I write a little weary but incredibly grateful today after yesterday’s brilliant reatreat day at Wellness Woodlands in Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

We started our day with a fun opening ceremony which included shamanic drumming and an aura cleanse… and an energising walk through a willow tunnel.

We then got warmed up with hot drinks before starting a great yoga session led by Rose… it definitely blew the cobwebs away, for me at least!

We then took another short tea break (a must in the chilly weather!) before I led the sound bath portion of the day. Rose also played instruments during the session which was such a treat for me. We both play intuitively and were able to naturally create a very special space, and the resultant sounds were simply beautiful. Rose and I also sang during the sound bath… this is something quite new to me but Rose seems to bring out a side of me that enables me to reach that space inside myself where I am able to let the sound out that wants to emerge.

After the sound bath we had a nourishing home-made lunch which included a hearty, filling soup and home-made brownies. Rose had also baked a chocolate tart which was very tasty!

After lunch we did some grounding in the Woodlands, where we connected with standing stones and trees…

We then had some warming, heart-opening cacao, lovingly prepared by Rose who created such a gorgeous recipe that most of us had seconds!

We then took our drums down to the standing stones where we had a deeply connecting drumming circle around the fire. I have been wanting to host a drumming circle around the fire fo a long time and was so excited to be able to offer it in such a highly energised location. We closed our eyes and just felt into the rhythm of the drum as we played, before cranking things up with a song as we drummed together. This was so special to me and I feel very humbled and privileged that others seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.

We then made our way back to our indoor space where Rose led us in intuitive movement where we all moved and danced to music in whatever way we each felt to move… I couldn’t help pick up my drum again and drum along to the music! It was an energising and fun way to end the retreat…

Rose and I had such a brilliant day with everyone who came along and I am really looking forward to hosting the next retreat with Rose at Wellness Woodlands in March! If you like the idea of experiencing one of our retreats, you can find details of our March retreat here.

Hope to see some of you there!

Much love

Nikki

After hosting a Sound Bath in Shifnal this past weekend, I felt to share a few reflections on the different kinds of experiences that people can have at a sound bath.

It’s wonderful to see so many people from different walks of life at an event and I feel that it really infuses the energy of the group.

If you have attended one of my events before, you will probably know that I will feel drawn to play particular instruments, depending on what that group needs. In that way, every sound bath will be different from the next.

At the recent Shifnal sound bath, as I walked around and through the group, the instruments I played ‘pulled’ me to particular parts of the body of each participant. Some I felt drawn to play more at the feet which may indicate a need for grounding, some I felt had very specific energy blockages which I worked with during the session. In others, I could sense emotional stirrings which is to be expected at a sound bath event.

I recall my first experience of a sound bath was when I was training to become a sound therapy practitioner… I cried like a baby for at least an hour! Clearly the sound waves had shifted something that was ready to be dealt with and I am truly grateful for that experience.

So if you ever need to let go of something during a session, know that you are always in a safe space, and with someone who is not only trauma-informed, but also has their own lived experience, plus the experience of how sound can have a profoundly shifting effect on stuck energies during a sound bath.

Experiences are not always as outwardly noticeable, and sometimes the most profound shifts happen when the individual simply surrenders to the sound, allowing the sound waves to reach the body on a cellular, even DNA-level.

It is truly heart-warming to see when an individual who is keen to work on their own internal limitations and blockages, surrenders to the sound, and as a result, they gain key insights and an inner-knowing which then enables them to let go of limitations and identity layers.

When we come to a sound event knowing that the sound can shift energy blockages and that the sound will reach the physical body down to our very DNA, the possibilities for deep, internal healing are endless.

But rather than hoping for, or ‘intending’ a particular outcome to a sound bath session, my approach is to just allow what happens naturally and not to interfere with the flow of the soul of the individual, and just to allow the experience to unfold without interference or direction. If we are able to let go of a desired outcome, we allow the soul the freedom to flow, without restriction. What experiences might you have in the flow of the soul?

Last night was the first meditation class of it’s kind… a full hour of chakra clearing and cleansing, soul connection, and feeling into and experiencing multidimensionality.

The session started with a Kundalini meditation where we expanded through and into the dimensions. We then concluded with a chakra cleansing meditation where we cleared and cleansed the chakras using yogic breathing techniques.

Everyone felt great after the session and it was a joy to put on a class that I have been so excited about for so long!

I remember when I first moved to Shropshire, I searched in vain for a local meditation class but couldn’t find one anywhere so I am so pleased to be able to offer this class.

Next month, we will concentrate solely on chakra cleansing for a full hour. So if you like the sound of the class and would like more details or would like to book, you can do so here.

Hope to see you soon!

A new class is coming!