“I knew that unpacking the emotional baggage of the season I’d just been through, plus how that connected to other things that had happened in my life, would be hard but valuable work and I wanted to create a good space for it. For me, it was hugely helpful to be in a place set apart and in time set aside.” High Meadow Retreat Guest

This update concludes our four-part series, What We Do, by focusing not on what we offer in our daily sessions, but on the space for retreat that guests enjoy outside their hours “in the room” with us. You can find the first three entries of the series (Debriefing, Counselling and Coaching) on our blog.

A typical High Meadow Retreat consists of 2-3 hour sessions every day (Monday-Friday) over the course of one or two weeks. This leaves plenty of unstructured time during the rest of the day which we encourage guests to use in ways that are restorative and life-giving for them. Put simply, we ask them to consider what happens outside their session to be just as important as what happens in them.

We thought that our past guests would be best placed to comment on the retreat aspect, so we asked some of them to answer a few questions. Here is what they said.

What was the benefit for you of spending time away from your day-to-day homebase environment?

“For me, this was probably one of the most important factors in seeing personal breakthrough and healing, second only to the daily sessions. Being physically removed from the temptations and triggers provided the necessary space needed in order to process and get to the core/root issues much quicker than had I still been at home. It allowed me to relax, breathe and think without being interrupted by daily responsibilities.”

“It was so good to be away from our homebase environment so that we could be free to process together as a couple without the stressors of normal life and without the presence of others. We needed time away to be able to process and heal well.” 

“For us, the in-person retreat was definitely the best option, and such a valuable time that helped us to make the most of the sessions with Mark and Jennifer without all the distractions of life at home.”

How were you able to make use of the time here outside of your actual sessions (e.g. for reflection, rest, processing what had been discussed in session)?

“I spent a lot of time reading, journaling, sleeping, and going on walks. Immediately following the sessions, I would eat lunch and go for a walk to process the day’s session (the walks included both trails right outside the house, or hiking trails nearby that I was able to drive to). I would end the day journaling/jotting down any notes I didn’t want to forget, reading a bit, and then going to bed.” 

“I heeded the advice not to fill afternoons with visits to friends and I’m glad I did as it created a good rhythm for my week to spend each afternoon in a beautiful quiet place, walking, soaking up beauty, eating ice cream!  Mornings and evenings were good times for me to journal and prayerfully reflect on what the Lord was revealing to me or just relax.”

“We used the time outside of the sessions to debrief together, but also to just have fun as a family. We explored local tors and took a trip on the weekend to the far west coast where we enjoyed some peaceful scenery and made some great memories. (Our favorite place was where the legend of King Arthur was birthed! It was beautiful! And our whole family enjoyed exploring the caves and beach near there.)” 

“During our two weeks at High Meadow we would generally have sessions with Mark or Jennifer in the morning and then have the afternoons and evenings free. It was so helpful to have this time and space away from the busyness of life at home to talk together, reflect on the sessions, process things that came up for us, plan for the future and pray. I’m not sure we’d have made that time if the sessions had been online or if they’d been local to us.” 

Was there anything that you particularly appreciated about our specific location (access to nature, trips to the coast and countryside, visits to the city)?

“High Meadow Retreat was the perfect spot for me. It’s located in a beautiful area of the country and provides easy access to the coast, hiking trails in Dartmoor and Exmoor National parks, historical spots like Stonehenge, and lots of really cool pubs (if that is your thing).”

“There are so many places to enjoy around High Meadow.  I had a happy Sunday exploring Exeter and the riverside walks, plus choral evensong at the cathedral.  Other afternoons gave me time to visit the beach, beautiful gardens and the moors.” 

“Yes! The location is wonderful! Devon is such a beautiful part of the UK and there are SO many options nearby for a relaxing and memorable day trip.” 

“The location of High Meadow meant we could go for a walk through beautiful countryside and talk without having to get in the car, yet were able to drive into Exeter in 15 mins for an afternoon coffee or evening meal if we wanted to. It was also great to be so close to the coast (we went for walks along the beach at Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton which aren’t far at all) and Dartmoor, where we enjoyed climbing a couple of the smaller Tors with our two-year-old son. During our sessions, he was cared for by a fantastic childminder Mark and Jennifer recommended, located about 15 mins from High Meadow and really easy for morning drop offs and afternoon collections.” 

We hope that gives a fuller picture of a High Meadow Retreat and, in particular, what happens outside of sessions. Many thanks to our guests who shared their experiences with us.