We all want good stories to tell our grandchildren, but we need to make them happen. We want to help you create your own ‘edge of the seat’ story by providing you with exclusive accommodation.
This is an active retreat, which will help you to improve your physical and mental resilience, by honing positive lifestyle changes and exploring your limits in a stunning natural setting, where we will make you feel relaxed and at home.
The formula is designed both with wellbeing and performance in mind. Some background in running would be beneficial and you should have a reusable level of fitness. However you don’t have to be a primed athlete to sign up. You just need to be capable of running a half marathon at any pace. Our breathwork, Qigong and cold-water therapy classes, will provide a method for reframing and resetting your mindset towards life, work and sport, with an individual approach to each guest. Most importantly, we aim to provide a friendly and relaxed setting, as well as a learning environment, where you can connect with and learn from each other.
The Runs
Our running routes have been chosen by our retreat leader, a successful athlete, and mountain guide, who once lived in Spain, and reflect his love of landscape as a way of feeling connected. From Hujate, it’s possible to run for miles between villages and towns, navigating Los Ramblas (the dried-up river beds) and the via verdes, where the olives were transported to be pressed, as well as the miner’s paths up in the mountains. The routes are deliberately challenging, and designed to take you out of your comfort zone and into the growth zone but you are welcome to opt in and out at any times. You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness and curiosity about what you are capable and be able to run a half marathon at any pace but you don’t need to be a primed athlete.
We will have alternative, easier runs for people who are not seasoned runners. The owner of Molina Viejo Bernard is also a keen marathon runner and your qigong instructor Amanda, was also trained in hypnotherapy by a running hypnotherapist, so there will be a healthy spread of running literature around the retreat! The two hardest challenges will be our run up Mount Jabalcon in Granada, at 1492 metres above sea level. Not surprisingly the views from its peak present breathtaking, all encompassing vistas of the contrasting mountainscapes of the Sierra Nevada, and the stunning vision of Lake Negratin. You can also experience a fascinating diversity and hues of geology here. The other toughie is to the top of Los Minares from the parador del candrail, which will take you from around 1000m to 1800m over an 8k distance.
QiGong
Our Therapist is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Solution-Focused, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, a member of the UK Hypnotherapy Council (UKHC) clinical hypnotherapist and trained QiGong teacher, as well as a keen runner, who has used self hypnosis techniques and breath work, to improve her own running performance. She uses these techniques to hep others with their sports performance background, as well as for people experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress in their daily lives. She lives nearby in Seron and is the partner of astronomer and astrophysicist.
Sound bath
We will help you to reach new levels of relaxation and to appreciate the ancient art of vibrational healing. Be open minded and try it. It’s worth it!
The science bit: During a sound bath, which simulated REM sleep, you will shift first into the alpha state, before moving into the theta brain wave state.
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About The Host
The end goal is not to chip away at your 10k time but to enjoy the process of running, to connect with the landscape, sometimes in a transformative way that will open people’s eyes to new possibilities.