Sacred Embers: A Journey of Reconnection

Sacred Embers is an invitation to rekindle your spirit, reawaken your creativity and remember who you truly are…. 

Held within 180 acres of ancient woodland, lakes and meadows, this 3 day retreat is an opportunity for deep communion with yourself and the earth. Drawing on practises such as meditation, visualisation, nature enquiry, EFT, EMDR, sounding and ceremony, we will engage in an embodied enquiry into our deepest essence and the wounding that blocks its expression.

We are calling all those who are seeking greater clarity and alignment; who desire to feel buoyant and expansive, and who are currently experiencing a sense of stagnation and limitation... As the leaves begin to fall and the days begin to darken, join us on a journey of descent, back to the sacred ground of your being. 

What to expect:

Knowledge Sharing: We will be sharing in depth psycho-spiritual knowledge gleaned from decades of research and practise in various fields

Meditation & Reflection: You will be guided through various forms of meditation, visualisation and self enquiry.

Nature Connection: We will be directing you on a mini ‘vision quest’ where you’ll spend time silently communing with nature.

Creative Expression: We will be engaging in various creative exercises including drawing and making things, dancing and singing. 

Ceremonial & Devotional Space: We will be holding space for deep connection and healing through prayer, sound and voice. 

About Us

Elemental Echoes marries expertise in trauma informed techniques with psycho-spiritual knowledge and shamanic practice. We are passionate about integrating robust psychological learning with expansive spiritual enquiry and embodied experience.

Our work is informed by Psychosynthesis - a school of transpersonal psychotherapy that offers incredibly useful frameworks for understanding what it means to be a ‘spiritual being having a human experience.’ We will be teaching elements of psychosynthesis theory alongside reflective, meditative and ritualistic exercises to activate a new knowing at all levels of being.

You can join the Elemental Echoes Facebook group here.

Philosophy:

Through our need to survive, we collect identities, stories, traumas and somatic and emotional blocks that can impede our ability to truly be seen in our truest essence. Often, this can leave us blind to our own serene nature and impact our sense of purpose and meaning. Like an accumulation of rocks in a once flowing stream - we can begin to feel stagnant, lacking in vitality or without direction. Our voice’s can become blocked, our bodies frozen and our will bound to cycles of survival.

It is possible, through courageous expression and compassionate confrontation, to liberate these frozen parts of self and the energy that has become trapped in them, thereby creating more space and flow for your creativity and ‘light nature’ to emerge. Over the course of the weekend, we will be working with a variety of techniques to get you up close to your wounds and limiting beliefs so you can release their hold on you and open more fully to love, life and the light inside you.

We believe that human creativity is the bright light and burning flame at the core of our existence - the very mechanism that drives evolution - and our greatest ally in igniting the profound transformation these troubled times call for. We are dedicated to harnessing the transformational power of creativity - as a tool for individual and collective healing, and social change. 

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Venue & Logistics:

Coed sits within an artistic farming community and is surrounded by 180 acres of unspoilt ancient Woodland, man-made lakes and beautiful summer meadows. It is an utterly unique space, with a beautiful rotunda hall, firepits, a sauna and its own stone circle! It also boasts elevated views reaching as far as the Jurassic coastline of Wales, yet is only half an hour from Cardiff.

Getting there: Coed is just outside the village of St. Hilary. If driving, you would take the M4 Junction 33 A48 towards Bridgend. The nearest train stations are Barry and Llantwit Major. Once we have a sense of who is coming and what is needed, we can connect you to arrange lift shares. 

There are various types accommodation, each with their own charm. Prices are for one person, so spaces with just one double bed will be private. 

The Dragon Wagon - A ‘gypsy’ style wagon with a double bed and a log burner - £500

Woody - A wooden hut with a double bed and a log burner - £450

Railway carriage - With two double beds and a log burner - £380

Magee - A large wooden hut with a log burner, a double bed, and two singles  - £360

Private pod - with a double bed - £350

Shared Pods - with bunks - £280

Investment:

Prices vary according to room. All tickets include:

• Three nights accommodation
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea & snacks for the duration of your stay
• Two full days of workshops including knowledge sharing, embodiment exercises, meditation and ceremony, plus opening & closing circles
• Workshop materials
• A one-to-one integration session

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About your facilitators:

Joel Bennett

Joel is an experienced trauma specialist, psychotherapist, psychospiritual guide and shamanic practitioner. He has worked in mental health for over 19 years and has extensive training in a wide variety of psychological, embodied and spiritually informed methods. Joel has a deep reverence and optimism for human potential and is passionate about helping individuals find personal meaning and value in their lives. Through witnessing countless clients overcome adversity, he believes in the profound potential of human transformation and our collective ability to overcome humanity's most difficult struggles. 

Relevant education, training & experience:

• MA – Psychosynthesis Psychology (In Progress)
• Cranial Sacral Therapy (Body Intelligence – In Progress)
• MSc – Psychology
• Shamanic Practitioner Training – Sacred Trust
• Core trainings: EMDR / EFT / DBT / MBT / ACT / Bioenergetics / Converging streams
• PGDip – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• PGCert – Integrative Counselling / Psychotherapy
• BSc (Hons) – Psychology & Counselling
• 19 Years’ experience of working in mental health / 12 years qualified psychotherapist
•  Accredited member of BACP, member of BABCP and EMDR UK & Ireland

Bonny Tydeman

Bonny is a psychosynthesis coach and multidimensional creative. Her work draws on her extensive studies of the creative process and the patterns of human development, including her MA research into the relationship between play and personal transformation. She is passionate about self-enquiry and artistic expression and strives to create soul stirring experiences through her creative and therapeutic practises. 

Relevant education, training & experience:

• MA - Psychosynthesis Psychology (in progress)
• PG Dip - Psychosynthesis Leadership Coaching
• Shamanic Practitioner Training – Sacred Trust
• MA - Applied Imagination in the Creative Industries - Central St Martins
• BA Hons - History of Art & Visual Cultures - Goldsmiths
• 12 Years practise Vedic meditation and study of Vedic philosophy

For more information check out: soul-beam.com and bonnytydeman.com.

Testimonials:

“The work we have done together has been life changing. Bonny’s playful and enlightening techniques of dealing with the different layers of my personality meant that even the dark, ugly traits became more approachable and I was able to understand and honour them. I now feel as though now I can deal with life and the many curve balls that it likes to throws with a calm, clear grounded sensibility.” - Zoe Wellman

“I feel a freedom that wasn’t there before. It’s still a work in progress, but the fact I can now catch my negative thought patterns and choose to change how I react is really powerful for me.  This new perspective allows me to be more balanced which will ultimately let me live a fuller life.” - Jo Twyford

“Bonny reminded me of the necessity to let my desire be my north star. I now have a renewed sense of vitality, curiosity, and creativity. I was so ground down from day-to-day monotony, that I lost sight of the spice of life… Our sessions brought about a shift in my perception that I can only describe as volcanic. The thick, protective layer of muck I had unconsciously constructed to stifle my own desires began to crack and anger, lust, playfulness, creativity and passion erupted from deep within me… I'm now on the other side with a new light inside me and a clear vision towards the future.” - Erica Wolfe

What you will need:

• A notepad & paper (+pens & coloured pencils if you have them)
• Comfortable, warm and waterproof clothes
• An object of sacred or sentimental significance to add to the altar
• Instruments (optional)

Please Note: 

Although this retreat is run by skilled mental health practitioners, it is not a replacement for personal therapy. We will be engaging in a range of somatic, psychological and physical techniques. If you are experiencing significant difficulties with you physical, emotional or mental health please contact us in advance of booking so we can explore if this is the right environment for you. We will invite you to share only what you feel comfortable expressing; and encourage ongoing personal development following this retreat. 

All food will be Vegetarian with Vegan options. If you have specific dietary requirements please let us know. 

We will be encouraging the retreat to be a no phone zone. Please arrange as much as possible to be free of communication commitments. If you need to be on your phone before and after sessions, you can be, but phones will not be allowed in the workshop space. 

REFUNDS POLICY: Please note, we do not arrange refunds or exchanges. When possible we encourage reselling on Ticketswap.

ACCESS:  We do our best to include everyone in our events, regardless of health circumstances. If you have access requirements please email the event organiser directly to discuss. Many facilitators are able to offer reduced ticket prices for those truly unable to afford the ticket price. If this applies to you, do please get in touch with the event organiser.

For PSYCHEDELIC KNOWLEDGE AND RESOURCES please check out the Psychedelic Society website. 

Our facilitators have agreed to our code of conduct. Learn about our procedure for raising concerns

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