Ashtanga Yoga Retreat at Chapel on the Green, Wales

Venue

Chapel on the Green is a pinnacled gothic chapel at the heart of a village green in Glasbury, Mid Wales. The Chapel was built in 1886 and was an active place of worship until 1998. It has now been lovingly converted into beautiful and creative retreat space, within its unique and characterful decor.

The Chapel is spacious enough for guests to find their own little nook within its vast architecture. There’s plenty of opportunity to relax with large living areas for reading or playing games.

The Chapel is adorned with the owners' unique art collection, including work specifically commissioned for the chapel, created by artists from around the UK, and especially unique is our large mural. The garden wraps around the front and side of the Chapel and is a haven to relax and listen to the buzzing of bees.

Run by Gray, a student of ours, and his partner, Matthew, we are very excited about hosting our first retreat here, we know we will be well looked after! (Have a peek on their website to get a sense of the place, they have lots of photos: https://www.chapelonthegreen.co.uk/)

Location

The village of Glasbury sits on the banks of the River Wye, well served by the River Café and two inns. Just a short walk from the Chapel is 'The Bont,' the village beach on the river that's great for wild swimming. Hay-on-Wye is within easy reach and is a famous Book Town renowned for its International Book Festival, with plenty of second-hand bookshops, galleries, an art house, cinema and independent shops.

Accommodation

The chapel itself can cater for groups of up to 11. The Chapel is a real labour of love and rooms are each individually decorated with creative flair and attention to detail (Matthew works in the visual arts).

Room options

The below prices include: all food, acccomodation, teaching, organisation and guided hike. All prices are per person.

King-size ensuite (1) - (to sleep 2) £488

King-size not ensuite (1) - (to sleep 2) £428

Twin room (2) - £428

Triple room (1) - £368

Food

All meals are catered for by the owners, Gray and Matthew, who make home cooked, locally sourced, vegan and vegetarian meals. There will be 2 meals per day - brunch, and dinner - plus afternoon tea and cake. All food is nutritional, nourishing and delicious, accommodating for allergies and all dietary requirements.

Matthew loves to work with seasonal recipes creating food full of flavour that is a feast for the eyes and the soul. He also bakes incredible cakes perfect with a cuppa. Their menus comprise many sharing platters, perfect for groups to enjoy and break bread across the long tables.

Activities
Saturday Afternoon Hike

On Saturday afternoon, we will embark on a hike in the local countryside. Graham will be our guide and the walk will last about 2-2.5 hours. Graham will lead us in some mindfulness practices, encouraging us to tune in to the natural world, both during our walk and at the half-way point. The walk will be a mixture of silent walking, soaking up the beauty of the landscape with all our senses and allowing ourselves to be introspective in the company of others and regular walking and chatting, getting to know the others in the group.

Yoga Class Venue

Yoga sessions are held at the village hall just two minutes walk from the chapel. The hall itself is spacious and has wooden floors and infrared heaters.

Treatments

Sometimes a weekend like this, where we have the luxury of time to unwind, can be a nice moment to be on the receiving end of some gentle healing work. Graham, as well as running the centre (and teaching and cooking!), also offers Thai Yoga Massage, and another therapist Johanna, offers reiki treatments. These are both priced at £60 and can be arranged at any free time during the weekend.

Suitability

This retreat is only suitable for experienced Ashtanga students who have an established Ashtanga Mysore-style practice and know the Ashtanga sequence. If you are not sure whether this retreat is suitable for you, please check with us by getting in touch via the booking form at the bottom of the page.

Schedule

Please note, this is a rough schedule, we might make small changes but the start and end time will not change, so if you need to book travel to and from the chapel, go ahead.

Friday

3pm onwards - arrive, get settled, relax

5pm - welcome and gentle yoga class (if you can't get here in time then that's ok, just join us for dinner)

6:45pm - evening meal

8:45pm - evening meditation

Saturday

Morning silence before practice, enjoy the quiet

Guided meditation, Mysore-style Ashtanga

Brunch

Guided hike and mindfulness in nature (2-2.5 hours) or, if you prefer, free time to rest/read/explore

Afternoon technique class or restorative class (most likely a mixture of the two)

Dinner

Evening meditation

Sunday

Morning silence before practice, enjoy the quiet

Guided meditation, Mysore-style

Brunch

Free time to rest/read/explore (and, possibly, if we're feeling brave, an optional wild swim/dip - weather and river level-dependent)

Afternoon yoga class - restorative and meditation

2 - 2:45pm - Closing circle

3pm - depart

Digital Detox

During the retreat, if practical, we ask you not to use any digital technology such as phones/tablets/laptops etc. if you are able to do so. Otherwise, please keep this to a minimum. We hope this will help us to be more present with ourselves and with others and also make space for increased capacity to rest which comes when we are able to have less immediate responsibilites for a short period.