My New Tribe Residential

from Jamie (with photos from our July Residential)

As I travelled to the Dartmoor region where High Heathercombe and the retreat was located, I promised myself to do my best in taking off my armour. I have been someone that has struggled to feel part of, excluding myself just as the fun started, or sticking around and bursting into inconsolable moods and tears. In short, I have learnt to put armour on so that no one else could see how hurt, vulnerable and confused I have been. I have been consciously working on that since going to a rehab in South Africa a while back. It's meant a lot of beauty coming into my life. I have also had to start to learn some discernment as to who and where I hand that innocent raw trust to. Rite to Freedom came highly recommended by two loving friends. I also had the pleasure of enjoying their cabaret show which left a lovely mark... the other nugget of an impression I had was a fun, wonderful and encouraging chat over the phone with one of the coordinators. So I had some sense of hope in my heart that this was a place of people and energy that I was safe to open my heart and allow for myself. As I arrived I felt the kind of safety and reassurance that invited me to take off that clunky armour and let myself relax into being seen, held, celebrated and loved into magic. The rituals and movements of Rite to Freedom are in a space that feels down to earth, organic and real. None of it felt silly or inauthentic, never the less some of it brought me to what the retreat volunteers helped to define as an “edge”, where not every evolution can be expected to be comfortable. The setting was in itself “kushty”, little nooks to curl up like a cat and let some of the magic of the experience wash over, only requiring my presence and silence. The food was nourishing and fun, the weather was wet for most of my stay and that was amazing too! I experienced great connection with others, some of those are now subtle lovely memories, some are alive and active today. I am so grateful for my experience and my continued connection with Rite to Freedom, I hope it shows!

Om namo bhagavate...go well and kindest regards.

~ Jamie, participant April 2023