One definition of ‘retreat’ is a place of privacy or safety, and this is exactly what we hope to achieve during our EFT training courses.
Most of my own training took place as part of a large group in city-centre hotels, which were well equipped with conference rooms and appropriate seating and flipcharts and projector screens. Usually there was a second room available for breakouts and meltdowns as we lovingly call them in the EFT world. It all worked very well, and at lunchtime you would step out of your lovely EFT bubble into the big wide world and scuttle to the nearest Pret a Manger for a salad and some soup, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the noise and all the people around you.
All of the EFT courses that I attended were well-staffed with helpers who could support trainees through any meltdowns they might experience during the training. I didn’t feel that anything was lacking in my own training experience but when I began to contemplate how I would like to offer training, it occurred to me that perhaps I could add an extra dimension.
For several years I have run retreats in the UK and overseas. These are always small groups of eight to ten people in a rural setting where everything they require during the day is on-hand. It truly is a place of privacy and safety, where people often form close bonds with each other, and have the opportunity to work through some of the ‘stuff’ that is going on in their life. Some of the work is in groups and there are activities such as yoga, pilates, country walks and nutrition sessions. But there is also plenty of space and time for people to spend in contemplation, perhaps reading, writing or just watching a movie.
I have seen people making significant shifts in their behaviour patterns during these retreats, and many have gone home with a set of intentions that they have implemented once there with great effect. One woman signed up for EFT training as soon as she got back and is now an EFT practitioner. Others have begun regular yoga classes, or introduced meditation into their daily lives. One man engaged the services of a personal trainer and cleaned up his diet within a week of attending a retreat and others report to me that they still eat a low carb, high protein diet having experienced the benefits over the days on retreat.
It seemed to me that if you could replicate the retreat environment to some degree and bring would-be EFT practitioners into that space, they will have a wonderful opportunity to clear some of their own stuff during the training, putting them in a perfect position to step into the role of a practitioner. They could feel safe and enjoy the privacy of the retreat-style setting.
So the hunt began for the perfect venue. My criteria list included a rural setting without being overlooked by neighbours; enough space to seat eight or ten people; a separate room for people to go with a helper if needed; kitchen facilities so that people can make drinks and bring their own lunch (and preferably a dishwasher) and an outdoor area to use if the weather is favourable.
I was delighted when a friend told me about a self-catering cottage near Lewes which fitted all the criteria with amazing views as a bonus. And so our first training took place in The Milking Parlour (I don’t think there have been any cows in there for several decades) and it exceeded my expectations.
All I need now is to be able to pick it up and move it to a field in various other locations around the country. So if you do know somewhere that meets the criteria anyway in the UK, please contact me at moc.r1733243786enoit1733243786itcar1733243786p-tfe1733243786@niar1733243786t1733243786 as I’d love to bring EFT to as many people as possible around the country. And we are also looking at offering EFT training in locations overseas with a relatively high number of English Speakers.
