I wrote this feature for 50 Connect, a popular online publication dedicated to people over 50
Dominic went the extra mile, literally! I missed my stop at
Sherborne Station and he had to hurtle through the lush Dorset countryside to
retrieve me from remote Yeovil Junction. I waited stoically wrapped in my
thickest, longest winter coat deep in the belly of rural southern England on
this drizzly, foggy day.
I had journeyed two hours by train from London’s bustling
Waterloo for a relaxing stay at an enticing retreat called Middle Piccadilly run by
Dominic and Lisa Harvey; a beautiful, historic guesthouse founded by his artist
parents, Eliana and Gerry Harvey in 1985.
So now I am finally here, this Friday afternoon in January!
Dominic shows me to my charming, private room, and then leads me across the
crunchy courtyard to the cosy living room where tomorrow I will recline on a
comfy sofa before the therapist collects me for my keenly anticipated
treatments. The hub of the homestead is the rustic kitchen with warm earthy
tones, a rich terracotta floor, forest green tiles, unique handcrafted timber
cupboards and weathered wooden table where guests dine on scrumptious
vegetarian meals or pure fresh juices if they’ve opted for a revitalising
Detox.
Lisa greets me and does a health consultation. Fortunately
I’m a straightforward case, with no medications, allergies or major health
problems, just the persistent extra poundage I can’t seem to shift! But I’m not
here to diet; I’m here to enjoy the therapies and the tranquil get-away!
Friday evening I meet fellow guests, two young women,
lifelong friends who are having a girlie weekend away from stressful hospital
jobs, and we chat over our delicious lentil and feta stuffed roasted peppers
and veggies followed by apple crumble. Versatile Dominic is the accomplished
chef who can cater to all tastes and dietary needs.
That night in my warm and toasty room, I snuggle down with
facebook friends on my laptop and the Graham Norton show on the wall telly
before drifting off to sleep with no sound but the hooting of a distant owl.
Saturday morning, it’s the sweet birdsong I hear, not a
blaring alarm, and after breakfast I’m all set for my first treatment.
I’ve never had LeStone therapy before and I’m feeling wary
because those stones are scorching and I’m prone to hot flushes! I’m worried
I’ll start sweating like I’m in a sauna! But Maya places the smooth volcanic
stones in a row and covers them with a cloth and I lay on the massage table so
that my spine is resting on the hot rocks! It is surprisingly comfortable as
the heat seeps into the neglected tense muscles that support the spine.
With my spine relaxing, Maya massages my legs and feet with
a smooth hot stone. The sensation is divine. The heat gently eases tight
muscles without digging in and stimulates blood flow. And then she applies a
cold stone for a tingling rush! She gives the same luxurious attention to my
arms and hands, my stomach and neck and shoulders before I turn over. The
velvety stone glides all over my aching back, unravelling knots caused from
endless hours of laptop hunch!
The lovely Maya, skilled in a range of therapies, explains
that LaStone, which originated with the Native Americans, is her favourite
style of massage because the heat works very deeply but gently. I have to
agree, my body feels relaxed all over without any painful deep tissue pressing
and probing.
After Dominic’s homemade courgette soup, crusty bread, a
selection of irresistible cheeses and fresh salad, the other girls bravely head
off for a country walk in the blustery, icy wind while I relax in my room and
later have a wander around the garden.
Guests can take a country stroll on the Peaceful Lane
circuit, which takes about 70 minutes, explore Dogbury Wood or venture to the
Cerne Abbas Giant, a famous turf-cut
outline, depicting a large man wielding a club. The intriguing figure, listed
as a scheduled monument on a site owned by the National Trust, dates back to
the late 17th century and locals say it is well worth a visit.
Back at Middle Piccadilly, facilities include an impressive
mini spa with a sauna and Japanese soak tub and the awe-inspiring towering
Starhouse, a six-sided building for meditation, yoga and pilates that exudes
tranquillity.
The vast array of exotic therapies on offer tantalise with
names such as the Ginger and Cocoa bean Wrap, Mulled Wine Scrub, Green Tea Body
Wrap, Atlantic Seaweed treatment, Acupressure, Indian Head Massage, Thai Foot
Massage, Organic Facial, Exfoliating Body Scrub and Shamanic Healing.
The intimate retreat can accommodate up to nine guests seven
days a week and privacy and seclusion is assured for those wanting to de-stress
or guests keen to socialise have plenty of opportunities to chat over meals, in
the living room or outdoors.
Dominic excels himself on Saturday night with a gourmet nut
burger dressed with hot spinach and drizzled with tasty gravy, served with a
hearty dollop of ratatouille and fluffy baked potatoes. Dessert of rich
chocolate tart with berries is just heavenly.
Come Sunday morning I am scheduled for a session of Shamanic
Healing with Maya and slightly apprehensive. I’ve done loads of psychotherapy
over the years and figure I don’t really need any emotional release however I
decide to try it out.
And I’m so glad I did. I rattle off my “story”; all the
things that are troubling me in my life and Maya is the perfect listener,
silently present and empathic and then she guides me, using a soothing,
resonating drumming through a powerful relaxation and visualisation that has me
connecting with Nature, the elements of fire, earth, water and wind, and
drawing on Spirit to find my connectedness with all living beings in my belly
and heart. This stillness is just what I need to disentangle from my overactive
brain.
I see a vision of my future, all my cherished dreams wrapped
together in a joyful scene of family and friends laughing and loving together
in a cosy room with an open fire, and outside a vibrant garden of fruit trees
and veggies, hens, puppies and grandchildren running free. It is a vision that
guides me now and I am grateful for the kindness and sweetness of Maya who led
me there.
A tranquil, nurturing stay at delightful Middle Piccadilly
retreat in rural Dorset with the lovely Dominic, Lisa and Maya and the rest of
their talented therapists might be just what you need too.
