Finding Tranquillity at Middle Piccadilly Rural Spa Retreat in Dorset

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.

HEALTH MATTERS Releasing Toxins, Shedding Weight and Regaining Health in Just Five Days!

Despite my healthy veggie diet and heroic efforts with the jogging group, I was piling on the pounds, spilling out of my pants, feeling lethargic and battling embarrassing skin problems.

I knew intuitively my malaise called for a radical intervention. So one despondent Saturday morning I Google searched “detox retreats” and up popped the Simply Healing Detox Retreat at beautiful Alliblaster House in leafy West Sussex, not far from our home in Kent.

Bingo! I knew this was “it” even though there were many other excellent retreats to choose from. Simply Healing was voted Best Detox Retreat in the UK by prestigious Vogue magazine and described as “a million miles away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.”

My email was answered immediately and there was a place available within two weeks. Effortlessly, smooth as silk, I was booked in and all set for a five-day internal cleanse and delightful pampering in a serene rural setting.

The centrepiece of the Detox is colonic hydrotherapy, which involves cleaning out the colon (large intestine or bowel). The process is gentle and hygienic and carried out by expert therapists with great respect and professionalism.

The Detox requires consuming only fresh juices, soups and broth and a mixture of apple juice, clay and psyllium with probiotics and herbal supplements.

By stopping eating solid food, you give your overworked digestive system a rest and chance to release toxins through the bowel, urinary system, lymphatic system and skin. Your body is replenished with nutrients from the juices and broth and most importantly, if you are overweight, you rapidly shed the pounds and kick-start your sluggish metabolism into fat-burning mode. As a bonus you receive lashings of nurturing and care from skilled therapists.

I was ready and rearing to go but quietly anxious because I know what happens to me when I stop eating. I’m used to eating every two to three hours to stabilise erratic blood sugar levels and if I skip a meal I suffer headaches and nausea.

But stepping inside the massive charming country manor house, brimming with comfy sofas and soft furnishings, was like being embraced by a reassuring hug and instantly I felt safe and knew I was in a good, kind place.

Owner Vivien, a renowned healer who has studied ancient, natural healing arts around the world and leads tour groups in Peru and other exotic destinations, welcomed me warmly.  Lovely Kate, a former nurse, showed me around the sumptuous lounge rooms, vibrant with colour and artworks. My cosy upstairs room commanded peaceful views across the lush fields. 

There were eight women on my program who had travelled from all over the UK, keen to shed excess weight and rest from stressful jobs and recharge, revitalise and rejuvenate.

That first night we sat together around the formal dining table, apprehensive about what we’d let ourselves in for, clutching our mugs of Carrot and Coriander Soup, chatting and getting to know each other then retired to our rooms early with our own thoughts and hopes.

Predictably swapping my usual big carb-loaded evening meal for soup sent my system into shock and the headaches and nausea set in. At 5 am I was throwing up and on the brink of a migraine.

I pushed through to face the first round of juice and clay drink and felt sick all morning and

worried about how long it would take to feel normal. All the others seemed to be sailing through their first day without solid food.

I had read that 24 to 48 hours into a fast your digestive system stops expecting food and switches to drawing energy from the fat stored in the cells. Now that’s what I wanted to happen! So I persevered and by mid-afternoon I stopped craving food, the nausea eased and my whole system settled into a contented state.

I was able to ride through that initial rough patch with understanding chats with the other guests, an invigorating salt scrub with the lovely young April, and a colon massage (on the stomach!) with Aor, a gentle Thai lady with powerful, healing hands. I was off and away and from Day Two, the Cleanse was blissful.

In the immaculate candle-lit therapy room, I stripped down to a paper thong and April took my measurements and then slathered on a detoxing mixture of algae and clay and wrapped me tightly in bandages like a mummy. I eased myself into a thermal bag and lay there sweating while she gave me a soothing head and face massage. When April measured me again I’d instantly lost almost 14 inches! I could feel my waist again!

Florence, an elegant French naturopath gave me an exquisite reflexology treatment hitting all the key points before my first colonic hydrotherapy session with Helen, who has been dedicated to this health-giving work for several years.

Like everyone else on the course, I marvelled at the amount of old rubbish that came out of my body and was thrilled to be rid of it! Waste accumulates over the years and toxins can leach through walls of the colon made porous from Candida, which some health practitioners say is the root cause of a host of unexplained illnesses.

Vivien says the Detox is ideal for women and men over 50 to lose flab, correct nagging health problems and rejuvenate. “People aged from 50 to 80 come here and clean their colons of a lifetime of rubbish.”

I had a second colonic treatment with Carolyn who also set me straight on the mistakes I was making with my diet. She advised against the ready-made vegetarian meals, made from soya protein, with the wisdom that anything processed is not as pure as meals you make yourself. So I will now take the time to whip up my own scrumptious lentil burgers, bean chilli and chickpea curry.

Carolyn also suggested I break a lifelong habit of eating huge evening meals. She offered the homespun motto; “Eat for what you are going to do, not for what you’ve done!” It is far better to eat a hearty breakfast and lunch when you need the energy during the day and have only a light, carb-free evening meal. I know this will be a magic key to continuing weight loss.

And two more tips from Carolyn: Eat natural foods every colour of the rainbow and chew each mouthful 20 to 30 times to help your poor digestive system and eat less!

Natalie gave me the best and deepest massage I’ve ever had. It was painful (in a good way) as she released the tension I’ve been carrying in my neck, shoulders and back from endless hours hunched over the computer.

On my last day Aor gave me another deep tissue neck massage and I had an intriguing Hopi Candle treatment with Carolyn to clear the ears and nasal passages. It really worked! I now feel much clearer in the head!  

 

The all-female team of expert therapists are not only skillful and knowledgeable but

profoundly nurturing, which is salve for the soul as well as the body.

Kate and Vivien made the delicious juices, which seemed to be just perfect for our needs each day. My favourite combinations included Strawberry, Plum and Apple and Lime, Apple and Sweet Potato and I loved the savoury broth brewed from a variety of fresh veggies.

The course was ideally paced between treatments and free time to laze on the sun lounges or rest in your room. Kate led us on brisk early morning country walks and we relaxed around the open fire at night with guided meditations.

The whole experience is so easy for the guests yet obviously much hard work is going on behind the scenes to make the colourful, energising juices appear on the table every few hours and ensure that everything runs like clockwork.

Vivien and her family established Alliblaster House in 2000 so they have fine-tuned and perfected the Detox program over more than a decade with countless exuberant guests (who have scrawled their glowing reviews replete with superlatives and exclamation marks in the Visitors’ Book). 

I went home feeling like a new woman, 10 pounds lighter, with a fierce commitment to continuing healthy self-care. The Detox has kick-started the fat burning process in my body and I’m determined to continue losing weight with juices, soups and salads and a fresh new outlook. I would love to return every year for a tune-up!

Who would think it possible to achieve so much healing and transformation in just five days! I am grateful for to the wise, healing, nurturing women of magical Alliblaster House for the gift of regaining my health and energy!