The Tree Relaxation Retreat — Hotel in Great Britain

WOW! WOW! WOW!.... This might be North Yorkshires' best kept secret, I only wish it would stay that way.... however... everyone should try this relaxation retreat!||From the moment you step inside the retreat, the welcome is superlative, friendly, and informative.||The ambience, decor, and wrap around care you receive here all add to the experience..||A wonderful room, well appointed with spotless bathrooms, fluffy towels, robes for hire (bring indoor shoes or slippers!)||The yoga, mindfulness, qigong, and gong relaxation are a taste of heaven. I am a mental health practitioner whom indeed teaches mindfulness, and uses this in therapies..However here I learnt or should I say remembered the benefits of such powerful skills as a person whom should be in the present. Religious or spiritual, this retreat is not, though all folks of any choosing are welcomed here. It is situated on a beautiful valley with gorgeous walks, cafes, pubs and fresh air... though apart from a walk, we chose to stay in almost seclusion here. The hot tub view is to die for, and the cold plunge pool is to swear for....that's if you can speak once you have entered...! Despite the cold plunge pool temperature, I highly reocmmened this experience a number of times, alternating between the warm and cold environments. There is a wonderful sauna, too, and perfect washing facilities.||The beds are uber comfortable and stylishly embellished with throws and cushions. We had some wonderful views from our room, including the young Highland cattle.||Our teacher, Edward, has the voice, temperament, and skill of an angel. He has a smile for all, is encouraging, patient, and almost ethereal!. He is a master of his craft, and indeed, his passion for his work is clearly evident. He makes everyone feel at home as do all of the staff.||Talking of staff, wow, the kitchen staff do a superlative job, attentive to client needs, speedy in their service and accommodating. The menu is vegetarian, I am not, or at least wasn't..!!! The food is simply delightful, and has energised me more than anything I have ever eaten.. I detest salad, or did.. again, the fresh produce was too good to turn down...and wow what flavour combinations were presented at each and every meal... delicious is an understatement!!||The additional therapies we had back and shoudler massage were incredible and expertly carried out! A perfect addition to an already perfect relaxation retreat.||Though I have one warning...! Prepare to rest and be refreshed... Edward on the gong is a master of music here, and I dozed off on a number of occasions! It was pure bliss, whilst not mindful, my body clearly needed a rest, and that's what it got!||A wonderful set of walks is provided and on offer are beautiful products associated with relaxtion and retreat.. we bought two of everything...hooked is the word.||I am looking to book a silent retreat here and will definitely return. Even if you go here alone, you will leave refreshed and with new friends.||I can not recommend the tree retreat enough... even if this isn't your kind of thing... just GO.! be in the moment, switch off and let the retreat immerse you in soothing sounds, beautiful aromas, new skills, delicious food, and a magical hug that surrounds and envelops you as soon as you arrive... Love it. WELL WELL DONE Edward and his awesome team.. cheers, hugs, and...

Located in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, The Tree Relaxation Retreat is the perfect place to rest and recharge your mind, body and soul.

What: It’s a relaxation, yoga, meditation retreat - with the emphasis on home comforts rather than spa. There are cosy bedrooms, a lovely living room with log fire and books, a yoga studio in an old Chapel building and a dining room with long tables to seat all the guests. Food is vegetarian or vegan.

Who: The place is run by Edward Harpin - Kriya Yoga instructor, his wife Claire Kerrigan and a team of lovely people (including marvellous cooks) who all practise yoga and mindfulness. They are some of the nicest people I’ve ever known. When I arrived last Sunday, I was met with a hug by Claire Stainthorpe (office manager and extraordinary cook and baker). I should say Claire remembers me from my previous visits!

The Retreat So that’s the Tree. Now a bit about their 5 day Silent Retreat. I arrived on Sunday evening and met the other 17 people joining the retreat. We’d all been sent a timetable and lots of helpful orientation and background information about what we would be doing.

At 8pm, we had an introduction to each other and a bit of a briefing and some initial meditation. At 9.15, the bell sounded and we fell silent.

Four days of no books, tv, phones, drawing, writing, knitting - whatever. Four days of getting up at 5.30 am and finding utter rest. Mindfulness and chakra meditation. Kriya yoga focused on the Chakras (ok for beginners with pose adaptations if you need them). Some Qi Gong and other helpful practises for focus. The three rounds breathing that Wim Hof practises (wow - very releasing physically and emotionally).

And I walked every day, once or twice. I had a very happy 45 minutes sitting with my bedroom window open with my feet up on the window ledge watching the sheep and lambs in the field over the single track road.

I sat in the living room and gazed at the fire. I swung high on the garden swing and laughed. I did a journal of the heart on Wednesday afternoon (the only writing of the retreat) and listened to wisdom other than that of my overthinking mind.

On Thursday afternoon, we had a mindful walk on the moors and sat and watched the clouds sipping cacao from terracotta pots.

The food was lovingly and beautifully made, vegan, natural, colourful, plentiful and the same basic pattern each day but with variations.

I felt deeply peaceful, the yoga and meditation helped. The breathing released some old stuck emotions. Every day had beautiful readings and poems. A lot of Thich Nat Hanh was read.

I’ve come away feeling I know myself better and fit into the universe more comfortably - I can feel it now. It’s encouraged me to extend my twenty minute morning practise to 40 minutes and to be more mindful during the day too.

It has done me a lot of good, body and soul, mind and heart. I feel refreshed. And even after two days back of work that were not the easiest ever, I’m still peaceful and more motivated than ever to take care of myself in such a way as to...

I have just returned from a lovely weekend stay at the tree (March 2022)

Prior to going, I knew very little about mindfulness, and had never tried Tai Chi (any variant) - I knew I was feeling very stressed for a number of reasons, in part due to lock-down, and wanted a weekend away where I could recharge my batteries, and gain some perspective on life.

The idyllic setting of the Rosedale valley, along with fantastic weather, was the perfect start to the weekend I needed. If anyone visits, I strongly recommend they take the walk up the valley and look at the birds and the old kilns used in mining the local area.

Edward and Clare were very nice and helpful, and went out of their way to ensure that everyone's needs were taken care of.

Everyone I met on the retreat was lovely, polite and enthusiastic to learn more about ways to improve their quality of life, whether through yoga, mindfulness,diet or any other way. The general vibe was that people wanted to learn to take better care of themselves.

The best experience for me on the weekend was the mindfulness / relaxation with the gong and the bowl , which I found very effective. Edwards voice while guiding you through the process was also very meditative - but since I couldn't take him back with me, I'll now have to seek out a teacher in a local area instead!

The food was fantastic - I'm not personally vegetarian, but absolutely loved all of it. It was healthy and very tasty. Compliments to the cooks / staff at the retreat. I'm not a morning person, and twice had to come and be retrieved from my building by staff to make it in time for breakfast!! a bit embarrassing!

You will get a chance to receive a massage treatment, of which there are several depending on the qualified massage therapist they have available at the time - Strongly recommended! It was the perfect compliment to the weekend, and really helped to remove stress and any tension in the muscles and mind.

Overall the weekend was fantastic, and I would recommend 100% I will be...