Reiki Retreat in South Wales 2010

View from Newport harbour

My friend Gwen and I organised a Reiki retreat in Pembrokeshire, South Wales and emailed around people we knew to see if they would like to come. We wanted to have a retreat where the getting-together was the object, and not profits. We found an old rectory on the coast which had a lot of bedrooms and paid our deposits hoping that the spaces would fill up; but we were prepared to go there even if it were just the two of us. It felt like “if you put it on people will come.”

The deposits started to come in, and pretty soon we realised that we needed a cook that could handle food for more than a dozen. Gwen found a work colleague who loved to cook and wanted to come just for the fun of making the meals. What a blessing! Lovely Teresa made the most wonderful meals all weekend, and anchored that part of the retreat so that Gwen and I never had to worry about what was happening in the kitchen. Her kitchen had large windows so she over-looked the sea and cliffs all day long.

In front of the Old Rectory

We’d run out of bedrooms by then so we had to also take the retreat cottage next door and hope that more people would book. More people did book, and it was only when we arrived and looked over the rooms that we realised that the one room where we could have all the Reiki tables up together was in that cottage. (The winter snows kept us from checking it out in person.) We only stopped accepting people when we couldn’t fit any more in the dining room, and there were some day attendees who joined us that lived nearby.

We had four days of Reiki treatments, usually in the mornings. After that we had free time with nothing planned. When we explained that in the opening circle most people seemed relieved. There were coastal walks on the Pembrokeshire coastal path, Neolithic stone burial mounds, beaches and ancient forests nearby, and everyone kept busy. Our garden was lovely with views to the cliffs and sea and everyone sat out in the April sun and chatted and had cups of tea and cake.

Neolithic burial chamber

My secret plan for this retreat was to watch what occurred with the Reiki when you didn’t make any plans. With the treatments building over the days, what would happen? There could be different views on this, but I felt joy and contentment, fuelled by Reiki and good food increased over the days. And as always with Reiki, there were personal results from having the four treatments close together.  It was great fun, and those who came, both old and new friends, were lovely.

Gwen and I hope to repeat this retreat in the same venue in spring 2011. If you want to download a picture to your computer, right-click and copy.

In the ancient woodlands

Group shot 1

Group shot 2

Sunday meal

Dinas Island walk, with washed-away church

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