This year we are celebrating our 5th year of hosting retreats at Bala Brook. Our summer retreat on Dartmoor has become a very special event in our annual calendar. It is such an honour to host yoga retreats in such a magical and inspiring location. It is always fun to be working as part our Bala Brook team and of course we always look forward to Christine’s delicious food which is always made with such love and care.
Our weekend programme included Yoga, Meditation, Chanting, Yoga Nidra and there was plenty of time to rest, explore the local area, see old friends and make new friends.
Our Saturday morning workshop “Art in the Landscape – Enshrining Space” was be led by Nicci Wonnacott, Artist/ Educationalist/ Activist – BA (Hons) Fine Art/Contextual Practice, PGCE. In this workshop we gathered natural resources, reconnected with the land, celebrated the land and our ancestors and created a beautiful shrine.
‘I have been has been exploring Goddess archetypes through creative practice for over 25 years in my land work I consider art in the environment through site, ritual, intuition and meditation. As a gatherer I reconnect with the land and the goddess archetypes, ancient women who have walked the path. As I gather, walk and breath form which I create shrines as an act of celebration and respect for the land and the mothers who came before. Enshrining Space’ – Nicci Wonnacott
Nicci has worked as a site specific artist and lecturer for many years. Her interests in gathering help her produce shrines to honour nature as well as jams, wines, cordials, tinctures and natural dying. Nicci was commissioned illustrated The Seasonal Goddess Group with paintings inspired from Devon landscapes.
Our June retreat fell just after the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice is a time to celebrate the fullness of life, to step further into our power, to embody this power and to bring it into the physical form as a new habit such as a new way of being in your body or as a new manifestation.
Co-hosted by Julie Bladon / Jackie Dorrian
