The weekend started with a slightly long journey down from Manchester to Surrey however the sun was shining and we got the opportunity to have a good catch up and stop for some nice lunch. When we arrived there was no doubt that the distance had been completely worth it!
We were met by our yoga teacher for the weekend Carolina who was every bit of zen you can imagine, she was very friendly and we instantly felt relaxed.
A 10 minute walk (at most) took us to a little cluster of woods where Michelle met us at the gate. The gate that was being surrounded by beautiful small cows. I’m not usually a fan of livestock near me however these guys seemed to know how to chill out!
Our little hut was magical, three beds and a little wood burning stove, although we didn’t need it all weekend! We were all chuffed with our little snug, even the less experienced at being country bumkins couldn’t get over the charm of the whole place.
We all congregated in the centre circle outside what would be the yoga centre for the weekend. The afternoon was warm and orange. As we all introduced ourselves and walked around the facilities it was hard not to get swept away in the romance of the wood.
The evening kicked off with a light yoga session which was centred on a yoga meditation. We focused ourselves on our intention for the weekend and what we aimed to take away with us on Sunday. Carolina had a beautiful soft voice and guided me easily into myself as the world dripped away. I felt a feeling of starting to open my heart and face the things that had been chasing me even more rigorously throughout the week.
I’m not going to say it was all easy because opening yourself up to new things or even old things isn’t easy. As we drifted through the meditation my eyes filled with tears and I was aware only of myself and my breathing. My mind did wonder off as the puppy mind likes to but in that space I found it much easier to tie that puppy to the post.
I came around at the end of the practise feeling completely ‘there’ the woods smelt sweeter and the air cooler on my skin. We all wrapped ourselves up in our jumpers and scarf’s to sit outside in the evening light.
Dinner followed shortly after and I can’t say I was disappointed. My hunger had over taken me as soon as we left the practise but it was more than happy to meet such delicious vegetarian food. Not being a veggie myself I often struggle making meatless meals taste good however Eloise is a genius! Every mouthful was wholesome and warming, there was plenty of selection and desert was a perfect Eaton Mess with yoghurt instead of cream. I must admit I may have had more than one helping of both courses but there was more than enough to go around.
Sitting outside eating with our new friends seemed like a million miles away from the busy city life we had left behind. Even the avid meat eaters sat full and happy in our circle, with sleepy eyes.
We headed to bed pretty early and snuggled into our hut to read and chat. With no gadgets or electricity, only a few torches and touch lights we were well removed from city life. The duvets were fluffy and the beds were comfy so we all one by one drifted off fairly easily.
Before falling asleep to the sound of the breeze through the woods and the local owl cooing I felt a real sense of peace in the darkness. 
Day 2 coming soon……
To find out more about adventure yoga go to www.adventureyogi.com