Past Retreats Home Autumn Retreat, Hay-On-Wye, Wales (October 2006) Reclaim Your Self's autumn retreat took place in the tiny village of Hay-on-Wye, on the border between England and Wales (but, as the locals will remind you, very definitely in Wales). Best known as "The Town of Books", Hay has over 30 independent bookstores and hosts a popular annual literary festival in May. With the literati not around in autumn, Hay resumes its life as a charming cobble stoned village, nestled into a valley surrounded by glorious countryside. With the leaves just starting to fall, the autumn colours were spectacular. Our venue was The Globe - an old Lutheran chapel that had been bought by an eccentric yoga-loving English woman who rented it out to Morris Dancers, child ballerinas, hippies and now to the Reclaim Your Self team. Jools was joined by James, who offered energy healing work and took a Chi Kung and meditation sessions; Nerissa, who did interesting things with crystals and inserted Hopi candles in peoples' eardrums; the mighty Helen, who does Chavutti massage and took us for Scaravelli yoga; Robert offered Shiatsu massage; and Lizzie, helming a fantastic weekend of wheat/dairy/sugar free and locally sourced organic food. As Lizzie explained, autumn was a time of slowing down and replenishment before winter, so the menu included lots of root vegetables to warm the blood and detoxify the body. The Globe's unique space allowed everything to happen under the same roof. Treatments took place in the upstairs mezzanine area, while Lizzie sweated it out in the basement kitchen below. The large wooden-floored chapel space, with its large north facing arched windows, was the perfect area for our yoga and Chi Kung sessions, and became a great communal space, brightened up with incense, cushions and brightly covered Indian duvets. On Saturday night, an amazing meditation session (complete with guest-starring didgeridoo) turned into an impromptu music and poetry evening. The retreat concluded with a silent meditation lead by James, where we walked in silence down to the River Wye and the surrounding forests. Though we may have looked like "Children of the Corn" to passers-by walking their dogs, it was a wonderfully tranquil experience. When we reached some grassy slopes, some of us couldn't resist having a Julie Andrews moment and scaling the heights. Jools and her team, aided by the amazing space, created a wonderful and warm sense of community over just a few days, and an ideal environment to relax, rejuvenate and heal. John Forde   © Reclaim Your Self 2005