Month: October 2014

Retreat to retreat

A Champagne Hippy Leave a comment

It’s true, my dream of opening a retreat has been long since held. In one guise or another I’ve hankered after creating a space for people to come, spend quality time and leave feeling rejuvenated.

Many a notebook has been started with ideas for what the place might look like, what kind of services it might provide, how it might make visitors feel when they leave…any excuse for new stationery!

Well finally, after some solid brainstorming and research I have started the business plan.

OK, so what I mean by “started the business plan” is I’ve moved out of the notebooks (don’t worry they won’t be gone forever) to the post-it-note and mind map stage (still requiring new stationery, of course).

As you will see from the images, this kick-start has only been made possible by poker night! Alright, perhaps you can’t “see” this so to explain I took the opportunity to escape boys’ poker night to put myself up in the nearest luxury hotel, enjoy the spa facilities and get inspired.

So, it’s thanks to a 24hr retreat at the London Syon Park Hotel, Phoenix Retreat is a step closer to taking flight.IMG_0527.JPG

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Diagnosis: Ground Zero

A Champagne Hippy Leave a comment

So, I’ve recently been diagnosed with coeliac disease (an auto-immune reaction to gluten) and, to be honest, I have been surprised by how “ok” I am with this.

Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s not going to be easy as I realise that I am going to be without some of my favourites forever; tabbouleh (with its trademark cracked wheat), arabic bread (khubz) and malt vinegar (which I famously accompanied with chips)…to name a few, all be it randomly!

However, the fact that I know now that it has been these things (or at least the gluten within them) that caused almost every minor and, latterly, major ailment I’ve experienced seems to have given me a different perspective.

Never one to like being told what to eat (or do, for that matter) I actually feel invigorated by the opportunity to rebalance myself.

To some extent, diagnosis day was ground zero and over the last six weeks it’s been onwards and upwards to a new me – the sky’s the limit!

Welcome to Way of the Phoenix!

A Champagne Hippy Leave a comment

I am dedicating this space to the sharing of stories from inspirational people, alongside my own experiences, photos and other ideas to feed the phoenix within; that part of us that wants to learn, grow and feel revitalised through our lives.

I’m a firm believer that if we have the courage to step into everything we do, fully and whole heartedly, (be it an unexpected challenge, a major life event or simply a new day), that we have the opportunity to be renewed by the experience.

By remaining present at all times; by listening, always, to what has heart and meaning; by speaking our truth and, above all else, by being open to the outcome we can find ourselves regenerated – having transformed old beliefs into a new reality – just like the phoenix of myth and legend that was reborn from fire.

If you’d like to offer something to fuel the flames, please feel free to comment…

…see you by the fire!