Spring Equinox Retreat

We were delighted to host a Spring Equinox Retreat which was curated by Nat from Souliberation22, Bex from Botanical Tales and Janie from Silence and Noise.

Monday’s Spring Equinox, followed shortly after by the Aries New Moon is an auspicious date. A time to get rid of those bad habits or limiting beliefs that have been holding you back, and the chance to plant new seeds of growth for new plans, dreams and projects.

The day began with a sharing circle with Nat - where we shared and journaled the things holding us back. and through a guided meditation we took a deep dive into our intentions for the rest of the year. For me, the opportunity to leave a life ruled by fight or flight and find my inner Jane Austen! We planted those seeds - literally and figuratively - with a breathwork session.

Next we sat outside in our lovely woodland dining table to eat seasonal veggie food from Luke, amidst a perfect Springlike day of sun and rain. We ate char-grilled salsify with wild garlic pesto, kale, lime and ginger salad with paprika chickpeas, pickled beets with feta and burnt tomatoes and star-anise poached rhubarb with bay custard and my home-made granola.

We then got our creative hats on with a lesson in making floral artistry with Bex from Botanical Tales. who had brought along some beautiful dried flowers and grasses. We made everlasting dried flower crowns that could be later hung inside as a reminder of the day. I’m excited to say Bex will be on Gardeners World tonight at 8pm which was filmed last summer in her beautiful Devon garden, so do catch her then!

Finally, fresh off the plane from India, Janie gave us a talk on astrology, crystals and tarot, and we enjoyed an hour long sound bath using all manner of gongs, bowls and even a flute. Sound has a powerful effect on emotions as we are all made up of different frequencies - each frequency interacts with our body in different ways, rebalancing our mind and our energy. As we lay on the floor, the sun shone into the Shippen. It was a magical moment.

Afterwards I felt utterly connected to these wonderful women and to the nature around us, buzzing from the day and inspired to make real changes in my life. This is the power of a retreat - a whole day to escape, to reset, and to dream for the future.

We are planning to host a number of retreats for the remainder of the year - all revolving around a particular theme or intention, and we welcome both women and men to come and spend a day in the woods, eating great food and spending time to counterbalance the stresses and strains of modern life. We’re excited to welcome you here soon.

Luke and Sara x