So, last weekend witnessed the huge success of our first R1SE retreat. Along with the wonderful Jo from CalmrMe (a modern way to meditate), we welcomed 20 guests to the fabulous Cattle Shed in the splendiferous Peak District!
The aptly named 'The Awakened Ape' retreat, where the focus lay with creating health and happiness that have been lost to the world today by bio hacking the modern day lives we lead with evolutionary fitness, stress free living and natural ecstasy.
Our guests came from all around the UK with various backgrounds and reasons for being there - and all were an absolute joy! The itinerary was full to bursting (all the activities were optional) with trail runs, hikes, wild swimming, meditations, yoga, Go Ape and plenty of plant based food!
On arrival, guests were introduced to each other and a delicious array of home made cakes. Shortly after, out first yoga session took place in the venue's private loft studio where guests were challenged with one of our R1SE Flex sessions.
On the menu that evening was One Pot Chilli, Layered Vegetable Bake, Sweet potato wedges, Home made garlic bread and a lush salad. Eating an optimal, healthy diet for both physical and mental health being one of the primary objectives of the retreat.
Love and gratitude were on the menu the following morning in the meditation session; beginners learning and regular practitioners developing their techniques. The actual breakfast menu consisted of berry burst overnight oats, fruit and plant based yoghurt getting everyone set for the day of adventure.
At this stage I must mention the great British summertime, for it did not let us down! The sun shone for most of the weekend making all the activities out in nature a big hit. The group split into trail running and hiking teams with the common destination of the Chatsworth grounds, and more specifically the river overlooked by the stunning house!
The wild swim didn't disappoint with easy access points, relatively 'warm' water (open to interpretation depending on who you asked) and a welcome chance to relax on the shore of the river for our picnic of Cauliflower, Beetroot & Chickpea wraps and home made seedy, fruit flapjack.
Honestly you can swim, Lynne just chose to walk on water instead!
We tried to make exercise fun, enjoyable, and something you look forward to hence when we returned to the Cattle Shed we altered the schedule so that people had more time to rest before the evenings entertainment. All too often, we forget the importance of rest and sleep. We usually treat it as a commodity that we can exchange for something that will give us more value, like working more to get ahead, binge-watching your favourite show on Netflix or hanging out with friends. Sleep can boost immunity, improve memory, restore and energise, stimulate creativity and helps you stay mentally and emotionally fit.
After a little down time the team was ready once more for action in the form of 'Ready, Steady, Snack' where the guests were split into teams and had to create a range of healthy snacks (and then demolish them!). Lemon Bliss Balls, Nut free energy bites and healthy cookies were a few of the options all requiring no baking and no more than 4 ingredients...perfect when you're wanting a quick fix!
Then it was time for Chris to crank up the barbie and cook up a storm. 'Beyond Meat' burgers and sausages all round with home made hummus, crudités & salad. With food in our bellies it was time for the outdoor Jenga championships to take place - numerous rounds of increasingly shaky towers and dubious rule making made for a reyt good giggle!
Making the most of our time outdoors and the sunshine we lit the fire pit, played games, toasted veggie marshmallows and enjoyed human interaction...after the year we've all had it's the simple things in life that mean the most!
As Sunday dawned so did our yogis, this time for a R1SE Chill session; stretching out any aches and pains from the previous days exertions and giving the mind a chance to settle.
Post brekkie saw our intrepid explorers don their walking books once more for a ramble along Padley Gorge. It looks like they enjoyed it?!?
After working up an appetite, we deployed nourish bowls for lunch. Beautiful looking plates of food and a good opportunity for an eat up of any left overs! Jo then had the difficult task of keeping people awake through her mindfulness workshop on learning techniques to apply in everyday life.
Now do we mention the football?? I think so! Sunday evening welcomed the Euro Cup final and and array of curries, naan breads, and rice for half time and whilst the football didn't deliver the result we were hoping for I think the food nearly made up for it!
And so the final day of our 4 day jaunt arrived and with it the in trepidation of a tree top experience. A quick yoga fix, a short visualisation session and a breakfast of champions made for the perfect start for our last adventure together as a group.
We're so proud of every single person who came to our 'Awakened Ape' Retreat, they threw themselves in wholeheartedly, embraced challenges and weren't afraid to try new things! Beautiful, wonderful human beans ❤️ the lot of them! Plus the 5* reviews have been flooding in and the best thing is we didn't even had to pay them 🙊