Simplicity and Freedom

The simple thing is the good thing.
Life is most enjoyable in moments when simplicity is felt within, and there doesn't seem to be too much to do.

How often is it simple?  The truth is that it is always simple, but the human tendency is to create ways to complicate and "fill the space".

Do you ever "hide" from your own world?

Tasks, messages, responsibilities: all a necessary part of being a part of the modern life, these can stack up and create a feeling of being trapped in our own connectedness, the opposite of the natural human desire for company and communication.  At times like that the quality of life seems to diminish.
There are ways to get more simple every day, and create a life that has room for YOU in it.

It takes a bit of time to get simple, but it's worth it since it will save you tons more time.

What are the things you actually need to do?  That make you and your family safe, prosperous, and enjoying your lives?   How can you make these the center and move what is not essential away from you?  Focus on what is essential and remove everything else, and what is there?  Time for you, right?

Is this group of concerns the same as what you are telling yourself you have to do, or is there a big difference?  Are you doing what you WANT to do, or what you think you should want? 

You can take the time to rest your mind instead of using the "escape hatch".  Removing excessive stimulus from your working environment can help you focus better and get more done in less time.

A trick I have used for simplifying my life and environment in a visual way is to have a box or bag to use in eliminating excess objects.  I choose a number (for me, it's an odd number), and tell myself to put that many things in the "remove" area that day.  Before long I have far more things to let go of than I expected.  These can be little things, like pens that don't work, and the like, or larger ones (want to tackle the stack of books?).  Things I am not sure about go in a different area and are reviewed later.  It's easier to find things, and more pleasing to my mind when I see a few open spaces here and there.

The feeling of freedome that comes from allowing things to leave the house is enormous.  Now take that same principle and apply it to your work process, your media engagement, even your social calendar.

Lots more freedom will appear for you when you take little steps each day.  Then you will be able to feel as one with the larger pattern, and see, feel, enjoy the joyous simplicity that takes form in so many ways.

Get out in the wild and learn more about ways to get simple.

Big Sur Retreat Camp is here to help you enjoy the outdoors in comfort and style.  You can have a life-changing experience by enjoying simple peace and freedom.

Visit www.bettyofbigsur.com to learn more about ways to experience the great teachings of nature.

I'd love to help you plan the ideal retreat for your needs.

www.retreatcampchecklist.com will help us get started.  

All the best,

Betty

Your Own Deepest Knowing

Do you have a strong connection to your Spirit?  Is your spiritual nature guiding your life, or is it something that you relate to as being a place to visit?YOU can find a deeper meaning for everything in life by giving your spirit the authority to be the director.  Rather than having spirit being a passenger, if your spirit is the driver, you will have a more rewarding destination. 

Your own deepest knowing is right there waiting for you to connect to it and allow it to show you how much your life can be enriched through taking "the road less traveled."  Yet, you need to make room for it to express, grow and give you the information that is so valuable to you.  

Taking the time to get deep into a spiritual orientation takes commitment, and it takes time. 

The forest is a place that has plenty of time.  All around are magnificent beings who have stood in one place their whole lives, and who have much wisdom to share by their examples.  Each one has adapted to the conditions of its particular position in a unique way, expressing relationship with the elements and growing with what it has as raw materials.  Think about how their relationship with time has so much to tell us.  They aren't rushing off to do something!

The wild environment is one of plenty of time to do what needs to be done.  Animals do not hurry, either.  The water flows quite naturally down the hill, the clouds pass by in their own patterns, the breeze gently speaks, or perhaps the vigorous wind roars.  Each one of these is a deep expression of a higher spiritual truth, and you have a place within that truth.  How easy it is to forget that in the modern way of thought and of life!

It's well known that stress and excessive activity is counter-productive to a healthy way of life.  People who take the time for spiritual thinking and practices, who connect with their own spiritual energy, report experiencing less stress, and have a way of getting more done, too.  Without being distracted by things that shout for attention but have little true meaning, your spiritual self can grow and become stronger. 

Deeper breathing, slower walking, quieter and gentler speech, all contribute to a connection that will nourish you and take care of you.  After all, it IS the real you that you are connecting with!  And that real you has a lot to offer the larger world, as you get closer to realizing what your true potential can be when you step into your spirit and allow it to tell you what you need to know.

Here in Big Sur, you can unfold in a natural environment that will nourish you as you connect with your own deepest knowing.

Come and visit!

Three ways to visit me:

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell examples of my art and fashion designs,

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!
 

What Does "It" Look Like From Here?

Getting out of your usual frame of mind is important so that you can get better ideas about what is really going on in your life.  

 Almost everyone has too much

information flowing through the mind, and stepping away from your usual life for a short period of time can help you to re-connect with your deepest feelings, giving you fresh perspectives that can help you to make your life better. 

Listening to the voices of nature and learning from the people who have gone before gives you a connectedness and deepens your understanding. 

Listening to your group and sharing your stories gives your relationship new meaning, and gives you insights you can use in every setting.  As Einstein said, you can't solve a problem with the same mind that created it.  You will find that your mind just happens to change a lot when you are out of your usual frame of reference and relaxing. 

Things just unfold in ways that are very simple, and complexities are easier to see when taken out of their original context.  So change your mind and get it out of the cage, into nature, and let your spirit soar!  Change your mind, and change your life!

It's the slowing down that brings you a breath of fresh air, literally.  It's the reconnecting with the people you care about, doing simple things together so you get to know one another in a new way, deepening and strengthening your relationships.

When you share the memories of a lifetime you will always be so glad.

Getting out in the woods means that life becomes very basic again.  The feeling of nature surrounding you as you enjoy not being on call is so invigorating. 

For years, I have held needlework retreats twice or more a year, since I am a life-long needlewoman, and I love hanging out with other knitters and crocheters, spinners or what have you.  Over the course of a couple of days sitting around talking, we have drilled down into some pretty deep issues! 

Topics of conversation run the gamut of every possible thing that comes up in life, from relationships to jobs, family, personal issues of any type.  In the course of this, a kind of consensus arises about what's truly important, and what I call a mental product is produced, that is a tangible change in the way things actually feel.  It's amazing to take part in this process, and to learn from it.  Some of the best insights ever have come from this very simple thing of just sitting and talking, and people always say they feel so much better after just allowing things to flow through them like this.

Don't worry, I have you covered.  This is not primitive camping!

It IS a very nice camp kitchen, a flushing bathroom with hot water, a pond for swimming.  There is even a stage! You can just walk right into camp and use the huge 19-person tent if you want! 

Don't want to cook over a campfire?  You can use the gas stove, or a hibachi, or I can arrange meals for you, with various options.

I am happy to use my expertise to your advantage.  You can have the fun of camp, without the need to do all the setup and knockdown.  Just walk in and start relaxing!

You will love that your cell phone doesn't ring but you can still get and send text messages.  If you need to use the phone, the nearby ranch house has a phone line.  But you might want to take the opportunity to be a little less available to the outside world, and more available to yourself.

Decide that you are worth it, and make getting to know your own mind and spirit your highest priority.

 Welcome video on YouTube
http://youtu.be/XmcVpeYVL3E/

Come and visit!

Three ways to visit me:

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell examples of my art and fashion designs,

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!

Hope to see you soon, 

Betty

Secrets to Getting to Know One Another

At left is the view of the pond in early spring, with the wild lilac blooming.  It shows the reflection of the trees above it with the blue of the sky echoing the blue of the flowering tree.

It's an image of relatedness that give hints of how getting to know one another is like looking at a reflection.

The other person reflects back to you and gives you hints as to what's similar, what is different, from one to another.

Sometimes we prefer to be with those who are most like us, creating a small world with a language of its own.  That's a way to reinforce the values we find to be most important.  At the same time, of course important differences arise, such as the contrast between colors here illustrates.  Without the green, the blue would not stand out, and without the lighter color of the plants along the shore, the sight would have not indication that there are two parts to the picture.

There's a unity, and a difference.  That's what makes it good to communicate.  Your friend or associate says, "Yes that is true, and also have you considered this?" And so you grow and learn together.

Nature is always giving silent messages of this type. 
The plants and natural features of the landscape cooperate to form the views we see, using contrast and counterpoint to show us harmonies and similarities.  the exchange of information completes the picture, and life continues.

Welcome video on YouTube
http://youtu.be/XmcVpeYVL3E/

Come and visit!

Three ways to visit me:

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell examples of my art and fashion designs,

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!

Hope to see you soon!

Betty

How to Refresh Your Group Energy

There is nothing like getting into a new setting to refresh you and your group, allowing you to relax and get a fresh idea of what is going on for you.

Getting into a place that is not at all like your usual way of life can help you to drill down and find out what
makes you tick, as an individual and as a group.

At left is the tiny tea set that serves to remind me that it's all in how you look at it.

It gives me a quiet feeling of delight each time I see it, and I feel a sense of play that makes it easier to do my work in a light frame of mind.  I can imagine the gathering of friends who share the refreshment and then  move on into the daily activities.

Here in Big Sur, you can have an experience unlike any other.  Off the beaten track and the overcrowding of the highway, your way of being can open up, allowing you to repurpose your experiences and get away from mundane ideas.

You can transform your daily rituals and your interactions with the others in your group as you share the simple things of camp life.  Meanwhile, you can be comfortable, too.  Enjoy a hot shower and step into camp again!  It's a great way to refresh, and still be out in nature.
Coffee early in the morning, while watching the sun rise over the mountains, is a special treat.
Eating on picnic tables with all the goodies spread out and seeing the faces of those who are here to share with you makes your heart glad.

There are plenty of great ways to make your meals an experience that brings out the essentials of communication while leaving out anything that isn't really serving you.  You can bring your own meals and use the preparation and cooking facilities here, or you can have meals prepared for you, with the menu that suits you best.

After the day is done, relax under the stars and feel the fresh air.  Perhaps a breeze is blowing up from the coast, or over the mountains to the east.  Listen to the soft sigh of the trees, hear the sounds of birds.

Get in touch with me to plan an experience for your group that will stand out from anyting else you have ever done.  I'd love to put together something for you!

Welcome video on YouTube
http://youtu.be/XmcVpeYVL3E/

Come and visit!

Three ways to visit me:

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell examples of my art and fashion designs,

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!

 Hope to see you soon!

Betty

Time in the Outdoors with Your Family

Camp is ready to walk right in!

Cooperating to create meals and activities, spending a bit of time of talking to one another, allows family members to get focused on their feelings toward one another and to take time to understand how the other people feel.   

The simple rituals of camp are great reference points for life.

What are the basics?

Food, clothing, shelter, communication, relaxation, these are the basics of life.

There is time for all of these in camp, without rushing off to find the next thing to distract you.

When was the last time you and your family spent a few days together?  For many families, it’s almost unheard of to do just that.  Yet the family is the most basic point of reference for us as people, and to build a strong foundation will pay off in the long run, as you find out who you are together, paying attention to each other, and to the relaxing feeling that you don’t have to be so complicated.

Life rushes by at a furious pace, with far too much information flooding our senses and insisting that we pay attention to this, or that, it’s so urgent.

But it isn’t really so important, just urgent.

Teaching your children to focus on what is important first will help them to be far more successful as people.  Getting out of the usual routine into a more basic frame of reference will give them invaluable new ways to look at and process information.

You can create memories together that will last all your lives, and the fine times you had in camp will be among the best times ever.

When kids see how basic things can really be, they get happy about it. 

Letting themselves relax a bit more and get into just hanging out just comes naturally to them, and they open up their personalities more to drink in the simple enjoyment that they feel.

The parents, meanwhile, have a chance to compare notes on life and parenting, and give one another support.  It builds strong friendships.  Everything about family life is made better by sharing time in the outdoors.

Come and visit!

                                  Here's the welcome video:

 
http://youtu.be/XmcVpeYVL3E/

Three ways to visit me:

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find 

information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell 

examples of my art and fashion designs,

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, 

a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!

Big Sur Night Skies in Mill Creek

 Big Sur night skies are filled with splendor.

The moon rising over Chalk Peak is a special treat.  Once a year the top of the hill is it by the large circle of moonlight that seems to roll off the summit, then leap into the sky.
The color changes from silver to white, sometimes with a hint of gold just before making the leap.

The whole forest is lit up by the full moon, and shadows are cast as though it were dawn.  Mysterious shapes appear and blend into one another as the moon continues to rise.

The forest seems to be motionless, yet the constant change in the display of light gives a feeling of motion to the scene.  The sounds of night birds add to the feeling of wildness.
Owls and turkeys sound off.  Perhaps there is a cry from a night hawk. 
You may hear coyotes or wild cats calling out in their mating rituals.  All of natures is feeding on the darkness, and either resting, seeking, or hunting.

At times like this the stars are less visible than when the moon is smaller, yet there are still great numbers of them and the many constellations can be picked out as the night progresses.  The Milky Way crosses the entire sky.

Because of the way the bowl of the canyon is shaped, each month the moon moves quite a distance to the observer.  The progression from North to south is so great that half of the canyon is encompassed by this movement.

On a moonless night, tiny stars which are never seen in more urban environments become visible.
they are so numberous that sections of the sky are lit by groups of stars and nebulae, adding a depth of field to the sight and filling the observor with a sense of awe and wonder.  Think of the distance those beams of light have come to be seen!

Planets stand out clearly in the display with their bright light and you can observe their colors.  With a telescope, the moons of Jupiter and even the rings of Saturn can be seen.

Throughout the year, meteor showers have their special times to light up the sky with colorful surprises.  During a really busy shower, lights appear every few seconds coming from all directions, in all colors.  The occasional huge metor crosses the sky and at times you can even hear these missiles hissing as they pass close by, evaporating in spectacular bursts of beauty.

Cosmic rocks landing here in the canyon, after their long journeys from space, create a fast-paced and deep level of interaction with the energy of the night sky.  From one moment to the next, the unexpected appears.

Come and visit!



Stop by on Youtube:
http://youtu.be/XmcVpeYVL3E/

Three ways to visit me:

www.retreatcampchecklist.com, a checklist about camping retreats, to let you know what is here, and let me know what you would like to have, and to do, in Big Sur!  Fun, quick, instant feedback!

www.bettyofbigsur.com  My web site, where you will find information and updates about events and my work,

www.etsy.com/shop/bettyofbigsur, a shop to showcase and sell examples of my art and fashion designs,