Last weekend we hosted our first ever retreat, in partnership with Evelyn Mathews. We gathered with 11 incredible women whose honesty, generosity and sense of community blew us away. They had travelled from as far as Dorset and Suffolk to gift themselves, their friends or family the opportunity to rest, reconnect and rise.
We began at our beautiful venue - Gather &, overlooking Ramsgate Harbour - with a cucumber and mint cooler and the chance to say hello to familiar and new faces. The opening ceremony included anointing ourselves with our calming and soothing Goddess Oil (co-created with Kirsty Gallagher) and thinking about our intention for the day.
Evelyn guided us through a Kundalini Kriya, suitable for all levels and designed to balance the chakras and awaken our body's energy. Kundalini yoga is an immensely powerful practice for the nervous system, incorporating breath-work and chanting where even the complete novice starts to feel an empowered shift in body and mind.
We shared the most incredible lunch prepared by naturopathic chef, Naomi, which reminded us that we don't have to sacrifice taste and enjoyment while we heal our body through food.
Afterwards our expert facialist, Lizzie, worked her magic by showing us the power we have in our own fingertips. So much of the beauty world feels as though someone else has the answers and the expertise and we forget we have the capacity to really nurture ourselves through our own actions. Lizzie led us through a series of face yoga and gua sha moves that were transformative for our whole head, mind and body.
This was followed by ceremonial cacao to boost our mood and a beautiful gong bath with Kent, using sound vibrations to induce deep relaxation, reduce stress and anxiety and clear emotional and energetic blockages.
We finished with rose tea and raspberry and pistachio tarts while we reflected on how we felt after our sensorial journey inwards. In the words of our guests, "I feel completely nourished in every way", "The whole day was amazing and did us all the world of good."
Retreats can be a welcome escape and a chance to go deeper into self-care but I believe the best ones are those that create a small but profound impact in the way we understand our bodies and ourselves. When we get to deeply connect with the power innate in us and remember who we are as whole and conscious human beings, we start a quiet rebellion. We remember that we have more within us and are more than we realise. The world needs us to come alive and believe in ourselves and our capacity for healing and goodness. It was a privilege to go on that journey together last weekend. We're quietly designing our next winter retreat for early 2026 and we hope to see you there.
Love & light,
Natalie and Evelyn xx
