Rituals of Remembering - Summer Solstice Retreat 2026

A weekend of yoga, walking, delicious food and enjoying time in nature. For anyone who is feeling the need to come together with like-minded souls, surrounded by trees, bird song and to remember the importance of simplicity.

Rituals of Remembering is about reminding ourselves that, despite our busy, modern lives we are part of the natural world.

The summer solstice has long been celebrated in traditions all over the world. The longest day and the shortest night in the northern hemisphere, a time to gather around the fire and celebrate the light.

This event is also a celebration of the ritual that can be found in everyday life. From making your morning tea to swimming in the river, from yoga to dance, we will weave together the small moments with the bigger celebrations. We will share meals, share stories and move as a collective as a way of coming back to our rooted human experience.

This retreat is a chance for you to tune in to your Self, learn the magic of place, community, movement and gathering.

Who is it for?

People looking to celebrate the solstice with a small intimate group, connect with nature, meet new people, taking a moment's pause in the height of summer. The majority of the retreat will be outside, so you need to be comfortable with all the weather that Wales can throw at us! Be prepared for blazing sun and delicious rain, maybe all at once! You can be a total novice at yoga, or someone who’s practiced for years. Options will always be given to suit different bodies and energy levels on the day. Regretfully the retreat and the site is not accessible for wheelchairs users.

Location

Raquety Farm is a peaceful family run campsite for tents and modest size camper vans (VW campers and similar), 5-10 mins walk from the centre of Hay-on-Wye. There is a mixture of glamping pods, geodomes and open fields for pitching tents. The campsite offers warm indoor showers and toilets, outdoor showers and compost loos. With access to the Wye River via a private woodland track.

Address: Racquety Farm, Wyecliff, Hay-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR3 5RS

Who are the hosts?

Carrie Brassley is a yoga teacher and studio manager based in Bristol. She’s been teaching regularly since 2019 in various styles of yoga including hatha, vinyasa and partner yoga. In her classes she likes to explore fun ways to move the body, balancing challenging asanas with the calm and stillness of meditation. Her classes are dynamic and playful or slow and grounding depending on the energy in the room on the day. Growing up on Dartmoor, Carrie developed a love for the outdoors. Enjoying both the wildness of the Moor on windy, rainy days and splashing in the river Dart in the summer.

Ellie Snowden is a yoga teacher, massage therapist and workshop facilitator who lives in Bristol. She brings slow, relaxing practices into her work that invite people to listen deeply to their own systems. She is a proponent of bringing embodied knowledge together with collective sense-making through the creation of event spaces where bodies of experience collide for new threads of meaning to emerge. She grew up hiking the Welsh mountains with her family and adores spending time outside connecting with the wisdom that nature carries.

Chelsea Dow - Our wonderful retreat chef from The Nettle Kitchen

Accommodation Options

The Carapace: For two sharing as two single beds or a private room for one as a double. Includes use of private outdoor kitchen. (Prices between £414-530)

The Cocoon Room 1: For two sharing as two single beds or a private room for one as a double. (Prices between £479-£730)

The Cocoon Room 2: For two sharing as two single beds or a private room for one as a double. (Prices between £479-£730)

Bring your own tent/van. (Prices between £345-426)

Food

We are particularly interested in making this retreat joyful for those with sensitive bellies! Both facilitators have had their own journey with digestion issues. We aim to give you the most nourishing, deciduous food that works for your body.

Chelsea Dow, our amazing retreat chef runs The Nettle Kitchen and has amazing experience in bringing the best seasonal and foraged produce. She can also create incredible menus suitable for those with IBS, allergies and intolerances and any other dietary requirements.

What to expect

Arrival: Friday afternoon/evening. Optional ecstatic dance (needs to be booked separately)

Saturday: Morning meditation, followed by breakfast. A 3-4 hour hike and lunch in the beautiful Welsh scenery (route to be confirmed depending on group experience). Closing the day with slow flow/ yin yoga then dinner and sharing stories or songs by the fire.

Sunday: Morning yoga to celebrate the sun’s highest point in the sky followed by breakfast and a 2-3 hour hike with packed lunch provided. You can choose whether you depart or stay on another night for some non-guided integration in nature.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations refunded (minus £50/£100 deposit) up to 30 days before the retreat or at any time if you can fill your space. Deposits are non-refundable to cover admin time.