One of the activities we incorporate into our retreats is pottery.
During University, I took pottery while getting a Business Degree. It was my escape each week. My time to do something that I truly enjoyed. A 4 hour Ceramics class went by in a blink of an eye.
When I do pottery, I enter a flow state…where you concentrate so much on what you are doing that your mind clears and time goes by without notice. You are so focused on what you are doing that you don’t think about the things you need to get done, your worries disappear and you immerse yourself in what you are doing.
Tapping into creativity is so therapeutic and important for our well being. Whether it be art or sports or music, or even knitting…allowing time for creativity and focus opens our minds to new connections and peace. It creates space for healing and balance.
I know because I have first hand experience with healing from a psychotic break and a month in the psych ward at 19 years old. It has taken me years to be able to speak about this and the healing continues to this day. Pottery was instrumental in me finding my way back to myself.
Every place I moved to throughout my life, I found a pottery studio to work in. When I moved to Bonnyville, there was a studio without any members so I started teaching Pottery. When we built our shop, I designed my own studio and that is where the magic happens.
The beauty of incorporating pottery into our retreats is that you can create something that becomes a keepsake for years to come that will remind you of the time you took to escape and recharge. It will remind you
of White Trees Retreats and hopefully, every time you see it, it will remind you to take time for yourself.
Thank-you Sarah. This kind of honest conversation is the first step to a world that supports healing instead of hiding.
Thank you for sharing your story and being vulnerable. Your retreat and your teaching of pottery will serve many so well!