Join me and an intimate group in a beautiful, homely space for the weekend. This is the 10th year of Sussex retreats. It’s wonderful so many participants keep coming back!
Let this be a weekend to soak up and fine tune your Yoga and Ayurveda practices with plenty of fresh air, walks, laughter, tree hugs.
1.VENUE
A private family home in Ticehurst, East Sussex
2. FEES
Single Room- double bed and ensuite bathroom: £495
Single room- double bed and shared bathroom (bathroom shared with 2 others): £445
Twin share room - en suite shower and loo: £445/person
Dorm room (if numbers permit) - £315/person -3 people max
x1 double bed shared between two with separate bedding; AND
double air mattress for one)
Please note CANCELLATION POLICY for deposits and full payments BEFORE you make payment.
What’s INCLUDED
Morning meditations, breathwork and Ayur-Yoga (a blend of yoga with an Ayurvedic approach) c.3 hours in total/day
2 nights accommodation
Home cooked food - aligned with Ayurveda principles, supporting your digestion, seasonal and daily rhythm
Nature - fresh air, walks in the countryside
Rest time
Make new friends and connections
Conversations about Ayurveda & Yoga philosophy
Fire ceremony
Time to relax and laugh :)
A weekend to:
Unplug - explore your inner quiet with morning silence practices
Enjoy nature, walk in the 15 acres of gardens and trees or beyond
Share with friends or loved ones. Bring a friend for some special time together away from the noise, family and work;
Come back to a more peaceful, easeful you.
What’s NOT INCLUDED
Travel to Pickforde (the venue) from WADHURST station
Departure: retreat finishes after LUNCH on Sunday 2pm.
4. OUTLINE SCHEDULE for the weekend
FRIDAY
4pm- Arrive and settle in
4.30pm - Tea and logistics; Introduce Ayurveda theme for the weekend: “Agni” (supporting digestive capacity/metabolism)
5.30-6.15pm - Pre-dinner grounding yoga practice
6.30pm - Dinner
8-8.45pm - Evening circle/relaxation practice
Retire early
SATURDAY
silence (mouna) from dawn until 12 midday. Includes NO internet or SMS/mobiles
AGNI HOTRA sunrise fire prayer
7am- Ayurvedic hot water treatment & fresh herbs tea available.
7.20- 8.20am – Morning breath work & meditation
8.30am- Breakfast
9am - “It’s all about agni” post breakfast contemplation on digestion
9.30 - 11am - Free time
11-12.30pm- Yoga asana
12.30pm- LUNCH
1.30- Post lunch yoga philosophy chat
2.15 - 4.45pm - Free time
4.45- 5.45pm - Yoga session
6pm - Dinner
7pm - Fire circle
8.30 pm – Evening tea/milk night-cap
Retire
SUNDAY
Silence (mouna) from dawn until the asana practice finishes at 12.30pm.
AGNI HOTRA sunrise fire prayer
7am- Ayurvedic hot water treatment & Fresh herb tea available.
7.20- 8.20am – Morning breath work & meditation
8.30am- Breakfast
9am - Post breakfast contemplation and discussion.
9.30 - 11am - Free time
11-12.30pm- Yoga asana
12.30pm- LUNCH
From 2pm Departure
Afternoon: you are welcome to stay to enjoy massage/treatments, walk, read, rest before you journey back.
5. FOOD
All meal times and the daily routines follow the natural bio- rhythms of the day. Dinacharya means to follow the wisdom of the day in Sanskrit. It refers to Ayurveda’s concept of aligning with day and night rhythms. This is a key concept for restoring and maintaining health. A consistent daily routine which honours the natural flow of the day enhances your energy, mood and mind.
Ayurveda considers digestion, agni, to be the foundation of all health. This means for example eating fresh, seasonal, cooked foods as opposed to raw. We also observe appropriate gaps between meals (4-6 hours). I carefully create the menu for these weekends to support Agni. Some things maybe new or different for you. My suggestion - observe how you feel before during and after.
WE USE:
Vegetarian and mostly wholegrains for all meals.
Home grown veggies or nearly all organic produce from within a 20 mile radius where possible.
Fresh unpasturised, raw organic cow milk.
Natural sweeteners - dates, raw honey, maple syrup, jaggery.
We DO NOTUSE:
Onions, garlic, chillis or any nightshades (tomatoes, aubergine, white potato, bell peppers. These foods add to congestion in digestion and create disturbance for the mind.
Refined sugars.
Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, yeast, kombucha.
Meals include: a light, augmenting breakfast; a main meal in the middle of the day (best time for digestion) and a lighter evening meal.
Please note- no alcohol or caffeine is served at the retreat.
6. TERMS & CONDITIONS
The full balance is payable 4 weeks before the start of the retreat. Agreed monthly payment plan can also be discussed. As this is a small, intimate retreat, all prepayments are non-refundable if cancellation happens less than one month before the retreat. You have the option to transfer your payment to the next available retreat, use the payment for one to one sessions with me or find a willing participant.
7. TRAVEL
By car:
If you plan to travel by car- you will be sent the full postcode. When you arrive at Pickforde Lane- drive right to the end- press the button for the big gate and drive to the very end of the drive- to the RIGHT of the fork.
Trains:
Trains take 55-60mins from LONDON CHARING CROSS or WATERLOO EAST. The nearest station is WADHURST (15/20 mins from the house). HASTINGS LINE.
FRIDAY afternoon GROUP train suggestion: 15.15 from Charing Cross arrives at WADHURST Station at 16.23
PLEASE NOTE!
You need to PRE-BOOK a station taxi pickup (at least 24hrs in advance- its a small station and a small village taxi service.
Taxi numbers
RSA TAXIS: 07837 064853
PRUE TAXIS: 07399 162330
Approximately £15 for the single journey so makes it cheaper if you share the car.
“Thank you so much for everything given and shared this weekend. This preparation has given me the energy to start a new chapter of my life in a much more positive, calm and open way.”
— Natalie, East Sussex
““I have never practiced silence before the retreat. I was a little unsure how I would take it- or if I could do it!
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It was the ability to not have to feel I should be polite and make small talk. I could be alone or with people and not TALK.
I felt so peaceful”. ”
— Anna, London
“ A heartfelt thank you… I enjoyed every minute of the retreat weekend! I loved your yoga practices and the calm it brought. The silent mornings and meditation with breathing could not have been better.”
— Shilina, Heathfield
“I had the most wonderful weekend at the retreat and the theme of a slowed down, calming and still weekend was something that was extremely timely, and indeed an absolute tonic for me, in a period of life when things had become highly emotive and stressful. The weekend allowed me the opportunity to unwind, reflect and quieten my busy mind and body, so that I was prepared for the next few weeks and was able to engage in a much calmer and more loving way. I do not think I would have been able to achieve this by myself. I also had the most amazing massage and craniosacral treatment and stayed in picturesque surroundings, with the most delectable food made with such kindness and consideration. I’m deeply grateful for the experiences of that weekend and the people that I met and interacted with. ”
— Natalie, East Sussex
“I felt so much peace during the weekend- I felt like a child with your motherly energy. The fire ritual; morning dew; Ojas milk bedtime night cap; you brought my senses together to calm my heart. I will remember this magical weekend, the courage and inspiration you have given me. Thank you.”
— Shuyu, London
“Thank you Emily, for your divine self. Such a healing weekend.”
— Dora, London
“Thank you for the special weekend we all shared together in the nourishing, nurturing space. You are that playful, sincere and an inspiring light Emily that leads us towards our own light.
May you keep shining forever bright.
”
— Carole, Leicester
“I keep getting little flashes of the fire under the moon; the free flowing creative yoga moves that helped me to release things I had been holding; laughing with the others participants; reading out loud in a circle the words that matter most in life at the start of the weekend, reading inspirational books by the fire, the morning sunrise meditations - it was such a treat, not to mention the incredible food and treatments! How lucky I feel to have experienced it all in a weekend. ”
I’ve trained as a 500hr ERYT yoga teacher and yoga teacher trainer, Unitive Life and Personal Development coach, Ayurveda Health Counselor and subtle energy practitioner. Ancient eastern philosophies of Yoga & Ayurveda are the backdrop to my life, work and study today. I continue my learnings of Ayurveda, Yoga and Sanskrit with my teachers in India, Indonesia and the UK. I currently offer weekly zoom meditations, one to one Yoga sessions, groupretreats and Ayurveda Health Counselling.
