Postcards From Serenity Island
To mark the Autumn 2024 launch of a fresh voyage to Serenity Island, I created a special issue of Coming To Our Senses (a monthly zine I put together through The Haven). In it, I share some postcards from Serenity Island.
Serenity Island is an imagined world representing life’s many very real terrains, landscapes, and environments. I wonder how it will look, sound, smell, feel, and taste to you…
Postcard 1: I’m Back on Serenity Island
People end up on Serenity Island for many reasons. For some, it is a refuge during times of loss. For others, it provides an anchor when things feel unstable. And for some, it’s somewhere to explore the voice of curiosity and intuition, which may be nudging them towards change.
I wonder what you might find here.
“Serenity Island is filled with so many different pathways to experience change from the inside out. It opened my eyes to a wider world of possibility in a way that nothing else ever had. It is filled with music, story, practical information and advice, play and creativity, and best of all, wonder. All my senses are engaged and I create a Serenity Island that is all my own. I can’t think of a better gift to give myself than that.” – Zoie
Postcard 2: The Lake of Tranquility
The Lake of Tranquility is in Serenity Island’s region of personal health. It represents our emotional well-being and is somewhere to think about how things currently are, how we want them to be in future, and what we might plant around this part of our island to support that desire.
Postcard 3: The Movement Waterfalls
The Movement Waterfalls represent elements of our physical health, such as sleep, nutrition, and exercise. Use the trails for walking, running, and cycling, practice yoga overlooking the Lake of Tranquility, and find physio rooms, courts, pitches, and studios for anything you can imagine using that helps you give your body what it needs.
“If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.”
– Lawrence J. Peter
Postcard 4: The Curiosity Caves
You find what you need in the Curiosity Caves to help you consider and care for your intellectual well-being. Networks of interweaving tunnels and passageways will stimulate your mind in meaningful ways that keep you engaged, interested, and growing.
Postcard 5: The Owl Park
The Owl Park has spots to camp, hang out, and create new memories with our favourite people. It’s the part of the island where we think about the nature of our relationships with family and friends (including the friends we haven’t made yet) and how we want those connections to look and feel.
Postcard 6: The Mystery Mountains
In The Mystery Mountains, we can encounter the awe and beauty of the island’s vastness. It’s where we go to connect with the transcendent and spiritual. We can plug into the scale and magnitude of life in the company of the great teachers, literature, and practices from throughout space and time.
“I so appreciate the questions in The Return to Serenity Island—they make me wonder if I haven’t been focusing on the wrong thing all this time. I’ve started cooking things I used to love again, I got my old sewing machine out for the first time in years, I’ve been swimming in the river, and I’ve been getting outside in the early morning in bare feet.
Life has had its ups and downs, but each time I remember there’s this island where you can feel the sun and smell fresh coffee, I relax and smile.
It’s a bit like having a warm secret inside, and it’s just made me slow down and try and find the beauty in the small things. I realise that for many years, I‘ve been so on autopilot trying to get somewhere that I haven’t been able to do that. I’m now letting go of trying to get anywhere and enjoying being here.” – Louise
Postcard 7: The Overlook Treehouses
The Overlook Treehouses are spaces in the forest canopy. They represent our relationship with younger generations, who might be our own children/grandchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren, anyone else we have a connection with, and those who aren’t yet born. Who do we want to be for them? How do we want to support the next generation? What would it look like to collaborate with them to build a more desirable future?
Postcard 8: The Forest of Plenty
The Forest of Plenty represents our relationship with money and financial well-being. The forest impacts the soil quality and potential for sustainable growth and development across different areas of the island.
Postcard 9: The Peninsula of Purpose
The Peninsula of Purpose represents our work, career, and vocational endeavours. We can explore satisfaction levels and options for pivots, developments, and growth in employment, volunteering, and business.
“Oh my word, it is incredible! A really unique mixture of sound and sensory experience, coaching, imaginative play and informal, companionable talks. I’m absolutely hooked. I just did a module and cried like a baby cause I felt so safe and seen. It is really special. That kind of cry you do when you’re a kid, not because you’re afraid anymore, but because you’ve been PICKED UP, and the relief just comes flooding out.”
– Josie
Postcard 10: Two Ships Bridge
Two Ships Bridge represents our romantic relationships and connections. It’s somewhere to consider ways to maintain, nurture, and support existing relationships and explore hopes and desires for the future.
Postcard 11: The Play Trail Maze
The Play Trail Maze beats at the heart of fun and adventure on Serenity Island. It represents our creative projects and play-fuelled activities. It’s where we can be ourselves, experiment with things that catch our attention, and see what might emerge.
Postcard 12: Final Greetings (for now)
Many who have travelled through The Return to Serenity Island have said it feels more than a course. While it takes you through a concrete process for exploring change and setting meaningful intentions, it is also described as a safe haven, a place of rest, and a playground. It is designed to help you experience different areas of life as parts of the greater whole and help you bring your imagination to life in a variety of ways. The intentionally gentle approach allows exploration without pushing the limits of what feels comfortable, appealing, and manageable.
Rather than being a prescriptive course, the different tools, cues, and invites aim to provide scaffolding to ignite and inspire your imagination and creativity. Every island looks, feels, sounds, tastes, and smells unique to each of us. Furthermore, through the sequence of musical and meditative audio narratives, you will deepen your sense of belonging to your island. It will feel like yours.
I listened to the first soundscape and tears were streaming down my face as I imagined myself in my lodge filled with memories. It felt like I was coming home to myself and finally accepting (and loving) who I am. I’m currently designing my island – I’m an artist so I might be at this step for a while. I love that I can go at my own pace (which is very slow) and that you haven’t put a timeline on any of it.”
– Sophia