Last weekend was a HUGE weekend for family Oliver. The weekend of the 19th-21st of June marked Daddy Oliver's birthday, the summer solstice, Father's Day and World Yoga Day. A weekend this monumental needed to be celebrated in style and therefore Mum, Dad, my Godmother Sarah, and I, packed up the car and made our way up into the Welsh hills for an incredible Kundalini Yoga Retreat at Kinton Farm.
There were multiple accommodation options available including; to sleep in the main house, to stay in one of the most beautiful yurts I have ever seen, to bring your own tent or (the option that we chose) to stay in the bell tents.
We arrived late Friday afternoon to find that the tents were ready and waiting for us adorned both inside and out in adorable bunting, thick rugs, chairs, tables, fairy lights and...
...even birthday balloons for Dad!
^^^such an incredibly sweet touch!^^^
^^^Hey roomy^^^
After unpacking a little and adjusting to our new surroundings it was definitely time to explore! The whole site was formed of lots of small fields which were all appointed with certain names and purposes for the weekend...
^^^a sofa-bench constructed of wood so that as many of us as possible could enjoy the fire at the same time^^^
^^^the Yoga Temple where all of our indoor yoga classes took place^^^
^^^our yoga instructor Lisa, gave us plenty to do all weekend but all classes/activities were 100% optional^^^
^^^the Breakfast Room and Tea Station complete with tea, coffee, juices, freshly laid organic eggs, daily fresh home-baked bread, jams, marmalades, cereals and basically just everything imaginable to satisfy people like me who obsess over breakfast^^^
As more people began to arrive we were served hot steaming chai and gluten-free almond & orange cake in the canopied Garden of Love.
At this point the chickens decided to join and I got majorly distracted trying to get them to like me...
...which didn't really work.
^^^the Outdoor Loo which wasn't too shabby at all. There was also an outdoor shower which was positively luxurious...^^^
^^^however, if this didn't take your fancy then there was also full use of the toilet and two bathrooms available at the main house which was open to us to come & go through at all hours of the day^^^
With everyone present, and our first hour of yoga completed, it was time to begin the merriment that would last throughout the weekend. That meant getting the birthday boy a bit tipsy (obviously)...
^^^Yep, that's a sparkly bindi on a middle-aged man^^^
^^^How adorable are my Mum and Dad^^^
^^^"Let me just secure that bindi for you" *prod, prod, prod*^^^
As the sun began to set and the fairy lights began to glimmer it was time for the drummers to began their evening of entertainment.
At this point in the evening we were all beginning to feel the chill meaning that it was time to light the Ceremonial Fire that would remain burning throughout the whole weekend.
For the rest of the evening we sat around the campfire, chatted, got acquainted, ate, drank and danced well into the night to the sound of the drummers as the sky turned inky around us...
...before eventually deciding it would be a good idea to get some sleep before our 6am yoga class the following day!
There are so many more pictures that I could share with you, this was just day 1 (Friday) of what proved to be one of the most enjoyable, nurturing and relaxing weekends I have had in a long time. Our host Frankie, and our amazing yoga instructor Lisa, went above and beyond to provide us with anything and everything we could possibly need, truly making the whole experience something I will remember and treasure forever. A deep, heartfelt thank you to both.
Kinton Farm was one of the most beautiful corners of the world I have ever seen and I've already booked my place on next year's retreat. I urge you to do the same!
To find out how you can be a part of next year's Kundalini Yoga Festival then email LCYoga@aol.com or follow on Facebook.
By Evangeline Oliver.
Follow our instructor, Lisa Foden, on twitter here.
Follow the Kundalini Yoga Festival on Facebook here.
No comments
Post a Comment