Our writer, Rachel McAlley recently attended a wellbeing and wellness event at Grantley Hall in Ripon. The LIVE LIFE Retreat was organised by Dr Lubna from Bloom Longevity Labs at Grantley Hall.
Dr Lubna invited a number of specialists along to the LIVE LIFE RETREAT day to help guide, advise, and offer new ideas for wellbeing and wellness. Emel, a yoga teacher and Akashic healing practitioner, Longevity Nutrtionist, Belle and her team from W-Wellness, and Dr Will of Bloom Longevity Labs all of whom offered different elements to the day.
The LIVE LIFE Retreat started with a hot drink of either a Matcha Latte or Cacao Hot Chocolate for the guests. We each chose a yoga mat and were introduced to the team, then we learned calming techniques for breathing, body relaxation methods, and the 54321-rule. We then ventured outside to the Japanese Garden to breathe in the air and follow the 54321-rule.
The 54321-rule is a mindful exercise if you need grounding, calming, or to relax. Five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and finally one thing you can taste. These simple tasks help your mind to refocus and bring you to the moment, taking you away from any anxieties, worries, or stresses you may be experiencing.
Back inside it was time to take part in a morning yoga session with Emel. In our group of 18 we were all at different stages of yoga. Some of us had never done yoga prior to this day (me), others had attended a few lessons, and some were experienced at all forms of yoga. During this time, we also took part in breathing exercises and learned new ways to hold our posture.
Once our yoga session had ended, we moved to a table where we made our own fresh breakfast smoothie bowls. Belle talked us through the ingredients on the table, which included fresh fruits, super fruits, berries, coconut shavings, goji berries, and flaxseed. We added these to our yoghurt/smoothie base, which was either mango or red berries. Plus, there were edible flowers to finish our bowls and make them look beautiful!
After breakfast we split into three groups to take part in a journaling exercise. We were each given our own journal to write our affirmations, thoughts, aspirations, and ambitions down. Our table also went through a longevity mind-mapping exercise, which was a great way to get into journaling. This showed us how to get into daily writing with ease and how to use it to our advantage.
We then spent some time with Dr Will who measured our height, weight, and waist. Plus, we had to do a standing to sitting exercise where we couldn’t hold anything to sit crossed legged on the floor, and then had to stand without holding onto anything. You got 5 points of you could do this, right down to 1 point if you couldn’t. Only one of my team was able to get 5 points (and it wasn’t me)! This led into finding out about our overall health and wellness when put together with the earlier measurements. A very interesting overall full-body health check.
It was then time for lunch, a vegetarian selection of salads with pulses, beans, greens, and a wonderful tzatziki dressing. Followed by herbal teas, or coffees for those who preferred. We learned about different supplements from W-Wellness during lunch, and it was really interesting to find out what is actually good for your body.
The day ended with a wonderfully relaxing yoga nidra session, which was led by Emel. We lay on our yoga mats, rested our heads on a pillow, and covered ourselves with a blanket. Emel walked us through the process with guided meditation, leading into a state of consciousness between being awake and being asleep. It was the perfect end to the LIVE. LIFE Retreat.
Complete Relaxation at Grantley Hall’s LIVE LIFE Retreat – Words by Rachel McAlley @LadyRach
