1 Day Retreat 
West Sussex
 Yoga/ Meditation/ Pool /Private gardens with ponds and woodlands.

Technically I did not choose to attend the yoga retreat having won the experience in a competition. It is something I would like to have done but perhaps lacked the confidence. I took my winning a place as a sign I should “give it a go”. With that in mind I did have some trepidation prior to the day and was a little nervous when I first arrived. The nervousness vanished almost immediately as I hadn’t even got out of the car and I was greeted with a warm welcome by a smiling and waving Silvia. She has a vibe and I knew it was going to be a good day.

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The location of the retreat is very impressive and lent itself well to the intended use for the day. The building and facilities were finished to a very high standard but without being over the top. I appreciate these things are subjective but I felt the combination of modern design sprinkled with more rustic elements was very well done. It managed to somehow feel open and luxurious but also cosy and wholesome. 
The pool area and expansive grounds beyond were available for our use and provided a lovely environment with a variety of very different areas including woodland, lake and fields. The great weather only added to the appeal but I would imagine the grounds being equally as enthralling on a rainy day. 

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Michelle the chef (Barista, IT support, DJ, photographer, comedian, philosopher) was just as friendly and welcoming as Silvia and made a wonderful vegetarian lunch and a delicious cake as an afternoon treat for us all to enjoy. I am not vegetarian myself but did not feel hard done by in the slightest as the meal she served was top tier. If it wasn’t for the fact I knew I would be getting beaten up by Silva shortly after lunch (I mean massaged) I would have eaten a lot more. Apparently some of the others managed to get two slices of the cake but I didn’t want to appear a greedy guts. 

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I have attended various yoga classes before but I would consider myself a complete beginner and probably not the most natural yogi you might find so I was expecting the yoga sessions to be a challenge. They were difficult for me physically and my coordination was poor but Silvia soon spotted I needed a little extra help and would discreetly pop over to me from time to time with some much needed guidance or support. I knew if I heard her footsteps heading my way I was doing something a little whacky. 

There were people there who were obviously a lot more comfortable with the positions and yet Silvia managed to tailor the session so everyone was catered for. I did feel a sense of achievement at the end although I also admit I was pleased to find out the session later on in the day would not be quite so challenging. I hear practice makes perfect!

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The whole day's experience was very enjoyable but I especially enjoyed the additional Thai massage I had booked. I do experience a lot of tension and stiffness in my body so have had many massages and I am not exaggerating when I say I don’t think I have ever felt so dynamic and fluid afterwards. Little creaks and subtle restrictions in my movement had gone and I felt much less broken.
The massage itself was firm but not painful. Silvia seemed to intuitively know how far to push my body so the stretch was therapeutic without being uncomfortable. 

I would definitely recommend the massage to anyone but especially if you do suffer from stiff or aching muscles in day to day life as it instantly made a positive difference for me. My only complaint is it didn’t last nearly long enough.

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The final yoga session of the day was taken outside by the pool in the early evening sun shine and I was lucky enough to also have a water feature behind me which provided some very appropriate trickling water background noise. As mentioned previously this session was not as physically demanding as the morning one and it seemed an appropriate way to wind down and prepare for the end of the day. 

On completion I opted to stay where I was for the fifteen minute personal meditation and I became blissfully unaware of my surroundings to the point I thought I was there on my own only to open my eyes and find everyone else was still in close proximity. For a reasonably anxious person with a busy mind I felt totally safe and relaxed, the vibe was very soothing.

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Unsurprisingly my fellow attendees were all lovely people and easy to get along with which only added to the experience. I had some interesting conversations and some belly laughs. Despite being there by default I did not feel out of place or like an imposter.

Scoring things out of ten is how I like to roll but rarely does anything ever get a ten as there is always room for improvement however in this case I really can’t fault a single part of the day and I enjoyed every aspect of it.

The event was very well organised with great communications and clear instructions. Silvia and Michelle are friendly and welcoming and I enjoyed their company a lot. They both go out of their way to ensure you are having a good time and your every need is catered for. I felt embarrassed at one point as they even sugared my coffee for me and took my dirty plate to the kitchen area, two things I am more than capable and happy to do myself!

I would recommend the day retreat to anyone with even just a passing interest in yoga although it is much more than that and would imagine anyone wanting to relieve the built up day to day tension and stress would find it equally enjoyable. Ten out ten.