Courses

All residential course prices inclusive of Full Board, limited en-suite accommodation is available for a supplementary charge. We have a policy of not asking people to share. See tariffs for daily and special rates.
Course guests normally arrive from 3-3.30pm on Monday, leaving around 10am on the Friday, or from 3-3.30pm on the Friday, leaving around 2pm on the Sunday.
Bursary help is available - enquire on-line or phone for details.

February 5-7 REIKI I
Reiki has become known around the world for its ability to channel healing energy, both to those who practise it and those who are recipients. An introductory weekend course in a popular form of healing.
Anna Moore is a Reiki Master and has been teaching for over 10 years.
Cost: £170

February 12-14 WRITING WEEKEND: Discovering Springs - Creative writing
February fill-dyke: come rain or shine this weekend will access our reservoir of memories and allow the words to flow. A writing time for all.
Ted Walter. A poet and creative writing tutor for over 25 years
Cost: £170

February 15-19 LIVING WITH LOSS
A gentle, nurturing weekend for anyone who has lost a loved one, not necessarily by death. We will look at ways to cope with grief and explore the paradox of letting go while staying connected and forging continuing bonds.
Frances Crampton and Elizabeth Brown, both trained counsellors and healers and members of Quaker Retreat Group.
Cost: £290

February 19-21 GENTLE YOGA TO BOOST HEALTH AND STAMINA
During the weekend Tim will be encouraging alignment, balance and concentration through gentle yoga postures, meditation and mantra (sound) and also a little philosophy. The focus will be on physical and emotional balance to boost energy and stamina. Suitable for all ages and abilities, especially those with ME or other health problems.
Tim Francis trained and subsequently taught at Ickwell Bury. Currently teaching in hospitals. Tim has been teaching yoga for 15 years.
Cost: £170

February 26-28 FRIENDS FELLOWSHIP WEEKEND
This weekend is an opportunity to spend a weekend in a fellowship of Friends, Attenders and Enquirers in the peaceful, tranquil surroundings of Claridge House. There will be no formal programme for the weekend apart from the 15 minute Quiet Times and the Meeting for Worship on Sunday.
Cost: £170
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March 8-12 YOGA TO BEAT FATIGUE
Gentle yoga course suitable for all abilities. We will include fatigue-busting methods such as special breathing techniques, meditation and health boosting yoga postures. Also suitable for those with moderate ME/CFS.
Fiona Agombar, author of “Beat Fatigue with Yoga”, trained in yoga therapy with the Yoga for Health Foundation and in India.
Cost: £290

March 12-14 LIVING MORE FULLY This workshop is for people of any age, any state of health, who hope to have a few years ahead of them. We will come face to face with the ending of our lives, then turn back to see how this helps us to live more fully.
Frances Crampton, trained counsellor and healer and member of Quaker Retreat Group.
Cost: £170

March 12-14 SETTING UP A FRIENDS HEALING GROUP
A course for Friends interested in setting up a meeting for healing in their local Meeting or home, with sessions on absent healing and one to one healing as practised by Quakers. Discussions on, and participation in, healing will be included.
Pat Pique Quaker and spiritual healer and Cherry Simpkin, Clerk of the Friends Fellowship of Healing, a healer and trainer with Quaker Spiritual Healers.
Cost: £145

March 19-21 WORLD CIRCLE DANCE Dances from many cultures, a rich diversity of flavour, mood and beautiful evocative music to kindle our innate expansiveness, lift our spirits and open our hearts. Some experience of circle dancing would be useful. (If in doubt, please ask to discuss with tutor).
Eve Corrin, an experienced teacher of Circle Dance with a gentle, straightforward and relaxed style of teaching.
Cost: £170

March 22-26 PAINT WATER WITH A CHINESE BRUSH
Inspired by the symbolism surrounding water you will paint various aspects of water - from pools and waterfalls to the plants and creatures that live near water. You will use traditional Chinese Painting materials and complete several compositions to mount for display.
Maggie Cross learnt the art of Chinese Painting in Hong Kong where she grew up.
Cost: £290

March 26-28 QUIET STAY WEEKEND
Take advantage of a chance to recharge your batteries in the peaceful, tranquil surroundings of Claridge House. You can be as active or as passive as you like.
A bargain at a mere £120 or £220 for two sharing.

March 29-31 Support for QUAKER SPIRITUAL HEALERS
A gathering for full or probationary members of Quaker Spiritual Healers, offering an opportunity to develop understanding of spiritual healing with others on the same path.
Shella Parry, FFH/QSH, Alexander Technique teacher and Bach Flower Remedy Practitioner, and volunteer QSH healer at the Earl Mountbatten Hospice on the Isle of Wight.
Cost: £145
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April 2-5 EASTER BREAK
Cost: £195

April 9-11 YOGA AND AYURVEDA
An opportunity to explore the wisdom and healing benefits of Yoga and its sister science Ayurveda. Sessions will include physical Yoga working with the breath, relaxation, pranayama and meditation plus talks on the basic principles of Ayurveda, establishing your constitution and an appropriate lifestyle routine.
Bill and Gill Feeney, experienced Yoga teachers (ex Yoga for Health Foundation). Bill has been a student of Ayurvedic practitioner and teacher Dr. Vasant Ladd.
Cost: £170

April 12-16 WRITING HAIKU POETRY
Enter the world of Japanese poetry; immersing into the 'quietnesses' of Haiku while weaving this relaxing way of noting the ordinary moments into your writing. Become part of the Haiku way with a complimentary Journal. Also glaze and fire a Raku pot in the Japanese way to create a unique design.
Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning poet for Haiku and Renga, with fifteen years’ experience, and founder of With Words.
Cost: £295

April 16-18 THE JOURNEY OF THE SACRED CLOWN
Reconnect to the playful child within through the imagination of the clown. An open workshop for beginners and for those who have attended previous workshops. Fun and interactive with soft gentle exercises, using the breath, voice and movement. We will spend time listening to the quiet space inside and explore dance, mime, improvisation, clowning and the red nose.
Reuben Kay (PGCEE) is a teacher and performer of Sacred Clowning
Cost: £170

April 23-25 THE WAY OF LIFE - Meditation, Healing and the Tao Te Ching
For more than 2000 years the Tao Te Ching has been a guide for meditation, healing and a harmonious way of life. This course will examine how this can still be the case today. Participants are invited to read and/or bring with them, one or more of the 100 plus available English translations.
Jim Pym is a healer and teacher of meditation who has lived with the guidance of the Tao Te Ching for over 40 years. He is currently working on a book about his experiences with it.
Cost: £170

April 26-30 MINDFULNESS
A meditation retreat with an emphasis on the Buddhist practice of Mindfulness. Exercises cover physical, sensory, intellectual and emotional levels as well as meditation practices and techniques. Open to all levels of meditators. The Mindfulness practice will include periods of silence.
Anne Simpson is a meditation facilitator, homoeopath and healer
Cost: £290
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April 30-May 4 LATE SPRING BREAK
Special 24 hour rate: £57

May 4-7 SOUL AND SOIL - ‘Slow Gardening’
This course is all about growth - ours as well as things in the garden. We all come from, and go back to, the earth. In this time we will explore our relationship with the earth, and develop our connection to it. There will be some outdoor activities - bring a jumper!
Georgia Sumner, experienced meditator and qualified teacher of adults.
Cost: £230

May 7-9 CELEBRATING LAUGHTER
What do you enjoy most about sharing a good laugh? Is it the relaxation? The companionship? Or the boost to your health and well-being? Whatever laughter means to you, join us to explore a range of imaginative and playful exercises guaranteed to generate a weekend of laughter.
Jo Eadie, an experienced laughter and health facilitator and part of the UK Laughter Network.
Cost: £175

May 14-16 THE CREATIVE AND SILENT SELF
We use creative exercises, silent meditation and guided imagery to explore our potential and our dreams for the fulfilment of ourselves. Use the power of your creativity and intuition to review the landscape of your old life and create the future you want.
Kate Ackerley, an artist, therapist, experienced tutor, and healer member of the Friends Fellowship of Healing.
Cost: £175

May 17-21 MEDITATION WITH YOGA RETREAT
Meditation is now recognised as a very powerful technique to release stress and promote healing. Through Yoga postures, breath work, and deep relaxation techniques we encourage a meditative state. An opportunity to rejuvenate mentally and physically in a beautiful, peaceful setting.
Lina Newstead, a Diploma Course tutor experienced in running yoga and meditation classes, courses and retreats.
Cost: £295

May 21-23 THE QUAKER JOURNEY - enquirers and attenders
Many say that finding Quakerism is like coming home. But is it an arrival or a point of departure? The course will be directed at people new to Quaker meetings, those thinking of joining, and those who have recently joined. We will explore what it means to call yourself a Quaker.
Christine Habgood-Coote, Clerk to Sussex and Surrey Regional Meeting.
Cost: £175

May 24-28 WATERCOLOUR PAINTING - texture and pattern in Nature
Explore the natural world in an abstract or recognisable way, starting with some experimental techniques and small studies, building to more complete compositions. The grounds around us can add to our resource of objects and views.
Janine Creaye, a tutor with over 19 years of teaching art subjects to adults.
Cost: £295

May 28-June 4 EARLY SUMMER BREAK
Monday to Friday: £210
Special 24 hour rate: £57
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June 7-11 WRITING IN THE LANDSCAPE
This poetry workshop is designed to encourage and celebrate each person’s creativity in a supportive and constructive atmosphere. It is suitable for those already writing and those who have a desire to write. We shall be considering the inner and outer landscape.
Dennis Evans, a poet, teacher, trained spiritual healer and poetry workshop tutor.
Cost: £295

June 11-13 SACRED DRUMMING
Deep and lasting is the power of the drum in sacred work. When you experience shamanic journeys, clear energy, meditate into the realm of Spirit, pray to the angels, ancestors and guides, the drum holds you firmly on the earth so that you pass through the veils between the worlds in safety.
Steven Ash, who grew up on Wikwemikong reservation in Canada, is a teacher, shaman, healer and author of best-selling “Sacred Drumming”.
Cost: £175

June 18-20 STOP! IN THE NAME OF GOD
On 19 June groups across the UK from many denominations gather together on the Retreat Association’s annual Quiet Day. In our own Quaker-based weekend retreat, linking spiritually with others, we bring our own lives to a temporary STOP as we reflect on the benefits of stillness, and in quietness become aware of the presence of God in our lives.
Rosalind Smith, FFH, healer with QSH, counsellor and experienced facilitator.
Cost: £175

June 21-25 YOGA TO BEAT FATIGUE
A gentle yoga course suitable for all abilities. We will include fatigue-busting methods such as special breathing techniques, meditation and health boosting yoga postures. Also suitable for those with moderate ME/CFS.
Fiona Agombar, author of Beat Fatigue with Yoga, trained in yoga therapy with the Yoga For Health Foundation and in India.
Cost: £295

June 25-27 PILATES - an introduction
The vision of Joseph Pilates, the history of this exercise format and its benefits, will be covered. A selection of exercises will be taught and a worksheet for home use provided. All will leave with a sense of achievement.
Linda Watson, trained Pilates teacher of private clients and adult education classes.
Cost: £175
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July 2-4 CHINESE BRUSH PAINTING - Summer Birds and Creatures
Maggie will use traditional Chinese materials to demonstrate the techniques used to create freestyle and impressionistic pictures typical of the Chinese style. During the weekend you will paint compositions of flowers, birds and insects using the traditional materials. The course is suitable for beginners or improvers.
Maggie Cross, learned the art of Chinese painting in Hong Kong, where she grew up. Materials may be available at a small cost.
Cost: £175

July 5-9 CARERS’ BREAK
A midweek break set aside especially for carers. Unwind, rest and relax in a peaceful, caring atmosphere. Spend time on your own or with others who are also taking time out from the demands of being a carer.
Cost: £225

July 9-11 EXPLORING SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP
“Seek to know one another in the things that are eternal”. This weekend we explore the nature of spiritual friendship. We will consider how we may deepen our spiritual lives by receiving and giving support on the spiritual journey and sharing our experiences and insights with others.
Cherry Simpkin, a spiritual director, and a healer and trainer with Quaker Spiritual Healers.
Cost: £175

July 16-18 WORLD CIRCLE DANCE
Dances from many cultures, a rich diversity of flavour, mood and beautiful evocative music to kindle our innate expansiveness, lift our spirits and open our hearts. Some experience of circle dancing would be useful. (If in doubt please ask to discuss with tutor)
Eve Corrin, an experienced teacher of circle dance with a gentle, straightforward and relaxed style of teaching.
Cost: £175

July 19-23 DIMENSIONS OF YOUR WRITING SELF - a writing retreat
Supportive space for writing, silence and sharing. Time to focus, explore and experience yourself through the words you place on the page. One-to-one sessions offered. For all levels: those who intend to write; those who can’t find time to write; those who want more time to be with their writing.
Monica Suswin, a published writer in the field of creative therapeutic writing.
Cost: £295

July 23-25 REIKI II
Being attuned to Reiki II increases your Reiki, enabling you to treat yourself and others at a deeper level, to deal directly with mental/emotional aspects and to send out distant healing.
Anna Moore, a Reiki Master and teacher for over 10 years.
Cost: £175

July 30-August 1 FREEING THE BREATH - an introduction to Buteyko
Buteyko is a simple method of self-healing, through getting to know our own breath, and using breath to enhance our well-being. We will learn some simple exercises and begin to make small conscious changes which improve health. Especially effective for asthma, anxiety and other breathing disorders. (Wear loose comfortable clothing).
Linda Shampan, an experienced therapist, counsellor and qualified Buteyko teacher, who first learned Buteyko to treat her own long-term asthma.
Cost: £175
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August 2-6 EYE HEALING RETREAT
This workshop will give us tools to rediscover ourselves and to move us along a healing journey towards improving the health of our eyes. We will use sound, movement, stillness, relaxation and meditation, as well as specific Bates exercises to make our eyes stronger and to increase our inner power of self-healing.
Paula Luís, an experienced sound therapist, Reiki Master, circle dance facilitator, and shamanic and awareness healer.
Cost: £295

August 6-8 SOUND HEALING
Join us on a Healing Journey into our deeper selves led by the sound and vibrations of the drum, the singing bowls and the gong. Open up to deeper self-knowledge with chakra work and bring more joy, love and fulfilment into your life and the lives of those around you.
Paula Luís, an experienced sound therapist, Reiki Master, circle dance facilitator, and shamanic and awareness healer.
Cost: £175

August 9-13 BEAT AGEING WITH YOGA
Yoga can slow down ageing by improving the quality of your health in the long term. Included will be a tailor-made yoga practice to keep you feeling young, discussions on spiritual practice, diet, managing stress, looking after the spine and joints, and keeping your brain sharp with meditation and mantra.
Fiona Agombar, a yoga teacher who has studied yoga and ageing at the VYASA ashram and AVP ayurvedic hospital in South India.
Cost: £295

August 13-15 YOGA TO BEAT FATIGUE
A gentle yoga course suitable for all abilities. We will include fatigue-busting methods such as special breathing techniques, meditation and health boosting yoga postures. Also suitable for those with moderate ME/CFS.
Fiona Agombar, author of Beat Fatigue with Yoga, trained in yoga therapy with the Yoga For Health Foundation and in India.
Cost: £175

August 20-22 SUMMER SONG
Share the pleasures of a summer garden with words and memories, from the lyrical to the laughable in poetry or prose, and relax.
Ted Walter, a poet and creative writing tutor for over 25 years.
Cost: £175

August 23-27 QUAKER SPIRITUAL HEALERS TRAINING WEEK
A course in practical healing that gives those who are interested in becoming members of Quaker Spiritual Healers the opportunity to explore their own potential in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Applicants should be sympathetic to Quaker values and have been attending a Quaker meeting for at least a year. This course does not necessarily lead to full membership of the QSH.
QSH tutors.
Cost: £255

August 27-Sept 3 LATE SUMMER BREAK
Monday to Friday: £210
Special 24 hour rate: £57

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Phone us on +44 (0)845 3457281
Phone us or +44 (0)1342 832150 updated: 7 Feb 2010