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About Us

Elemental Retreats are a set of inspiring, seasonal retreats, designed to bring you from disconnection, back into connection. They are a pathway to follow for deepening your intimacy with all of life; the body, soul, Spirit, nature, emotional flow, key relationships, your inner guidance, and the sacredness of all things. 

The founder and key facilitator, Suzy-Anne, brings her passion for this quest; and gathers a team also dedicated to gifting their support and love in the service of this. This team of special souls welcome you to be, and unfold, into the unique ‘you’ that you are. They will nourish you, and give you space to welcome yourself ‘home’.

All the Elemental Retreats are beautifully held within the magical lands and renovated farm buildings of Sunny Brow, nestled in the safe embrace of the mountains and streams of the English Lake District.

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About Suzy-Anne

25 years ago I began a journey to come into better relationship with myself, my body, and the world around me. I didn’t even fully realise the extent at the time, but there was a lack of intimacy with life, myself and Self, that was causing discontentment, ill health and emotional detachment. Through the journey I have been on, I now know that it is possible to have a deep intimacy with life, the body, soul, nature, emotional flow, key relationships, my own inner guidance, and the sacredness of all things.

I began by practising yoga, where I found that the connection with myself, from the breath and body movements, felt unique and rewarding. Every time I stepped on the mat to practise the sensation of coming ‘home’ would arise. In this coming home there were somehow aspects of release, peace and a deeper ‘knowing’.

This yoga journey coincided with a path of healing my body from chronic candida through diet and lifestyle choices. This involved reading avidly about what was nourishing for the body from a food perspective, and learning to cook healthy and nutritious meals without sugar, dairy or processed foods.

Both these passions turned into trainings of various yoga styles, holistic cookery, macrobiotics, and emotional counselling.  What arose after these paths was greater physical healing, emotional wellbeing and regulation, and an even deeper passion for healing modalities.  As more and more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle of healing came into place, a visceral sense that I was improving emotionally, mentally and physically was apparent.

The next step was a vision of uniting these passions into a base in nature where I could share them with others. Now I understand that this vision was my wisdom body, activated by the practises so far, leading me onwards.

Moving to Sunny Brow Farm in Cumbria, and being emersed in nature, added even more layers to my healing journey. Now I began experiencing a reconnection and deeper relationship with Mother Earth. I was inspired by the rhythms of the year, seasons, elements, and the cycles of life. Birthing three children and the retreat centre within this period of time was all part of this journey.  As well as an unfolding of better intimacy within my marriage. These were all keys of love, within the hard work and initiations.

Leading from these pieces of the puzzle, was a natural and arising passion for marking the cycles of life, seasonal shifts, and rites of passage, with ritual and ceremony. Blessed to receive mentorship in All Nations sweat lodge tradition, and cacao priestess training, a ceremonial earth spiritual perspective arose. I was infused into practises that honoured and celebrated mother nature and, respected the journey of personal and spiritual growth within the human experience.  

A natural and joyful way to engage in life came home for me, along with a deepening awareness of the spiritual and ‘unseen’ parts of the human experience. Exploring deeper states of consciousness through lodge, nature's herbs, cacao, and breathwork has taken me to another level of healing and intimacy with all things.  This magical and mystical journey feels a natural birthright that I am grateful to have found.   It is now a daily practise for me, in varying ways, with the eclectic practises I am so blessed to have learnt.  We all have an inner wisdom body, and an ability to connect to the unseen support, that I now find an invaluable help to my human journey. 

I look forward to welcoming you to Sunny Brow where I enthusiastically share the practises I have learnt and the wisdoms that have arisen. I share these from the hope that you can be inspired to follow your own path to deepening with the intimacy with all of life, the body, soul, nature, emotional flow, key relationships, your inner guidance, and the sacredness of all things.

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Sunny Brow & Team

Sunny Brow Farm is directly surrounded by 33 acres of woodland, with native trees such as oak, hazel, hawthorn, and silver birch. The mountains that circle the wider Sunny Brow lands offer a loving holding and safety.  Limestone beck, and other streams flowing through the land ensure the retreat centre is cleansed and clear.  Fairytale-like footpaths lead to Black Craig and Tarn Hows, two famous nature spots in Cumbria. With the birds, badgers, deer, and hares keeping you company from the wild, this truly feels like a magical place to be. Our domestic animals, cats, dogs, ducks, farm chickens and sheep, also form a unit that can be enjoyed, close up, or at a distance should you prefer! ​

Suzy-Anne's husband, Philip, has lovingly renovated the farm barns and created new, yet complimentary spaces, for the retreat centre, very carefully over the last 16 years.  The spaces hold atmosphere and love with a blend of modern and old features. 

Suzy-Anne and Sunny Brow weave together trusting in a process of welcoming other amazing 'healers' to be a part of the retreat team.  

Clara Pase, our chef, works her amazing magic cooking and serving an array of beautiful plant-based wholesome meals, and dreamy gluten and sugar-free deserts. ​Each meal served is a gift of love, and we pride ourselves in carefully looking after all food intolerances.

Our massage therapists and support/guest facilitators vary from retreat to retreat. They are all special souls that have crossed our path, bringing their amazing talents. We feel so blessed to have this team; including the amazing singer songwriter and sound healer Olivia Fern, and renowned massage therapists Hanka Vrbulova and Bertalan Fodor. We hope you will enjoy the unique blend woven in on your chosen retreat. 

We also have helpers join us for shorter stays, who are travelers from all over the world. They stay in our beautiful woodland cabin, to support behind the scenes with the barn apartments; making sure they are clean, cosy, and ready for your arrival. This team also supports in the retreat kitchen at meal times, and often join the retreats as an exchange. ​

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