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The Beach Retreat - Being The Storyteller

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Dearly beloved,

As a good friend of mine said recently, "You have a plan and then life happens…" and that's kind of been my last week, but in having to stop and look around, to reassess, I've finally looked down and around with fresh eyes and seen what's under my nose. In the story of "The Alchemist" the narrator has to go all the way around the world and let go of everything before finding that the treasure he sought was right there all along. But without that journey he wouldn't have seen the wonders of the world.

I always remember finding a copy of Paulo Coehlo's "The Pilgrimage" in a hotel on Finisterre beach when I had finished walking the Camino de Santiago. Although the Catholic pilgrimage ends in Santiago de Compostela, the ancient pilgrimage goes on, some say to Finisterre, others to Muxia and the ancient chapel there. For me the ending was finally getting into the sea. All along I had been saying to other pilgrims, "If you want to feel alive get into the sea." It had been an incredibly hard summer and autumn for me, it was December and it was Costa del Morte (the Coast of Death in Spain) but I got in, I felt alive and I came back to myself.

On Monday as I looked around the beach where I live, I realised that for me what I really miss, what I really want to do, is not to get into the sea, but to start group coaching again, what I really want to do is to bring a group of people together and see the magic that happens when they have the courage to go beyond their comfort zone, to walk into the room, or in this case, out onto the beach and feel alive. What I really want to do is to share what I've learned from the teachers I've studied with. Just like when I taught my salsa master class a few years ago, together we can master the difficult, the impossible, by going back to the beginning, to the basics and practicing together.

In September I am running my first beach retreat in The Witterings at the lovely West Wittering Beach House http://www.beachhse.co.uk/ which has been my retreat space on so many occasions when I've needed someone to take care of me. It's a wonderful mix of simple and luxury (as every good beach house should be), and the retreat also includes a fabulous breakfast.

Being The Storyteller

This retreat is for those who want to get clarity on their stories. If you think it means that it's just for writers, or people who label themselves as writers, you'd be wrong. Although I have been working primarily with authors, I'm really working with people making a shift - from one style of teaching to another, one style of writing to another, from teaching privately to making their work visible and available around the world. So a big part of what I do is to help people change their story, and I've been doing it for myself for a long time:-

Because I told myself…

"I'm a screenwriter, but I could never write a novel." Now I'm working on my second novel.

"I'm just a fiction writer." I've since published dozens of non-fiction titles, and become an Amazon Best Selling Author in many Self-Help and Travel categories.

"I'm a writer, but I do love taking snaps." When I started playing with photos in my work I was suddenly getting compliments from professional photographers as well as launching a busy Instagram account and publishing a huge photographic series of books (one of which is an Amazon Best Seller).

"I could never leave London, I could never leave England for long." And yet I've left "home" behind and found hundreds of homes around the world, and travelled for months to some of the remotest places you can imagine. It was in me all along.

I've gone from being unable to walk unaided to teaching Zumba Fitness and dancing on stage with the world's best, I've gone from writing screenplays to poetry, novels, self-help books, travel guides, and I'm not done yet. I've sold my photography, which I guess also makes me a professional photographer and a professional cinematographer having distributed my own feature film internationally… I quit my well-paid day job to start Pearl Escapes in the middle of the last recession… I've gone from being afraid to leave my flat to waking up in the morning and booking a flight to Johannesburg with no accommodation or real plan (and it was one of the best things I ever did).

This retreat is for you if you're feeing grumpy about your life, if you know there is something not true in what you're telling yourself. If you're grumpy about your work and you know there is more for you, either in the way you create it or the way you share it. If you're thinking, 'Is this all there is?'

By the end of your retreat, you will have developed awareness of the stories you are telling, or being told, and you will be free to move in any direction in your art and in your life by taking the energy that you're using now to hold yourself back and, instead, using that energy to take your next step.

When and Where

12pm Thursday 26th to 2pm Friday 27th September (one night stay Thursday night including breakfast)

The Beach House, 77 Rookwood Rd, West Wittering. PO20 8LT

Situated just south of Chichester in the village of West Wittering, The Beach House is easily accessible (and yes, there are ground floor, accessible rooms – but please book early).

The Beach House is a small but gorgeous place to stay, with only 7 rooms, although some are family rooms with double and single beds. You can check out the rooms here:-

http://www.beachhse.co.uk/accomodation/

Chichester is a direct train ride from London, and then there is a bus that will drop you right outside The Beach House (there is also free parking).

More Information

What do I get?

Four hours of group coaching on both Thursday and Friday (eight hours altogether), together with free time on and around the beach and at The Beach House to get creative and work on your stories.

One night's accommodation in a luxury, yet simple beach house and an incredible breakfast. (All other food is not included, but there are plenty of local options).

Do we have to eat in silence?

Not on this one.

Will there be tea, coffee and can I drink alcohol?

Yes, this is a retreat, not a detox, although you may find yourself detoxing some of your unhealthy stories as a result of the work we do. (Occasionally The Beach House serve mimosas at breakfast – nothing to do with me – no promises.) There is a pub, The Old House at Home, a few minutes up the road, but The Beach House itself does not have catering outside breakfast times.

I have special dietary needs.

Please advise me – The Beach House team is very good at meeting dietary requirements for breakfast, and there is a small fridge, microwave and crockery so you can bring your own food (I do when I'm trying to be vegan).

Do I need to bring my swimming costume?

Absolutely.

Beach towel and other beach stuff?

May be useful!

Can I go paddle boarding?

Yes, there's a great hire place right on the beach, who will also look after your gear and let you take a hot shower afterwards.

https://www.2xs.co.uk/club/hire/

Do I have to?

No, not at all, it can be quite fun to sit and watch.

Will there be Zumba?

Anything is possible, but it will be optional (and it may just be dancing on shifting sands on the beach).

Do I have to get in the sea?

No. But you might do. Depends on the weather.

What activities will there be?

Again, it depends on the weather, but it could include watching sunset, sunrise, star-gazing and other beach activities.

How Much?

Early Bird Price (until Wednesday 14th August)

£265 shared (up to 4 people) including VAT (I will do my best to match you up with other participants if you are booking alone but are prepared to share).

£320 single occupancy including VAT

Regular Price

£320 shared (up to 4 people) including VAT

£380 single occupancy including VAT

How Do I Book?

To reserve your space a £50 deposit is payable either via PayPal to pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk, or by bank transfer (email for bank details) before Wednesday 14th August (Early Bird Pricing,) with the balance to be paid by 26th August (23rd August for bank transfers).

Any payments made via PayPal are protected by their guarantee.

What if I need to cancel?

Your £50 deposit is non-refundable, and the balance of the payment is non-refundable from one month before the event.

Should you have to cancel for emergency reasons I will endeavour to find someone else to replace you on the retreat and, if I can, move your payment to a different event or service, less any essential costs.

Can I extend my stay and book one to one time with you before or after the retreat?

Absolutely, just message me to arrange.

Any other questions?

Message me at pearl@pearlescapes.co.uk

See you at The Beach House.

Lots of love, Pearl

P.S. If you’d like to come along to my talk at Rume2 in Chichester Wednesday 14th August 1-2pm on “The Power of Self-Publishing” just email hello@rume2.co.uk to book your free ticket.

Pearl Howie is the writer of “free Feeling Real Emotions Everyday”, now available as a photographic paperback and eBook, a text only book and as an audiobook. The 8 other titles in this series, are already available as paperbacks and eBooks and are coming soon as audiobooks (Japan and the first part of Camino are now available).

https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Howie/e/B007HJFBH4

FANTASTICAL BOOKS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

(For the full list of books check out My Books and DVDs.)