Reconnect with the Art of Being
Hosted by Jo Hamilton and Dr Kate Russell Phd
3 night Yoga & Mindfulness
Retreat
20th – 23rd June 2024
This 3-night 4-day retreat cultivates the art of being. Rediscovering the restorative power of the present moment. It invites you to notice the purity of the present. Through a blend of accessible practices and gentle explorations, we will return to the beauty of this moment.
Practices will include: Mindfulness meditation and walking meditation, Neurogenic Yoga™ Accessible to all levels this is a revolutionary technique in trauma healing and stress reduction.This practice combines yoga asana and pranayama with reactivation of the body’s natural, therapeutic shaking response, which is our nervous system’s way of discharging long-held tension and trauma, in order to restore the body to wholeness.
Yin Yoga.
Yin yoga is a slow meditative floor based practice. The practice supports the health of our connective tissue/ fascia, with the aim of increasing circulation in the joints, improving flexibility and naturally cultivating peace of mind. Shapes or asanas are held for longer periods of time, up to 5 minutes with the support of props, bolsters and blankets. It is a deeply settling practice, enabling the practitioner to connect with their own inner stillness.
Therapeutic Yoga Nidra blend beautifully with this deeply nourishing practice.
There will also be the opportunity for dialogue on the practices for those who wish to participate.
You can dip your toe into the retreat, enjoying as much as feels right for you or you may choose to simply dive in. You are free to enjoy the peace and tranquility of this beautiful haven through walks over the stunning countryside on your own or with fellow wanderers. Or you might choose to meet yourself on a hill and be still.
“In an age of speed, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention. And in an age of constant movement, nothing is more urgent than sitting still.” Pico Iyer
Jo Hamilton will be joined by her co-host Kate Russell
Introducing Dr Kate Russell, my dear niece and rather exceptional person.
Kate has been practising mindfulness for over 12 years and has an MA in Teaching
Mindfulness from Bangor university. Kate delivers a range of mindfulness-based courses including: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Sport Performance Enhancement, and Finding Peace in a Frantic World.
Kate currently works at University of East Anglia. Kate has a PhD in sport psychology and is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. Kate integrates mindfulness into her sport psychology work, bringing new ways for athletes to explore stress, negative thinking, developing concentration and the importance of a holistic approach to performance.
Kate is currently working on projects to develop a mindfulness app for school teachers and the value of mindfulness in supporting literacy development in early years.
Kate is a keen sportsperson too, playing hockey when she can, cycling, as well as enjoying Pilates and Yoga. Kates found that mindfulness has brought a greater awareness to her physical activity, really enhancing her experiences; this is something that she hopes to share with others.
Feedback from a recent course Kate led:
“It was a safe and supportive space, really well facilitated by Kate. Non-judgmental and you could take each week as you felt you needed to / could manage. Even at a stressful time for many of us, it was something really worth doing and I am so glad I did.”
Kate also has a deep (ok slightly obsessive) interest in all things Star Wars, Winnie the Pooh, Charles Mackesy, Liverpool FC, and Lego.
For more on Kate’s practices and offerings please go to https://www.katermindfulness.com/
What is Included
- 3 Nights Accommodation
- Daily Homemade Delicious Vegetarian Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
- Afternoon Tea and Homemade cake
- Gentle Mindful Yoga with TRE
- Yin Yoga
- Fire Ceremony ( Weather willing!)
- Guided Meditations/ Mindfulness Practices
- Kriyas Pranayama
- Evening Sound Bath
- Optional Ayurvedic massage ( additional fee)
What is NOT Included
- Travel
- Transport
Itinerary
To be confirmed.
Location
Namaste Barn is a Yoga and Meditation Retreat centre. This beautiful breathing space is situated in the rolling hills of Devon close to the beautiful Dartmoor National Park. Take in the breathtaking views in every direction. Spot the diverse wildlife including the wild deer, free to roam their home landscape. This is a place of deep tranquility and soothing energy. Namaste Barn has been updated with deep consideration for our plants resources. Air Source heat pumps and solar panels supply us with clean green energy for our central and under floor heating in the Yoga studio. We have beautiful pure UV filter bore hole water too.
Accommodation
Namaste Barn’s deliciously comfy accommodation is shared between the main Barn, the Stables and the Cabin, offers high quality facilities blended into the charm of this wonderful unique space. There’s also an indoor camping option!
The Barn is centrally heated and also has a huge open fire and log burner. There’s tea/coffee making facilities,
2 x Bathrooms (with baths and showers), and 3 x toilets. The Barn has a large spacious living area for retreatees to gather for meals and commune together. With huge floor to ceiling windows stretching the length of the room, it looks out to the stunning Devon hills. The Barn also has the Green Room which provides a quiet space for you to settle, perhaps with a book or just reflect and feast on the view!
It Provides:
2 x Double bedded rooms which can be booked for single occupancy or for two good friends. These share the two bathrooms one of which has the epic tin bath in the window – it’s as close to bathing outside as you can get!
The Stables are centrally heated, has a fridge and tea/coffee making facilities, a Shower room and toilet.
They provide: 1 x Double bedded room and also has a spacious open-plan room with 2 x very comfortable single beds. The stable rooms share the shower room & toilet.
The Cabin is centrally heated, has a fridge and tea/coffee making facilities and Shower room & toilet.
It Provides: 2 x Double bedded rooms which can be booked for single occupancy or for two good friends: also has a twin bedded room with 2 x very comfortable single beds. The Cabin rooms share the shower room & toilet.
Indoor Camping. There’s an option for indoor camping! So in ‘Jo’s Snug‘ – a room with its own entrance. This has two lovely fresh beds, one of which is a futon bed. Camper’s will access the new shower and loo facilities in the Yoga studio ( about 12 metres across the yard). This room can also be booked as single occupancy.
Subject to availability, you have the option to pay a single room supplement.
Food
Enjoy freshly prepared lovingly produced food made from a blend of home-grown and locally/responsibly sourced ingredients by our wonderful chef. All the food will be vegetarian, foraged or produced in an ecologically considered way and seasonal.
The delicious food follows Ayurvedic principles to support your inner glow
Afternoon tea will be home made cake or selection of homemade biscuits. These may include chocolate and beetroot cake, carrot cake, honey biscuits or lavender biscuits. Our food receives rave reviews, “the best food I’ve had all year”.
Cost
Shared twin room £ 561.00 per person
Shared Triple room £552.00
Double Bedroom Single Occupancy £631.00 per person
Shared Double Bedroom (with Double Bed) £547.00 per person
Shared Twin Snug £457.00 per person
Snug Single Occupancy £487.00 per person
50% deposit secures booking. The balance is due 14 days before to the retreat
How to Get Here
You can find us using Google Maps – just search for Namaste Barn Yoga & Meditation Studio. The best way to locate us precisely ( to the actual spot) is using the what3words App or what3words online. Here’s the link to what3words.Our location using what3words is: small.hazlenuts.skate
Satnavs bring you to within 200 metres. If coming from Ideford when sat nav says you’ll arrive in 200 metres you’ve already arrived! From Kingsteinton when the sat nav says you’ve arrived, continue for 200 metres.
Or By Car: From M5 take the A380 toward Torquay.
On M5 follow signs for Plymouth/A38/Torquay/A380 for 0.6 miles. Continue onto Devon Expy/A38 for 2.3 miles. Bear slight left (signs for A380/Torquay) for 0.2 miles. Continue onto A380 after 4.9 miles.Take the exit towards Luton/Ideford/Chudleigh/Ugbrooke House. At T junction turn right towards Ideford. At the next T junction turn Left towards Ideford ( ignore sat Nav if it then says turn immediately Right….or you’ll end up on a bridle path! Continue through the village of Ideford past the Royal Oak Pub and out the other side of Ideford.Take the first turning on the right after leaving the village – Sign says Lindridge and Bishopsteignton ( approx 200- 300 mtrs). After about ½ mile take the first lane on the right ( it’s on a sharp left hand bend), this will take you up Hestow Road. Sign says Hestow and Kingsteignton. KEEP GOING TO THE VERY TOP ( about 400- 600m). At the brow of the hill just before a left hand bend you’ll find a red stone wall at the entrance Namaste Barn. The signs on the gate. You’ve arrived…WELCOME.
Arrival By Airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Exeter International Airport (EXT). The retreats venue is approximately 25-30 minutes by car
Arrival By Train
Please book your train to arrive at Exeter St Davids or Newton Abbot. The retreat’s venue is approximately 20 minutes away by car from Newton Abbot. and approx 25- 30 mins from Exeter St David’s.
Feedback
From Previous Retreats
“Thank you for facilitating such a wonderful restorative weekend – everything about it felt nurturing. The beautiful location,the tranquil venue, the carefully prepared nutritious food, and most of all… you! Your wise and gentle ways are both healing and inspiring.”
“superb and empathic instructor – thank you Jo x”
“I enjoyed the Yoga and TRE so much, hugely enjoyable”
“Absolutely fabulous – Jo you really nailed it!”
“Loved the meditation, yoga, sense of community & laughter.”
“loved the neurogenic yoga sessions leading us into neurogenic tremors”
“the setting was so beautiful and tranquil as was the atmosphere in the yoga studio”
“Fantastic, very relaxing, good company and fun”
“I don’t really know where to start except that the whole experience was very special.”
“I have used the de-stressing tools so much since coming home and I feel quite a sense of calm over me at the moment which I am enjoying!!”
“Thank you! I enjoyed every minute and I’m so pleased to have met you x”
“I don’t think you could have chosen a better ‘chef’; Tash was adorable too. Her food was absolutely amazing and her incredible knowledge and passion mind-blowing! She added to the whole experience and was a part of the group right from the start!”
“The food was very yummy and plenty of it”
“Delicious, nourishing, beautifully presented”
“Loved the attention to detail. Tash is a genius with food.”
“A real sense of getting away from it all”.
“It is a very lovely and peaceful venue”
“Fantastic and ideally suited for a yoga retreat. Away from the hustle and bustle of daily life.”
“A haven of tranquility in a setting of awe inspiring beauty”
“special place”
“Its perfect in my view”
“Loved the program, venue and people”
“Loved the yoga space with wonderful views across the valley”
“I loved all of it”
“I really liked it ,I want to come back, it did me the world of good.”
“I thought the combination of hatha and yoga nidra with TRE worked really well. It was so wonderfully nurturing and informative at the same time.”
Client feedback from workshops and classes
“Namaste Barn is a wonderful space with amazing energy, and Jo is such a skilled and positive teacher. The Mindfulness Course was such a revelation .How to be kind to yourself, breathing practices, meditation and so, so much more.The best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve learnt so much.” DR
‘I found the course completely life changing bringing in so many simple things in everyday life we just don’t spend enough time thinking about. Everyday tasks with a mindfulness process makes a task much more enjoyable.And to believe in yourself and be fantastic.”
“I embarked on this course with no expectations, just having an idea of some of the practices that we would be doing. I now know the course was a huge platform to emerge from, to live the rest of my life in a more harmonious, peaceful, strong, honest and mindful way. It really did feel like day one of the rest of my life when it finished. Now whatever comes along to challenge me, is so much easier to deal with. Solid foundations have been laid through the excellent, loving, compassionate course Jo facilitates. The one absolutely essential criteria is to turn up each week, be committed ( even if you might think nothing is happening for you) and trust the process of the whole 8 week course. If we put in the work it’s amazing how transformative it can be. I feel grateful each day that I am more of human “being “ rather than a human “doing” , I just feel I want to share this way of living with everyone . Jo is wonderful gift to us all, thank you ” SP
“I enjoyed my first TRE last week: after living in my head for 4 decades, I feel this is the way forward.”
“Thanks for a lovely session yesterday. You are a really good teacher so clear and gentle.”
“Jo has bought an amazing useful tool into my life which enables me to be more in control when I notice any emotional issues creeping in. I am so grateful to have experienced classes with her. I feel everyone should be taught TRE for their own health and Wellbeing”
“Thanks so much for introducing me to TRE, I’ve done it quite a lot on my own and I really do feel it’s making a difference to my stress levels and well being.”
“I had been worried about joining a class, but the minute you started, I felt yes, I’m home, I arrived. Thank you!”
“Your class was soft warm and cosy”
“I treasure these moments, you get me into my bubble beautifully.”
“I love your voice I wish I had a recording”
“I’m actually on a bit of a ‘high’ after your session -I am feeling so positive about absolutely everything!”