Yoga, food, countryside and relaxation in a beautiful setting…

Rejuvenate, relax and de-stress with Charlotte Watts over a long and luxurious weekend at a truly stunning location in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Your programme will include two daily yoga sessions, alongside options to join a silent walk, nutrition talk and evening mindfulness meditations – or simply take some time in the countryside, relax or chat with others. Yoga content will vary according to time of day, more energising and opening in the mornings, moving to relaxing and restoring towards the end of the day and optional late night meditation. See the full sample programme below.

Dates for upcoming retreats to Gayles:
Friday 4th – Sunday 7th May 2018 – this date is 3 nights, as Monday 7th is a Bank Holiday – dorm accommodation & double room only left for this date
Friday 4th – Sunday 6th January 2019

Prices:
standard rate £285 for 2 nights / £425 for 3 nights (May 18 weekend only)
early-bird rate £20 off each price if booked before 6 weeks of the start date
One single room available for £30 supplement per night and one double room available (ensuite) for £40 supplement for one (per night) or £30 each for two sharing (per night)

Book early as only 20 places available!

Included: all food, yoga, silent walk & accommodation

Not included: travel

Location:
Gayles is a picturesque retreat centre ideally situated in outstanding countryside on the South Downs, five miles from Eastbourne and fifteen from Brighton. Here rural doesn’t mean hard to reach; there are excellent train services from the nearby towns that provide direct travel to and from London Victoria, Gatwick, Ashford International, Brighton and so on. Gayles is just one-and-a-half hour drive from London and there is a regular bus service that conveniently stops beside the entrance. For European visitors there is a ferry service to and from mainland Europe from Newhaven, which is only a twenty-minute drive away from retreat.
The environment and ambience at Gayles encourages an open, safe, relaxed and intimate atmosphere that promotes learning and self-development. The owners Derry and Roz believe that retreats should be fulfilling and inspiring; unobtrusive but available. They do all they can to support you in making the most of your time here so that everybody leaves feeling stimulated, nourished and refreshed.

Gayles is set in ten acres of land with beautiful sea views from the cliffs; adjacent to the Seven Sisters Country Park (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), The National Trust Crowlink Estate and Friston Forest.

With its open fire, high ceiling and refreshing artworks, The Stables, a beautifully converted 1930s stable and adjoining property, provides a warm and practical area for eating, chatting and relaxing. The ground level has an open-plan, well equipped, kitchen and dining room with under-floor heating. There is a separate stereo system with a CD player, DAB radio and amplifier (with an iPod connection cable) which you may wish to use to enhance your own ambience. Immediately outside there is a large, decked, seated eating area which is wonderful for informal meals and gatherings in more clement weather.

There is extraordinarily beautiful countryside, seaside and excellent walking opportunities all around.

Accommodation
All accommodation is in comfortable dormitories. The accommodation, studio and eating areas are situated close together around a thoughtfully maintained garden next to gentle meadows offering stunning, panoramic views, allowing you space between activities and room to wander and reflect. There are two recently renovated dormitories, ‘The Studio’ and ‘The Playroom’, which offer comfortable and spacious accommodation for up to seventeen people.
All accommodation is equipped with toilets, showers and washing areas as well as hot drink making facilities. There are good quality, sturdy single and bunk beds with individual storage drawers. Duvets, pillows, linen and towels are provided.

Apart from the sensitively managed estate in which students are free to wander, there is also a private hard surface tennis court and open air pool that you are welcome to use in warmer months.

Food
Good quality locally sourced food is tasty and nourishing and is served in the relaxed atmosphere of the beautifully converted dining room. If the weather is sunny there is the option of eating out in the open on the terrace. Food will be vegetarian and organic and Charlotte works alongside the chef to ensure it follows her exacting nutritional standards! Any food intolerances can be accommodated and you will be asked for details on the booking form.

Weekend’s Sample Programme (each retreat content will differ):
All activities are optional but it is best for the group if you try to participate in most, especially the yoga sessions. Content and times will vary according to the weather and the group’s needs, so more cosy in winter and evening meditations may be outside whenever weather permits – and warm blankets enable! There are plenty of nooks and crannies at Gayle’s for you to retreat whenever you need and the studio will be available as a silent space between classes.

Friday
4pm – arrival and tea
5–7pm yoga – releasing and opening through to restorative
7.30pm – dinner
9-9.30pm – restorative yoga and mindfulness meditation
sleep well!

Saturday
8–9am – breakfast
10am-12pm yoga – energising, heart-opening and rejuvenating
1-2pm – lunch
2-5pm – free time to explore, walk, chill out or the open air pool may be open if warm enough….
Includes optional 3-4pm – silent walk
4.30pm – nutrition talk: Easy Energy and Release from Cravings
5-7pm yoga – mindful, active relaxation and restorative
7.30pm – dinner
9-9.30pm – restorative yoga and mindfulness meditation

Sunday
8–9am – breakfast
10am-12pm yoga – energising, heart-opening and releasing
1-2pm – lunch
2.30-3.30pm – grounding yoga to prepare for home
4pm – departure

Testimonials:

Happy feedback from previous weekends with Charlotte at Gayles:

“My weekend with Charlotte was absolutely wonderful. Gayles is a beautiful setting and the food was absolutely amazing. Despite my apprehensions about the dormitory room, I was extremely comfortable and relaxed. The facilities were extremely high standard, including the yoga studio which was well equipped and peaceful. Charlotte is an extremely kind, considerate and intuitive yoga teacher. She knew when was the right time to push and challenge me and when I needed to rest or take a break. Her laid back and relaxed attitude made me feel totally at ease, both in the yoga studio and outside of it where she was very approachable and easy to talk to. I would highly recommend this retreat and I will certainly be going back there myself. ” – Rachel, London

“Four days after the retreat I still feel as relaxed and calm and positive as I did whilst there! I loved the restorative yoga parts we did and feel very positive and motivated about taking this forward. I will go as far as to say I have raised happiness levels and I know that I can draw on Charlotte’s mindfulness approach on a daily basis to gradually improve my wellbeing (and parenting skills).” Sophie, Brighton

“Weekends at Gayle’s with Charlotte offer us the opportunity to relax and nourish ourselves in so many ways – we arrive as a couple and come away feeling like individuals. The programme is structured yet gentle, non-competitive and hugely restorative which is a relief in itself. It`s so lovely to be able to base ourselves in comfortable and beautiful surroundings a few miles from home – it takes going away for the weekend to another level – simples!” – Linda, Brighton

“I’ve been on 2 retreats at Gayle’s with Charlotte. Gayle’s is a beautiful venue, even though it’s dorm accommodation it is really comfortable with top notch bedding and the option of a single bed if you can’t handle a bunk. The location is stunning and it’s a great opportunity to detox from mobile phones and the busyness of the outside world! The food at Gayle’s is excellent – they are especially good at really tasty, wholesome vegetarian cuisine. Charlotte really puts a lot of effort into her classes, they are well planned and expertly taught. I really enjoy the restful and restorative element to the practice which makes a massive difference to my body which is often in fight or flight mode – this type of yoga really brings me back down to earth. Having said that on retreat there is also the chance to go into a stronger practice which I am normally resistant to but enjoy the benefits when I get there. This is a great value retreat with an excellent teacher in a stunning location.” – Julie, Sussex

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