Retreat Reflection

I have been thinking about the process of a retreat.

It begins when we commit to the date and continues beyond the goodbyes and the journey home. As well as guided practice there needs to be time to wander in mind and body. Spaces to share and moments of quiet reflection. Each individual will approach the space with their own story and intentions.

It’s my job to hold the group with sensitivity and flexibility whilst staying on the path. The path is never a straight line. There’s always a moment in the retreat where I feel lost and question where we all are and my part in it. Then something magical happens and we all truly arrive for ourselves and each other.

For the retreat experience to be successful, attendees need to be able to take elements of the retreat back to their life. This is a huge part of the retreat: what do we leave behind and what do we take with us? What can we take from this sacred space into our busy everyday existence? When we return home, we have to find ways to honour our personal transformation and insight and weave it into our home, work and relationships. Occasionally someone decides that life needs to change wholesale but more often than not, there is a shift in awareness and we must gently but resolutely act to integrate our learning to feed ourselves and the people we share our lives with.

A successful retreat then is not an isolated experience. It is permission to pause, listen and reflect. You may hear the whispers of new thoughts or discover the questions you need to ask (if you do not know the question, you cannot find the answers). Beyond the retreat, it is each person’s responsibility to find the support they need to continue to explore the ripples of discovery

September’s retreat is forming (this is the final retreat for this year). Aspects of yoga, reiki and Ayurveda will be woven into the offering. You do not need previous experience just a commitment to being open and wanting to immerse yourself in the weekend. We will be heading to the Autumn Equinox, a festival of thanks giving and restoring balance, a celebration of abundance. The Equinox is an opportunity to stop and adjust, the perfect energy for retreat

• Arrival from 4 pm, Thursday 7 September (late arrival possible) to late morning Sunday 10 September
• Single occupancy @ £330, shared occupancy @ £300 (includes bed and board)
• The Sycamores, Carding Mill Valley, Shropshire
• Retreats @ Sycamores