Photography Retreats

Our Photography Retreats are designed to excite you, awaken you, and to remind you that a camera is just a machine. That what it really is about is your mind; how you perceive yourself and the world of outside of you.

An inner and outer adventure

Starstone

Starstone and Energetics

                                             It's enough to make you break into song

Have you ever awakened in the morning and felt that your body didn't belong to you, or that you didn't belong to your body? Horrific for you.

Must confess, I feel like that often first thing in the morning. But I trundle out into the garden, do Tai Chi and Qi Kung and put myself together again (like the tin man in 'The Wizard of Oz', I hear you whisper)

Anyway, It's a bit like that, the Energetics weekend. With dynamic Longevity exercises and dreamlike Watsu gentleness you'll be put back together again. You'll be able to look down and say 'This is my body'

and the very best of Italian food, air, beauty etc etc. All the wonderful things that Italy really is, La Bella Italia.

At our playground, I Cigni, by the Adriatic Sea in Le Marche.

 Starstone

Special Guests retreats

SPECIAL GUESTS WEEKENDS

It's a retreat where you bathe in the pure pleasure of good and like-minded company.

And you delight in being in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy where the wine and cuisine and the scenery will leave you breathless.

Deliberately unprogrammed, this weekend just sits back and watches it happen, and it does

At Starstone

Keep those neural paths open

Creativity MAKES YOU LIVE LONGER !

Just read this on Co.Exist web site. Seems that 'creativity requires the engagement of multiple neural networks, perhaps strengthening those networks as the brain ages. In other words, creative activities may act as exercises that keep the brain fit. People who exhibit creativity also seem to cope with stress better, finding solutions to stressful situations rather than being overwhelmed by them. And other studies this year have also shown a connection between openness and reduced metabolic risk'

Hmm. I like this and can quite believe it to be true!

So if you sign up for our Wild Photography weekend you will live longer.. it says so!

Feel like this as a photographer?

Our Wild Photography Weekend is designed to excite you, awaken you, and to remind you that a camera is just a machine. That what it really is about is your mind; how you perceive yourself and the world of outside of you.
In other words, we turn you up the right way again.
An inner and outer adventure

Hooray, new site is up

At last our new site is up and I thank our web designer, Mauro, for his patience with my nagging and pestering nature.
We are www.starstone.org
And I hope you find it inspirational and welcoming.

Where are You?

This is where we are, it's our playground.
I Cigni, It means 'The Swans' on account of the two lakes thereon, although I've never seen a swan there, just the occasional carp, huge.
Here is an aerial view of the Estate.

Also huge and it takes us at least 10 minutes to get from the breakfast terrace at the bottom of the Estate to where we hang out. It's the cypress tree just left of centre where you will find, dear guest, the swimming pool.

To the right of which is an olive tree garden, a shady spot where we deliberate on important matters before jumping into the pool and then getting working on whatever we are doing at the time.
Get it?
Of course you do
Here's a map of how to get to I Cigni

Can you spot Campofilone? Massignano?
Well it's between the two.
More precise info on http://www.starstone.org/where-are-you

WILD? You bet!

We are based at our playground in Montefiore and zoom off daily to the Sibillini National Park to 

subject ourselves to the whims of nature and the Goddess Sibilla.

Oct 4 to 7

An unforgettable experience; Starstone Wild Photography Workshop

illustrations by Lehla Eldridge

Energetics at Starstone

Energetics comprises Watsu (under water Shiatsu; be a dolphin for a day), Longevity (getting you to belong in your body) and facial reflexology (mmm!) and the very best of Italian food, air, beauty etc etc. All that stuff that Italy really is, La Bella Italia.
At our playground, I Cigni, by the Adriatic Sea
in Le Marche.
A Starstone weekend in 2013.
contact Michael for more info

Blowing cobwebs out of your head

      Colin Pink has just sent me this quote..

It is creative apperception more than anything else that makes the individual feel that life is worth living. Contrasted with this is a relationship to external reality which is one of compliance, the world and its details being recognised but only as something to be fitted in with or demanding adaptation. Compliance carries with it a sense of futility for the individual and is associated with the idea that nothing matters and that life is not worth living. In a tantalising way many individuals have experienced just enough of creative living to recognise that for most of their time they are living uncreatively, as if caught up in the creativity of someone else, or of a machine.

D.W. Winnicott  'Playing and Reality'

                       

  Colin and Michael run 'Word and Image' retreats at Starstone in 2013

Yes it's true

New site is up! www.starstone.org

Bit rough about the edges but we're getting there.