cape Universities for the Students Christian Association. Gill went on to do an MPhil in Christian Studies, and was ordained a priest in the Anglican Church in 2007. She retired last year after 5 years as a rector at St Andrew's Church in Eureka Estate in Elsie's River. Out of her experience in the socially challenging area of Elsie's River, Gill began to colour Mandalas as a means of centering herself, and finding a place of peace and silence. As she did this, she began to design and construct her own Mandala's, finding she was working through her experiences in the process.
At Temenos we're always happy to host Retreats and Workshops, for more details contact Margaret