Born to Jamaican and Irish parents in England, nowadays Scarlett spends the majority of her time living in Goa, India.

Scarlett has been practising yoga and meditation for more than 15 years and sharing her experience of yoga with students for 4 years.

In India her passion of music and dance has led to studies of Katak (Indian classical dance), playing the bansori (bamboo flute) and tabla (Indian percussion drums).

On the occasions that Scarlett is in England as well as teaching yoga her life is enriched through working with both children and the elderly:

"I learn well from the free spirited energy of children who's ability to live in the moment is absolutely effortless......their playful, inquisitive, open and innocent characters inspire me to be more so, and the elderly who have journeyed through so many years of living.... giving them a twinkle in their eye expressing the humour and wisdom that life blesses us with and conveys a sense of peace, surrender and a deep sense of gratitude for our very existence".

"Like any great joy in life.... Nature... laughter... friendship...love... I hope that the precious jewel of yoga is experienced throughout the world. I would love to see people live through the yoga teachings to explore their true nature and realize their full potential. It would be great if all of us that have been touched by yoga can find ourselves journeying inward with awareness, good intentions and a connection to our inner wisdom to enrich our own, and the lives of people all around us, with relaxation, peace, joy, smiles, laughter and most of all LOVE."

Rock It Yoga with Scarlett and Gemma
7 th - 21 st July

The retreat is a balance between a study and practice of yoga to exploring, having fun and enjoying the fabulous Spanish countryside

The emphasis of this retreat is to relax and realize that yoga with intent can play a positive role within our daily lives. Let's look at ourselves and question and discover what yoga does for us on a personal level and thus experience and appreciate the benefits of a practice with integrity and meaning.

Mornings will begin with a long yoga practice (3 hours).   These morning sessions offer the opportunity to explore and utilize breathing, awareness, movement and stillness through a combination of simple yoga techniques (asana, pranayama, meditation and relaxation). Time will also be allocated at the end of the morning session for people to ask questions and share their yoga discoveries, thoughts and feelings.

Late afternoon sessions will alternate between dance and meditation sessions with Scarlett and Gemma. Some sessions we will just "shake it" and express ourselves to trance, tribal and world music, some sessions will focus on a more formal intro to flamenco dance. Meditations will consist of intro to insight meditation and walking meditation in nature. In the evenings we will enjoy a large hearty meal together and see how the evenings unfold. Apart from the set activities there are endless mountain walks, swimming in the water tank, swinging in hammocks, or indulging in massages and treatments. We can also arrange excursions to Ronda for a Flamenco evening and retail therapy, or a full day picnic by the river and trip to the village.

For all levels of yoga students this retreat is an opportunity to experience the practice of yoga with a simplistic and easy-going approach. Our approach will honor individuality and encourage a sense of honest exploration and enquiry into our own true nature. Let's move toward developing an ever-increasing degree of sensitivity, openness and awareness so that we can have a more effortless and enjoyable existence.   The yogasana is an ashtanga/dynamic based approach but can be modified to suit those with a gentler practice.

Gemma Mallol

Half English from London, half Spanish from the Island of Ibiza

Gemma Co Owner/Director of El Convento has been running yoga retreats and holidays for 7 years now in Ibiza, Sri Lanka, and Andalucia.

She has a 6 yr old son Toby who is the main focus of her life.

She got into meditation and yoga 9 years ago, initially inspired by Vipassana and Buddhist Meditation particularly Thich Nhat Hanh and the Insight Meditation Soc. and Sivananda Yoga, she then moved into Ashtanga Yoga and has now developed her own style which fuses many aspects. She believes yoga/meditation is a unique and personal journey that can open and unfold naturally and gracefully with no need to force or push - this requires patience.

She believes that living in natural environment can really benefit the path of Yoga as does a supportive community of friends and guides/teachers. She believes Love is the highest aim of yoga/meditation, to be able to unite with love so you can give and receive it freely and fully.

She loves all dance forms, music and partying but particularly resonates with Flamenco, as a child she was brought up with it. She is particularly inspired by living in nature and the sea, and has made her winter home the past few years in Goa, S. India. She has spent a lot of time in India since the early ninetys pursuing various Yoga studies including Ayurveda and Panchakarma therapy. She worked as an Ayurvedic therapist in Ibiza, London and Kerala.

She has done a lot of self-practice, and in many aspects is self taught, with some expert guidance when she needed it here and there.

She has learnt particularly from close observation of people, her immediate family, Sid, her best friends, and in Yoga Danny Paradise.

She is the founder of the wild flower collective and in it she teaches insight meditation, cooks, hosts the chit chat and mutual healing sessions, teaches flamenco and trance dance, gives ayurvedic massage, and throws a wild party.....

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Essential Femininity - Womens Retreat with Gemma and the Wild Flower Collective  
28 th July - 5 th August

In this womens retreat the main focus will be re-connection with our innate feminine essence.   There is no obligation to attend any of the sessions, you can do what you want.

Through a variety of ways and means we will explore what it means to be feminine and how to find ways to express this in our lives. We will explore how to maintain a healthy sense of self through motherhood, in our relationships, and in our work (particularly if we do vocational or care giving work). We will develop ways of reconnecting with this Yin aspect of ourselves within our western world where we are dominated by Yan energy and the relentless emphasis on doing and careers.

• In this retreat we will tap into the Yin aspect of ourselves - the feminine aspect and the emphasis will move into being together, as opposed to doing together.
• The Yogasana on this retreat will be taught be Scarlett and will be 1 hr a day of soft, restorative postures particularly for female health and well being, there will be focus on postures for pre menstruation and menstruation and guidance on how to honour the feminine cycle in asana practice.
• There will be a daily wild flower healing session and mutual pampering sessions (face masks, natural beauty treatments, pedicures/manicures, facials, head massages etc bring your favourite products to share....) where we hang out, chat, talk openly, tell our stories, laugh, talk about men, children and relationships....
• Afternoons will consist of alternating sessions of meditation, dance, drumming, voicework (singing sessions), and walks in the mountains all according to the groups needs. Charlie will lead the singing and drumming workshops.
• There will be adobe provided for anyone who wishes to try out mud sculpture.
• There will be a night out in Ronda for proper Spanish food and wine, and a pic-nic day out to the river near the village.
• The retreat will be concluded by the group making a Miniature Wild Flower Temple from adobe, in honour of us all as unique, beautiful women.

On this retreat we will encourage some communal activity in the kitchen, (chopping veg, washing up,) no obligations... The nature of the retreat will be spontaneous, and the timetable flexible, there might be some early mornings and some mornings to lie in. There will be ample space to be with yourself and all the time please be yourself. Engage in the activities that make you feel good, make you feel feminine, give you joy. Find your own pace, honour what is good for you, Say No if you want to.

Afro- European, Zimbabwean born, further education at the Laban Centre of Movement and Dance, Goldmiths, Universtiy of London, single mother of 5, she currently resides in India with her children. Her background has dance origins, and this inspiration lead to a life enquiry into the philosophy of movement.

Her early involvement as a Sister of the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Organisation lead her to express her message within the realms of sacred silent movement. A student of Iyengar Yoga for 7 years, she has subsequently taught for the last 14 years in diverse spectrums of societies and neighbourhoods. She has remained committed to Brahmacharya, BKS Iyengar and is devoted to the practice of Yogasana as an active form of meditation

Teaching establishments : Adult education in London and Kent, special needs, therapeutic sessions for the aged in residential homes, primary school childrens classes, college and university students, remedial private sessions, health centres, and corporate business. For the past 3 seasons she has taught in Goa both open drop in classes and short courses, additionally she taught for 6 months in Varanasi at a yoga training centre. Other experience includes Outreach Social Work: Mental health, womens groups, the youth, and asylum seekers. She is a holistic therapist, specialising in reflexology and deep tissue massage

She is a Member of The Iyengar Teachers Association Worldwide, Phoenix Prison Trust Oxford UK, and Ma Ganga YogArti Mandal Society, India.

In the Wild Flower Collective she teaches Iyengar yogasana, meditation, and dance. She gives deep tissue massage and reflexology. She co hosts chit chat and mutual healing sessions.

Yoga 4 Life with Penny and Gemma- (Guests can attend 1 or 2 weeks)
1 st - 15 th September

Yoga 4 Life will consist of daily asana practice for 2 - 3 hrs taught in the Iyengar style with little emphasis on props. In Pennys teaching she focuses on the breath for creation and sustainment of movement, she encourages sensitivity and feeling to open up space within the being as a science and art to unite the mind, body and spirit in Light for the individual to experience and fulfill ones true potential holistically

Yoga for her is "a personal journey of self discovery" although she is classically trained, the deepening of this self-knowledge allows her to teach with ease and spontaneity, immediately adapting to the needs of the student.

This retreat holiday will be complemented by an afternoon focus on dance, movement and meditation. Walking meditation and some guided sessions on insight meditation will be led by Penny and Gemma, on alternating days there will be an introduction to flamenco and trance dance to loosen up the body and mind in a more relaxed and informal way.   Penny offers deep tissue massage and reflexology. Penny and Gemma will lead the healing wild flower sessions to complement all the practices encouraging open communication, informal discussion and light hearted gossip and stories.

On this retreat there will be spontaneous excursions to Ronda for a flamenco and cultural night out, and a pic-nic day to the river and local village.

Flamenco Dance
Please bring long flowing skirt for Flamenco and flowers for your hair...
In both these dances we will work with timing, counter rhythms and expression.
The flamenco sessions will introduce you to some basic rhythms and moves and get you acquainted with the sound of flamenco. Flamenco rhythm is tight, complex and unexpected, the challenge of this dance is in its timing, and in its ability to unite opposites in movement (sound familiar...   ha tha yoga, sun moon yoga, union of opposites.....) In this dance, we try to find space and stillness within complex timing and at the same time moving with passion, heat, and emotion. In Flamenco it is always the dancer that leads the musicians. Gemma hopes to be able to transmit some of the spirit of Flamenco with not too much emphasis on technique at this level. She hopes to get people dancing with some Flamenco style and moves but at the same time encourages the students to tune into the music and interpret it in their own way as long as the timing is correct.

Trance Dance
Trance dance is very different in as much as the timing and rhythms are more basic and uniform, however what it offers us is space to be able to move and interpret the music as we wish and it is possible to dance to this for many hours and enter into a trance like, meditative state. Gemma was on the trance scene long time before she was into yoga, the combination of the two makes sense to her. It is a high energy dance where youre creativity and intuition can be unleashed, it is a form of meditation that is very accessible and very enjoyable for all. It is a wonderful way to rejuvenate prana especially being outside in the pure Andaluz mountain air, it is great for cardiovascular strength, and encourages us to explore a whole new range of free form movements.

The dances appear to be opposites, flamenco is earth, trance is space. Trance is electronic, flamenco organic, trance beats are simple and uniform, flamenco rhythms are complex and free form. Trance transcends the human, flamenco celebrates the human....However, as we become acquainted with both dances we start to experience that each dance contains the other.

The Midsummer Family Festival
11 th – 22 nd August

Midsummer in Andalucia is a time for celebration for all the family, it is full of music and dance and taking time to enjoy being with one another.
Meals are long and taken in the cool shade or outside in the fresh night mountain air.
A siesta is a must ….
The Midsummer Community Retreat is a relaxing time of festival like fun for all the family and there is a diverse range of holistic activities on offer.
Families can camp out together in nature in our large tipis, round tents, eco style huts or you can bring your own tent. There are no roads in the national park and children can enjoy the endless space and explore and run around free.
The day starts with a 11/2hr   yoga session for the adults. For the children there are concurrent morning activities held by Sally.
Sally has a whole range of kiddies activities to offer: circus skills, arts and crafts, nature trails, dance/music, and theatre/performance.
There are 3 meals a day of organic where possible hearty fusion Mediterranean/Asian cooking, there are fish dishes on offer too. We have wine and drinks for parents and ice creams in the freezer and treats for everyone offered at the in house honesty bar.
In the afternoons, after a good siesta, and when the heat has subsided there will be alternating workshops of singing and drumming with Charlie, circus for all the family with Sally, and flamenco dance with Gemma.
In the surrounding area familys can enjoy endless mountain walks, horse riding at a nearby farm and swimming in the tank.

The Wild Flower Collective will be offering massage, reiki, and tarot readings for an additional cost. We can also arrange a pic-nic excursion to the river and a trip to Ronda depending on the group.

“All in all a truly great week and a very memorable experience. Top class yoga teaching in the best possible practice environment – thank you Nic.
The Food: Charlies comment (7 yrs) “when is the real food coming” – I thoroughly enjoyed the food and didn't realise there were so many different vegetables to be had. Thank you Ronnie, Sebastien, and Jonquil.
The Music: I really enjoyed to meet such a pleasant couple like Chris and Charlie and also to be part of their music sessions.

Half Scouse, half African, now living in Wigan. Charlie is a single mum to Daisy who is now 6 years old. She is currently studying Comparative Religion…
She is a highly accomplished singer/songwriter/musician, she is Choirmaster for Brouhaha International, Director of the Royal Philarmonic Groove Zone Project, Liverpool.
She is in quite a few different bands, particularly the Hat Band.
She has been reading Tarot Cards for 13 years.
She is a performance poet and storyteller and has many Goddess stories to share. She does Kabbalah readings from the Tree of Life.

Charlie will lead the afternoon singing and drumming workshops.
On the workshops she will offer   “anyone can drum” sessions, call and response, a beginners guide to hand drums.
She will lead and facilitate the Singing Freedom sessions that focus on breathing techniques and song composition.

The workshop is composed of 3 stages:

• Stage 1: Breathing, preparing to sing, understanding how we sing, and singing.
• Stage 2: Expression, creation and composition.
• Stage 3: Perfecting our song through harmony, structure and practice.

She uses her workshops to help people express their creativity through voice-work and   song composition. Her sessions can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
She has ample experience transmitting her musical passion to everyone and can get anyone singing. Her singing and drumming workshops breakdown barriers that exist between spectators and performers and her trans-cultural background and ability to perform and teach all types of music from choral works to hip hop means that her teaching is accessible to all, regardless of gender, age or culture.
Her warmth and humour are a great antidote to musical blockages or inhibitions that students may otherwise experience.

In the Wild Flower Collective Charlie leads singing and drumming workshops, she is a poet/storyteller, reads Tarot cards and reads from the Kabbalah Tree of Life.

Sally Handly

Was born in Singapore and lived there and in Hong Kong until the age of 19. Growing up in Asia gave her great fondness for sunshine and outdoor fun and adventure. She currently lives in Bath.

She completed a P.G.C.E in primary education and is a primary school teacher by profession. She is also a physical performer. Over the next 10 years, whilst teaching in London, on her holidays and free time she traveled extensively in India and got into juggling, circus and performance festivals in the UK and Europe which she was introduced to by her younger brother. She got totally hooked on the scene.

In 2001 age 39 her daughter Leilah was born and she began life as a mum! She has found motherhood great fun and it has given her full license to play, improvise and enjoy the amazing world of childhood!
Over the past 4 years she has been running kids areas and entertainments at various festivals and events all over England. In 2005 she began a pre school music and movement session 3 times a week.   She is also a kids party entertainer.
She is wonderful with children, has boundless energy, patience, great humour.
She is a singer and musician.

In the Wild Flower Collective she looks after the kids! A very important role! She facilitates the childrens workshops for the Midsummer Community Family Festival, these include circus skills – (hula hooping, bubbling, juggling, chinese ribbons and other twirly whirlys which are not only great fun for all the family but also improve coordination, dexterity and concentration), theatre/performance, arts and crafts, and nature trails etc …

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