That's Skyros For You, by Catherine Thompson

The skin has just about finished peeling off the end of my nose (not the most fetching look) having just returned from running my coaching programme in Skyros Centre.

Skyros has been the back drop of significant transformation for me over the last decade. I first turned up at Atsitsa a successful business woman but manic single parent, looking for a bloke.

I had procrastinated prior to booking because whilst I spouted the language of spirituality, I was a corporate-type, tree hugging, channelling angels and other such acts of the mystic were well out my spectrum of experience and comfort zone. However the lure of the Island, Skyros' down to earth approach and the prospect of more evolved potential suitors got me booked.

As it was to transpire, I was guided to Skyros to meet a man but it was not for courtship purposes. In between predating, I attended Malcolm Sterns Courage to Change workshop, most unexpectedly, I found myself screaming like a banshee as he held me with his incredible gaze, representing every man that had ever hurt or betrayed me.

Shy, did not begin to describe how I felt after that experience (I was certainly very furtive around the breakfast buffet) but I felt like I had gobbed up the most enormous psychological fur ball.

Several years later, after a lot of soul searching and a new husband (woohoo,) I was thrilled to be invited back as a facilitator.

Skyros draws to it the most eclectic mix of people. This time would be Writers, Chief Executives, Singles, International Marketers and those of more a mature disposition were all represented. Amongst us was a rare gem called Maya.

Maya is one of those delightful creatures of indeterminate age, with a twinkle in her eye that suggests a life fully and richly lived. Everyday this wonderful, irrepressible Lady would turn up clutching her beloved bottle of Retsina (before you have her down as a lush she is a modest tippler) and just lift us all with the sheer force of her positivity and childlike delight at all she sampled and surveyed.

One morning at Demos (our breakfast meeting) Amanda Smyth our course director and successful author, read this moving story of a man who sold up and travelled the world, unsuccessfully, in search of diamonds, only to die broken and abject. When on the very land he had left behind diamonds were discovered.

Just before a very emotional goodbye after a deeply rewarding week of kinship and endeavour the sun caught the sequins sewn on to Maya’s skirt and all around light sparkled on the floor like diamonds.

That’s Skyros for you..

For more information about Skyros Holidays visit www.skyros.com or call 01983 86 55 66

Atsitsa – The Power of Place and Space: A Path to Creativity

By Cathy Skora

Phone ringing, deadlines to meet, train schedules, projects due dates, goals to be met, reports to finish, meetings to run, problems to solve, money to be made, professional and personal relationships to be worked out ...Phew! It is a wonder that our brains can function with all of this buzz. I am reminded of a busy train switching station in Paris. How in the world can all of those trains stay on the correct tracks and get to the right places without fail? And how in the world can we navigate through our busy lives with the added layers of emotions, choices, and perceived barriers as we try to choose our right paths and stay on track?

I have found a very powerful navigating and clarifying process through the power of place and space at Atistsa. As I reflect on my 10 years plus of the regenerating nature of Atsitsa, I also see a cumulative affect that Atsitsa has had on my well being. The affect has been on a personal, physical, spiritual and a professional level.

The natural beauty of Atsitsa cannot be escaped by the body, mind, or spirit. The sea calls to the mind to expand and soften with gentle waves changing shape and form as they create a rhythmic and interesting orchestra of sounds that draw focus away from “static” we may have in our minds. This static is further cleared as we enjoy the scents of the pine forest and the seascape of rock formations making interesting shapes and reminding us of the potential of perspective as they appear to change shapes at different times of the day or as a reflection of how we are feeling.

The place we experience at any given time has the potential to influence and impact our perspective. Just when we might be feeling that our brain is simply too full to take on another problem, or that we have exhausted every possibility to solve a problem, a glance at the sea or a whiff of intoxicating pine forest may assist in giving us an opportunity to take a “brain breath”...letting go of what has been stopping us ...moving past a barrier, or at least giving us space to know that there is a possibility to overcome a barrier. Atistsa has given me the opportunity to expand my perspective of possibility and potential.

My background in studies of creativity at the International Center for Studies of Creativity in Buffalo NY has assisted in framing the benefits of place and space at Atsitsa. We all possess the natural process of creativity that runs the gamut from making works or art, inventing novel products, coming up with innovative solutions, and having the ability to look at any given situation from different perspectives without judgment of yourself or others. Additionally we can all rely on our own “gut” feelings, or that fuzzy area not easily defined that may lead you to an awakening in your personal or professional life.

All of the Skyros Holidays provide the perfect blend of space and place to allow us to explore, expand, and enhance our creative process. Creativity scholars have identified four P’s to assist in defining creativity. These are person, process, product, and press (environment). We can see a similarity between these elements of creativity and the structure of the Atsitsa experience.

The Skyros experience is ecological in nature based on the principle of ethos, guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, similar to the 4 P’s of creativity. Each person brings their own wealth to the table of community in working together to appreciate and experience nature, play, studies, and idea sharing and building for the good of the community. Through the Skyros holiday experience we all have an opportunity to experience subtle and powerful moments of insight through the power of space and place.

Through tapping into our creative nature we can experience the joy and pleasure of change and growth, experiment with paths not usually taken. Away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life at Atsitsa we can take a “brain breath”…and become open to potential. What I love about Atsitsa is that the environment provides a fertile palette for us to experiment however we need to at the moment, through play, tears, nature, laughter, love. There are so many rich paths to take through the power of place and space at Atsitsa.

Thank you Skyros Holidays for touching my heart and opening the doors to endless possibilities on many levels.

Quote from founder Dr Yannis Andricopoulos www.skyros.com/philosophy_travel.htm

“Likewise the spirit of innovation is ever-present. Though everything may appear settled, nothing is - the creation of Skyros is taking place daily. New ideas, whether spectacularly successful or dismally ill-conceived, flow in constantly and turn the place into the imagination's workshop.”

For more information on holidays in Atsitsa bay visit http://www.skyros.com/atsitsa_bay.htm or call 01983 86 55 66