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Past Retreats
Myofascial Yoga Retreat
When: 9-11th June 2023
Where: West Lexham, Norfolk (website HERE)
Hosted at the glorious West Lexham in Norfolk, you will enjoy bespoke en-suite accommodation, full use of all the on-site facilities and the beautiful grounds, including heated outdoor pool and the option of wild swimming in the lake as well as free use of the rowing boats. You will partake in multiple classes and workshops, with all meals and refreshments included for your entire stay!
Summer is the season where the natural world is in bloom, enjoying it’s own intrinsic beauty and abundance. We often marvel at it’s unashamed celebration of it’s goodness, drinking in it’s colourful show and revelling in the warmth and wonder. On this retreat, we are going to explore how we can begin to recognise and celebrate that own natural beauty and abundance within ourselves.
An exciting part of this weekend will be experiencing a myofascial unwinding workshop to introduce you to this form of free, intuitive movement and help you release stuck patterns that may be inhibiting you from your fullest expression of yourself.
How would it feel to shake free of our pre-conceptions? How would it be to focus on the GOOD in us and what we do well, rather than getting bogged down in the negatives? How would it be to bring the awareness to the pockets of goodness within our physical bodies? How would it be to experience joy and freedom in movement, even if we still have tension and pain? How would it be to apply the principle of “yes, and…” and to say “yes, my body hurts sometimes AND there are still things I can do and enjoy”? How would it be to release the stuck goodness within us?
In neuroscience, the saying goes “what fires together, wires together” meaning by focusing on the good, we can quite literally re-program our experience of our own bodies and minds to one that is grounded in a more positive way. By exploring together through movement, meditation and myofascial unwinding, we will connect with those “good” places within us; the things about ourselves we can celebrate; our full spectrum of inner colours, our joys, our own wonder.
By engaging with your body mindfully, you will be invited to learn it’s language and how it speaks to you, giving you more choice in how you work with it. The ways we will explore this include:
- Exploring different movements without causing harm
- Identifying your own ranges of movement
- Learning how to recognise what your body is telling you
- Utilising myofascial unwinding to release stuck patterns
- Practicing myofascial rebounding to open up more options and choices within the system
- Partaking in meditation to explore your own superpowers and what you wish to celebrate in yourself
These empowering tools will help you be better able to support your own overall health and wellbeing as well as reducing pain/tension, enhancing balance in the body’s systems and promoting relaxation.
Accommodation:
We will be staying in the luxury holiday cottages at West Lexham for this retreat. All rooms benefit from underfloor heating, bespoke sustainable design and most are en-suite (see below for details). We will eat together in the wonderful communal space and our classes and workshops will be in the beautiful Village Hall. All rooms are ground floor and within a minute’s walk of the Village Hall. You will also have access to all facilities at West Lexham for the duration of your stay including it’s rolling, peaceful grounds, wild swimming and heated outdoor pool.
You can see the venue here: Village Hall
Room options:
Hall Cottage
Quech (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – En-suite with walk in shower (£450/£825/£695 options)
Myriad (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – En-suite with walk in shower (£450 option)
Paragon (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – En-suite with walk in shower (£450/£825/£695 options)
Arch Cottage
Odyssey (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – En-suite with bath & overhead shower (£450/£825/£695 options)
Delphi (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – Shared bathroom with walk in shower (£425/£775/£650 options)
Tybalt (2ppl) – One super king or two singles – Shared bathroom with walk in shower (£425/£775/£650 options)
Troy (4ppl) – Four singles – En-suite with walk in shower (£350 per person)
Pricing Options Explained:
First price shown is for one bed in a shared room, booked singly. For example, if you booked a space in Delphi, it would be £425, or in Quech, it would be £450. You would then share this room with someone else who had also booked singly.
Second price is for booking the whole room, for two people, at the same time. For example, if you and your friend booked Tybalt together, you would save a little money each and pay £775 total between you. Or, if you and your partner booked Odyssey together, you would pay £825 total between you.
The third price is the single person supplement price. If you don’t fancy sharing, you could book Delphi for yourself for £650, or Myriad for £695 and the room would be set as a super king just for you!
Troy is a four person room and so this room only has the option to book singly for £350 per space. Though there is nothing to stop you and your friends all booking this room and you would pay £350 per person!
Claire may be able to secure further accommodation at the venue which would be in private cabins or luxury treehouses (fully heated), or there are also bell tents on site. If you are interested in these options, please email Claire on clairesangster@hotmail.co.uk and she can make the necessary enquiries. Prices vary depending on the number of people and the accommodation available/require.
Investment:
Shared en-suite dorm room: £350 per person (4 people per room)
Shared double room with shared bathroom: £425 per person (2 people per room; bathroom shared between 2 rooms only)
Shared en-suite double room: £450 per person (2 people per room; 2 single beds; assigned by hosts)
Double Occupancy en-suite (if booked 2 people together): £825 (super king or 2 single beds)
Double Occupancy with shared bathroom (if booked for 2 people together): £775 (super king or 2 single beds)
Single Person Supplement: £650 (room to yourself with super king bed; bathroom shared with one other room)
Single Person Supplement: £695 (en-suite room to yourself with super king bed)
(A £150 deposit per person is required upon booking)
Payment Options:
To make this experience as accessible as possible, there are multiple payment options available. You are very welcome to spread the cost over the months leading up to the retreat in any way you wish, provided the balance is paid by 13th April 2023.
There may also be a couple of sliding scale places available for those who cannot afford the full investment but would like to attend.
Please contact Claire to discuss payment plans and concession places on clairesangster@hotmail.co.uk
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations made prior to 13th April 2023 will be fully refunded, including your deposit. If you cancel after 13th April, unfortunately, there will not be the option of a monetary refund unless you or I can fill your space. This is due to all overheads needing to be paid upfront for events such as retreats. If we are unable to fill your space, you will be credited for future events minus the £150 deposit. For example, if you’d booked a £450 space and had to cancel last minute, you would be credited £300 towards a future event.
What is Myofascial Yoga?
Myofascial Yoga invites you into a conversation with your body, giving you time and space to learn how to listen and communicate more deeply. By learning to recognise what your body is saying, it is possible to reduce pain, improve movement, build resilience and increase well-being; all whilst having fun at the same time!
Myofascial Yoga was developed by Christine Wushke, an myofascial release practitioner, yoga therapist, Hakomi teacher and functional movement trainer. By recognising and applying the commonalities between traditional yoga practice and the latest fascial research, Christine has developed a way of working with the body that meets you where you are at, allowing you to move forward with your recovery from wherever you are.
About Your Teachers:
Claire Sangster – Claire has completed a 200hr Myofascial Yoga Teacher with Christine Wushke and is currently working towards the 500hr certification. Claire has trained extensively with John F. Barnes in the USA in the practice of Myofascial Release (MFR) and is also a Holy Fire III Karuna Reiki master teacher, experienced reflexologist and trained massage therapist. Claire recognises the individuality of each person, and her holistic approach responds to the causes of your symptoms, your body and you. Claire has had her own journey with chronic pain and is always excited to help others find freedom, space and peace within their own bodies.