During our meditation retreat during the Mothering Sunday’s weekend in the Vale of Evesham, Jo  said:

“The capacity to love myself is the direct cap on how much I can love someone else”.

The biggest discovery for me was the realisation and acceptance that learning to love myself is fundamental to being able to give the best of myself, my time and my energy mindfully to others, and to me.

I now understand the importance of nurturing and softening the physical, energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of my whole self.

I am responsible for myself but I walk hand in hand with the Universe. If I work on myself to clear the clutter, I shall have the space to create and grow.

At the deepest level, I have acknowledged my truth that I haven’t prioritised myself enough and that body image is an ingrained issue for me.

However, I left our meditation retreat in Stanton safe in the knowledge that I have all the tools I need to start to address this.

I particularly enjoyed doing the Chi Do moving meditation to birdsong outside overlooking the stunning scenery in the early morning sunlight. With the massage, easy chakra clearing meditation and yin yoga helping me to better nourish and connect to my physical body, I practically floated home.

The “nurturing” quality of our meditation retreat included the location and catering, as well as the people:

Stanton has unique magic and energy of its own which nourishes the soul. From the moment of my arrival, I felt at peace and enveloped in the most nurturing of bubbles. The scrumptious vegetarian fare that Susan cooked and served with love only enhanced this feeling.

Jo is a true expert in her field. She blended her gentle and light-hearted approach with some really powerful and insightful coaching. The camaraderie with the other attendees was amazing and I know I have made some firm friends.

The image that a participant created based on our meditation retreat

Here’s one more testimonial from another attendee of my meditation retreat:

Sometimes life just gets on top of you. You really need to stop and take a break. I am so glad I booked a place at Jo Summer’s meditation retreat. Indeed, I really needed to get away, take some time for myself, rest and re-group.

After two days of…

• gentle yoga and deep relaxation by the fire,
• group discussions and mood board creation,
• blissful massage in the afternoon sun,
• al fresco ‘chi do’ before breakfast,
• delicious home-made food,
• kind and supportive company in the most beautiful setting in the Cotswolds,

I ticked all those boxes and went home feeling rejuvenated and ready to get back to reality.

The thoughtful little touches like a handwritten welcome note with a trio of mini eggs, a crystal (in my case a yellow jasper) to keep, gluten-free options including biscuits (which never happens!!) made it all the more special.

Jo’s clear, calm, gentle (and often very funny) guidance and wisdom was wonderful and has inspired me to learn more about chakras and chi. Spring is a time of renewal and it was the perfect time for such a nurturing retreat. I need to make this a regular thing…

Leona