Just got back from an overnight retreat of the Praise and Worship Group of Emmanuel Catholic Charismatic Community of Greenbelt, Makati at OCDS (Order of Carmelites Discalced Secular) House of Prayer at #4 5th St., New Manila, Quezon City. It is located at the back of Mt. Carmel Church near Broadway Centrum in Aurora Blvd.
Our retreat master asked us to draw a picture of ourselves using our less dominant hand before going to bed. Oh no! Since I am left-handed, I was forced to draw using my right hand. The problem is, I am very poor in art work. I’d rather give an hour-long talk than make a drawing of myself! To my surprise, I was able to draw. Hahaha! I can draw after all! The question is, what does it look like? Well, in fairness, it looks like a sexy girl with short hair. Hehehe. The retreat master also asked us to put dots on the parts of our body where we usually feel pain of some sort.
Since we are close to 40 and we didn’t have so much time, the retreat master wasn’t able to interpret our drawings. He just gave us a general guide for interpreting our own illustrations placing more emphasis on the “pain points”. I was fortunate enough to have my drawing interpreted. According to the priest, my back pains (due to scoliosis and dysmenorrhea) tell about issues in the past. (Yes, there are issues in the past!) The pain on my neck (when the weather is hot) and throat (due to tonsillitis at times) tell something about issues that I kept to myself rather than confronting them; times when I preferred to remain silent rather than talk about it. “Issues of the heart and mind manifest as neck pain and other throat problems” according to the priest. Pain on my head (tension headache according to my doctor) tells about problems and concerns (especially individual concerns of family members and other loved ones) that I must not worry so much about. What will I do? I can’t help it. When people close to your heart have some problems, you tend to be bothered also, right?
Wow, that certainly is a revelation! Everything the retreat master said about me is right… as if he knows me! I guess I know now how to get rid of those body pains. Related to the drawing is another exercise that sure helped me feel better and lighter--the “empty chair therapy and shower time”! We were asked to remember those people who have hurt us, people who brought pain in our heart, people who have angered us. Then we had to imagine them (one by one) seated before us; we talk to them and forgive them to set ourselves free from hatred, resentments and hardened hearts. Forgiveness is also for ourselves, that we may be free from negative emotions that may have imprisoned us and caused pain/sickness in our body for a very long time. After the empty chair exercise, we must take a shower, enjoying every minute of it, talking and apologizing to the parts of our body which usually are in pain, telling our body, “From now on I will be good to you. I will take good care of you.” It was the most refreshing shower I ever had!
The RE-CREATION retreat is a liberating and refreshing experience! I recommend it to hurting people who are too busy to “love themselves”. Have a break. Take a “refreshing shower”. By the way, we were served good food, too!
Our retreat master asked us to draw a picture of ourselves using our less dominant hand before going to bed. Oh no! Since I am left-handed, I was forced to draw using my right hand. The problem is, I am very poor in art work. I’d rather give an hour-long talk than make a drawing of myself! To my surprise, I was able to draw. Hahaha! I can draw after all! The question is, what does it look like? Well, in fairness, it looks like a sexy girl with short hair. Hehehe. The retreat master also asked us to put dots on the parts of our body where we usually feel pain of some sort.
Since we are close to 40 and we didn’t have so much time, the retreat master wasn’t able to interpret our drawings. He just gave us a general guide for interpreting our own illustrations placing more emphasis on the “pain points”. I was fortunate enough to have my drawing interpreted. According to the priest, my back pains (due to scoliosis and dysmenorrhea) tell about issues in the past. (Yes, there are issues in the past!) The pain on my neck (when the weather is hot) and throat (due to tonsillitis at times) tell something about issues that I kept to myself rather than confronting them; times when I preferred to remain silent rather than talk about it. “Issues of the heart and mind manifest as neck pain and other throat problems” according to the priest. Pain on my head (tension headache according to my doctor) tells about problems and concerns (especially individual concerns of family members and other loved ones) that I must not worry so much about. What will I do? I can’t help it. When people close to your heart have some problems, you tend to be bothered also, right?
Wow, that certainly is a revelation! Everything the retreat master said about me is right… as if he knows me! I guess I know now how to get rid of those body pains. Related to the drawing is another exercise that sure helped me feel better and lighter--the “empty chair therapy and shower time”! We were asked to remember those people who have hurt us, people who brought pain in our heart, people who have angered us. Then we had to imagine them (one by one) seated before us; we talk to them and forgive them to set ourselves free from hatred, resentments and hardened hearts. Forgiveness is also for ourselves, that we may be free from negative emotions that may have imprisoned us and caused pain/sickness in our body for a very long time. After the empty chair exercise, we must take a shower, enjoying every minute of it, talking and apologizing to the parts of our body which usually are in pain, telling our body, “From now on I will be good to you. I will take good care of you.” It was the most refreshing shower I ever had!
The RE-CREATION retreat is a liberating and refreshing experience! I recommend it to hurting people who are too busy to “love themselves”. Have a break. Take a “refreshing shower”. By the way, we were served good food, too!
1 comments:
Hi Chic, so now you've got your blog huh. Did I somehow influence you to do it? He he. I will link you to my blog so other people can visit your site. Do the same to mine ha. Re: your post, so if I tell the retreat master I have a migraine, backaches & heartaches, he would tell me my life story? If I have the time, I'll try going to that retreat and have my shower too. God bless my wonderful sister. Cheers and welcome to the blogging world!
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