Booking Terms and Conditions

1. Booking Confirmation

   • To secure your booking, we kindly ask for a 20% deposit, which is non-refundable. The remaining balance is due before arrival.

   • Deposits are non refundable but are usually transferable - please discuss with us if a date change is needed we can usually accommodate.

2. Cancellation Policy

   • If you need to cancel we can usually transfer the date, full payment is not required until arrival so no refunds are needed.

   • In the unlikely event that we need to cancel, we’ll refund your full payment, including the deposit.

3. Use of Our Space

   • You’ll have access to the retreat center and all agreed facilities for the duration of your event.

   • We kindly ask that the space is returned as you found it, clean and tidy.

   • We kindly ask that you and your guests take care of the space during your stay. If anything gets damaged or requires extra cleaning, please let us know so this can be fixed.

   • Please note the retreat space is the barn and field, not the house or gardens - please make sure you and all guests know the boundaries and do not enter our private home. All gates that are shut and labelled ‘Private’ should not be entered by anyone.

4. Health and Safety

   • We’ll provide some simple health and safety guidelines when you arrive—please share these with your guests.

   • We recommend that you arrange insurance to cover any accidents, illness, or loss of personal belongings.

5. Liability

   • While we’ll do our best to ensure your stay is safe and comfortable, we can’t be held responsible for any accidents, injuries, or loss of belongings, unless it’s due to something we did wrong.

   • We’re also not responsible for any damage or loss to personal items during your time here.
     Lost property is kept for 6 months then donated. Please communicate this to your guests.

6. Changes and Special Requests

   • If you need to make any changes to your booking (like dates or facilities), just let us know in writing. We’ll do our best to accommodate, depending on availability.

   • Any special requests before your event. Some may incur additional costs.

7. Noise and Tranquility

   • Our retreat centre is a peaceful space, so we ask that you and your guests keep outside noise to a minimum. (special events with music can agree timings in advance)

8. Parking and Access

   • We have parking available for up to 18 small vehicles. Please let us know in advance if you have bigger vehicles coming - campers etc need to book a space.

   • You’ll have access to the property from 12pm on the day your event starts, and we kindly ask that you vacate by 5pm on the final day unless we agree otherwise.

9. Pets

   • No pets allowed - we have a dog that is our priority and many small wild animals in the field that we like to look after. (Bunnies mostly!)

10. Unforeseen Circumstances

    • If something outside of anyone’s control (like a natural disaster or government restrictions) prevents your event from going ahead, we won’t be liable for any costs or losses incurred.

Energy Bites

These are the energy bites I have made countless times for workshops and retreats and for gifts too. I always get asked for the recipe so thought it was time to share here so I can link you any time!

The recipe is by Anna Jones from her The Modern Cooks Year - a book I use all the time for Grōwan food, it’s all super nutritious and delicious and mostly vegan if not vegetarian. Highly recommend!

Makes about 30 bites
200g pecans
100g cashews
4 tbsp raw cacao or cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla paste
½ tsp fine salt
175g pitted fresh dates or standard dried ones soaked for 10 minutes
1 tbsp coconut oil

In bowl of a food processor, pulse the pecans and cashews until you have a rough powder. Add the raw cacao or cocoa and vanilla powders and salt. Pulse to mix evenly.

Add the dates and coconut oil to the food processor, then blitz, scraping down the sides of the bowl here and there. The dough should ball up, have a glossy appearance and come together on your finger. If it’s still a little powdery, add a teaspoon of water and blitz again until it comes together, but not so it is too sticky and wet.

Scoop out the brownie bite mixture in heaped teaspoon-sized portions, then roughly roll into balls. Put on to a tray lined with baking paper, then chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

Tin Loaf

This recipe is pretty much the one I have used for YEARS, it’s from The Five O’Clock Apron by Claire Thompson…. I have adjusted the measurements a little for my cold kitchen and my oven - don’t be afraid to mess with the yeast and salt to your taste.
Step one is best done the night before but the original recipe says a few hours… in the summer it definitely doesn’t take as long.

You need:
A mixing bowl
A loaf tin

Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour (or 300g white and 200g seeded/wholemeal)
10g dried yeast
10g sea salt (fine)
380g water

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel (wet with cold water and squeeze so its very damp)… I leave this overnight to give it plenty of time to rise, leaving somewhere warm will speed this up.

2. Move your dough into the tin. Cover tight the damp tea towel again. Let this rise again at least for an hour, but you don’t want it going over the sides.

3. Preheat your oven to 250c/gas mark 7

4. Bake at 250c/gas mark 7 for 10 minutes then turn the temp down to 180c/gas mark 5 and bake for another 30 minutes

5. That’s it - let it cool for as long as you can - but a warm slice with salted butter to ‘test’ is highly recommended.

How I teach

Some more information that I thought would be useful to have written down to share my approach on teaching yoga at Grōwan specifically.

I teach a mix of Hatha and Restorative yoga - Hatha is a bit of a catch all term, but generally we move through poses at a steady pace, and then restorative is very much comfortable poses supported with props held for a few minutes. I like to teach with the seasons as our lovely barn is set in a field that looks out into the Herefordshire countryside. You will definitely hear birds and you might see a bunny hopping around while you practice.

I teach in roughly 6 week series’ where we do the same classes every week, and as we progress hold poses longer and flow through slightly quicker. We might add in a few new things too. Then after 6 weeks I will switch it up.
I like teaching this way because I feel that repetition is very much a part of yoga - I have heard about classes in India being the same always and forever! The practice is always the goal.
I feel that through the 6 weeks you get to know what’s is happening next and that always feels great, I also feel that you start to notice how the poses feel when you are doing them each week. At first for example they might feel difficult to hold, but by the end you are holding it for longer very comfortably - and so you feel and see that progress.

I was taught in a trauma informed way, this is not just important for those that hold trauma but also for beginners. It informs my language and how I approach you in class. If you hold trauma yoga can bring things up - it is very common for people to get emotional during a class because you are tuning into yourself and your feelings. It is also not a given this will happen!

For beginners it means I won’t make you feel like you can’t do anything - or that you should be able to do something that maybe doesn’t feel good yet. I will help you find variations of poses while you practice as we all work towards holding the poses. I am aware that yoga was written and practised by Aristocratic Indian men first and foremost - so some of the poses don’t work on our female modern bodies - all of our bodies are different and we can adjust to make the poses work for us - while still holding reverence for where yoga came from.

A little note on restorative too, I find sometimes this is tougher than people think it will be - because it’s not physical work for the body. You are still and supported and it is a time for deep relaxation, something that day to day is not prevalent in our society! So it might feel pointless or strange but we are teaching our minds and bodies how it feel to be relaxed. This means than you are able to get there quicker - it helps with sleep for example and shutting off from work. Something I think is so needed for so many!

Any questions please email sally@growan.co

Why I practise Yoga

I want to get this down somewhere so when I have newcomers to my classes everyone doesn’t need to hear this all over again… why I love yoga and why I think everyone can benefit form a practice.

Obviously I love yoga - I have been practising since my very early twenties, very much starting because my gym had a class and I liked the idea of being more flexible and stretching out after a vigorous gym session but after a while the practises outside of the movement got me.

I do love how yoga makes me feel physically, it makes me feel lean and strong. I move with more ease, my mobility is good, my flexibility is good. As I get older this is even more important for me - use it or lose it as they say. These asanas are thousands of years old and still going strong - there is a reason for this, I do believe it feels good for everyone (with room for variations and modifications sometimes).

But mentally it’s the same, yoga has helped me get to know myself more and be more in tune with my needs it makes me feel mentally strong and flexible. I don’t sweat the small stuff, I know where my boundaries are and I hold them. I am solid when there are challenges in life - which there always will be! This is where the magic lies - with the pranayama and the meditation and the philosophy.

My classes are very much about the asana, meditation with breath. I do not always delve into the philosophy very deeply. I do think a light touch is what people need and want from Grōwan at the moment but maybe as time goes on we will find ourselves wanting more together and we can look into the ideas behind it all.

Always happy to chat yoga - email me sally@growan.co with any questions!

x

Easy Focaccia

This recipe is pretty much the one I have used for YEARS, it’s from The Five O’Clock Apron by Claire Thompson…. I have adjusted the measurements a little for my cold kitchen and my oven - don’t be afraid to mess with the yeast and salt to your taste. Highly recommend the whole book - it has some real gems for family food that everyone will love.
Step one is best done the night before but the original recipe says a few hours… in the summer it definitely doesn’t take as long.
Focaccia is best fresh in my opinion, but we do sometimes make toasted sandwiches the next day if there’s any left (this rarely happens!)

You need:
A mixing bowl
44 x 30cm baking tray (or roughly this size - I have used many different sizes)

Ingredients:
500g strong white bread flour
10g dried yeast
10g sea salt (fine)
380g water
Lots of olive oil!
Flaked sea salt
Herbs - I like thyme, oregano and rosemary

1. Mix the flour, yeast, salt and water in a bowl and cover with a damp tea towel (wet with cold water and squeeze so its very damp)… I leave this overnight to give it plenty of time to rise, leaving somewhere warm will speed this up.

2. Liberally oil your baking tray with the olive oil making sure all sides are covered and there is plenty in the bottom - use more than you think… again you can just to taste and play with this as you make more!

3. Add your dough into the tray and push it into the four corners to shape it into the tin. Cover tight the damp tea towel again. Let this rise again at least for an hour, but you don’t want it going over the sides.

4. Preheat your oven to 250c/gas mark 7

5. When it’s risen with claw like hands push holes into the dough, all over - don’t go through to the bottom. Then add a little more olive oil all over the surface of the dough, add your herbs here too.

6. Bake at 250c/gas mark 7 for 10 minutes then turn the temp down to 180c/gas mark 5 and bake for another 30 minutes

7. As soon as it’s out of the oven pour even more olive oil all over, and into the holes letting the bread soak this up… finally add lots of flaked sea salt. Leave to cool in the tin - it will be easier to remove.

Yoga Terms and Conditions

Retreats and Classes

All retreats and classes must be booked in advance.

Retreats and classes cannot be exchanged or refunded after purchase

If the a retreat or class is rescheduled or moved, Grōwan will give you the options of either retaining or exchanging your tickets.

If a retreat or class is cancelled, you may be offered the option to transfer your ticket to a future event or a refund on your tickets.

If the a retreat or class is rescheduled, changed, moved or cancelled Grōwan cannot be held responsible for any resulting costs you may incur for travel, accommodation and other related goods, services or compensation.

Grōwan reserves the right to alter or vary the content or timing of any part of a retreat or class in circumstances beyond its reasonable control without any obligation to make any refunds or exchange tickets.

If all or any of a retreat or class is planned to take place outdoors it will take place regardless of weather conditions (unless deemed unsafe). There are no refunds for bad weather. We will advise on what to bring - we always have cover.

Other:

Grōwan does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage to personal property brought onsite.

Guests are not permitted to bring animals to retreats or classes with the exception of guide, assistance and hearing dogs. Please discuss any additional needs with us before booking.

Brotherhood

Brotherhood is as ancient as man. 

The men (and boys) in our ancestry would sit together, often, and talk, share, plan, decide, release, grieve and support each other.  

In today’s world, men’s groups are still on the fringes of society.   

They are important. 

And needed.

Male isolation, loneliness and suicide is the silent epidemic of our times

Lockdown 2020 (remember that?), I was experiencing a deep dark depression, isolated from people, and relying on my partner to be my everything.   It wasn’t natural.

 Initially, I resisted the online realm of ‘zoom’ brotherhood, but I was pushed and encouraged by deeper parts of myself (and others).   That was to be my first time hosting a men’s group online. 

It changed everything for me.   For one, it showed me the power of brotherhood and connection is not diminished through a laptop screen.    Simply showing up, listening, talking, sharing, celebrating, being courageous and vulnerable, had a big positive impact on the men present.

The truth is we all share the fundamental needs:

• To be seen

• To be heard

• To feel safe to express ourselves

• To be held and comforted  

Life's value lies in our relationships with others; these connections are what truly matter.

 ‘Community is the medicine’ 

How does it work?

“Everyone carries with them at least one piece to someone else’s puzzle.” Lawrence Kushner

The power of togetherness cannot be underestimated.  

 Sharing and articulating your inner world in the presence of others requires immense courage.

 Actively listening to others as they courageously share their experiences is a profound source of wisdom.

A healthy dose of shadow work

 Shadow work is giving name and form to those parts within you that are held back, suppressed or denied.   

This can sometimes be an uncomfortable process of acknowledging, recognising, accepting and integrating parts of yourself that have been kept hidden. These could be emotional aspects, thoughts or ideas, memories or projections.   

 But it’s not all dark, there is also a light shadow, the parts of your creative genius, your skills and positive traits that sometimes go unrecognised by yourself and others.

 This is an opportunity to not only integrate the dark murky sh*t of human fragility, but also assimilate the brilliance within you.

Learning to trust men again

The masculine archetype, with its complex tapestry of the Father figure, the King, the Warrior, the Lover, and the Magician, has been lost in the modern world.   It is through the process of witnessing the archetypes in other men that allows us to recognise and integrate these parts within ourselves. 

The modern world is a sh*t storm of complexity.   We are disconnected, fragmented and out of alignment with ourselves, each other and the natural world.  

On top of this, men’s superpower has been stolen.   Our ability to focus on one thing is constantly being hijacked, often right in front of our noses. 

I call this the ‘Three-Body Problem’.

• Stolen Focus

• Forgotten Masculinity 

• Disconnection 

Together, we unravel this mess.  

The Core Values Of Brotherhood 

Commitment is vital in any endeavour.   You are fully committed to showing up on time for every session and the exercises, practices and connections in between.   

Fire is a fundamental energy every man must cultivate.  This means each man is open to being challenged, open to challenging each other, holds themselves accountable and encourages action and momentum in each other’s lives.   

This is paramount, for without it, the group can struggle and get lost in endless emotional processing. 

Confidentiality matters.    All men are encouraged to use ‘I’ statements and share only about their personal experiences, and not to share about anyone else's process, in or out of the group work sessions.   This fosters and cultivates a deep trust that leads to deeper connection, which lies at the heart of this work. 

Courage is welcomed and held in high regard.     Courage and vulnerability go hand in hand.   Courage to be seen, to be heard, to be held and ask for support.   Courage to try something new, courage to make mistakes, to fail and to try again.     And the courage to see, hear, hold and support others without judgement.     

 Without courage, we remain prisoners of our own fears and limiting beliefs, never truly experiencing the depth of connection, growth, and authenticity that life offers.

Truth is the cornerstone of men’s work.    In parallel to courage, truth is speaking directly, articulating as best and as honestly as possible.  Truth is transparent, real and raw.   Truth is ‘I’ statements.   Truth is rarely opinions or stories projected onto others or the world.   

Through the power of speaking, sharing, intuitive potential of active listening and the joyous healing of community, our true essence becomes manifest.  Be it through creativity or life-force energy, we emerge reborn and ready for adventure. 

We live in a crazy, complicated, fast paced and disconnected modern world.   Our intention with this work is to untangle the complex knots that divide the simple connections between us. 

Be brave | be bold | be beautiful 

BEING | BELONGING | BECOMING

If you are interested in joining us, or curious to know more, you can find our event booking page here:

LINK

To get in touch with me or to follow my journey, you can find me here:

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