Amanda's experience...
"I am still finding it hard to articulate my Nong Khai experience. I know it sounds overly simplistic but I just loved everything about the whole trip and I wouldn’t change a thing. I am so grateful – I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to experience such a magical little place with such beautiful people.
As a single person who finds travelling on my own extremely intimidating I am so pleased to have found you and the retreats that you offer. I would definitely do another; in fact I would like to do another one with you again soon. I really liked that the group size was small. I always felt supported when I needed it but I also had plenty of time to do my own thing. I also really enjoyed staying in the one place for the majority of the time, as I was able to really settle in and get to know the area. I have found on other holidays I have done the continuous packing up and moving on to sometimes be quite exhausting.
The way you structured the three parts of the retreat was ideal. It was great to spend time with the group getting to know Nong Khai together when we first got there. I appreciated your support showing us around and I was surprised how easy it was to get around on the bikes you arranged for us. Once again, I would have found this a little daunting if I was on my own. Each of the day trips were so much fun and Aey was an amazing tour guide. It was great to have that local knowledge. I also loved Aey and Noi’s cooking demonstrations – they made a great combination.
I was then well and truly ready for the yoga course to begin in the second week and it was without a doubt the highlight of my trip. As you know I have been practising asana here in Newcastle for a while and I was so looking forward to going a little deeper into the other aspects of yoga. Pancho and Beatrix are amazing at what they do and provide a truly special experience. The depth of their knowledge is astounding. I would love to go back and do the 30 day advanced course with them and the reiki course too. Likewise, the cranial sacral work I did with Silvie and the reiki treatment I had with Beatrix were so transformative. I still can’t believe that something so subtle and gentle can be so powerful. These people are true healers and yogis. They were so generous with their time and energy and I will be forever grateful.
As I expressed at the time, I didn’t want to leave Mut Mee or for the yoga course to end. I could have happily spent a few more weeks practising daily with Pancho and being exposed to his seemingly limitless knowledge and amazing energy. I guess that’s why they offer the 30 day advanced course. It was therefore with apprehension and a little sadness that I packed up and moved on to Barn Suan. It was hard to say goodbye to such beautiful people and that’s not even mentioning Mr Udom and the beautiful three sisters and their amazing massages.
To my surprise Barn Suan Sanctuary was the perfect way to end the retreat and consolidate the whole experience. Don, Jeem and Ed were equally as special - I am still amazed by how many wonderful, truly special people I got to know and meet. Your ayurvedic cooking classes were another highlight. It’s really lovely seeing someone do something that truly lights them up and gives them joy. I look forward to learning more about ayurvedic healing and medicine with you in the future. Thank you Mary so, so much for a wonderful, amazing experience. My heart is full of love and appreciation for you always and forever. xx."
"I am still finding it hard to articulate my Nong Khai experience. I know it sounds overly simplistic but I just loved everything about the whole trip and I wouldn’t change a thing. I am so grateful – I cannot thank you enough for giving me the opportunity to experience such a magical little place with such beautiful people.
As a single person who finds travelling on my own extremely intimidating I am so pleased to have found you and the retreats that you offer. I would definitely do another; in fact I would like to do another one with you again soon. I really liked that the group size was small. I always felt supported when I needed it but I also had plenty of time to do my own thing. I also really enjoyed staying in the one place for the majority of the time, as I was able to really settle in and get to know the area. I have found on other holidays I have done the continuous packing up and moving on to sometimes be quite exhausting.
The way you structured the three parts of the retreat was ideal. It was great to spend time with the group getting to know Nong Khai together when we first got there. I appreciated your support showing us around and I was surprised how easy it was to get around on the bikes you arranged for us. Once again, I would have found this a little daunting if I was on my own. Each of the day trips were so much fun and Aey was an amazing tour guide. It was great to have that local knowledge. I also loved Aey and Noi’s cooking demonstrations – they made a great combination.
I was then well and truly ready for the yoga course to begin in the second week and it was without a doubt the highlight of my trip. As you know I have been practising asana here in Newcastle for a while and I was so looking forward to going a little deeper into the other aspects of yoga. Pancho and Beatrix are amazing at what they do and provide a truly special experience. The depth of their knowledge is astounding. I would love to go back and do the 30 day advanced course with them and the reiki course too. Likewise, the cranial sacral work I did with Silvie and the reiki treatment I had with Beatrix were so transformative. I still can’t believe that something so subtle and gentle can be so powerful. These people are true healers and yogis. They were so generous with their time and energy and I will be forever grateful.
As I expressed at the time, I didn’t want to leave Mut Mee or for the yoga course to end. I could have happily spent a few more weeks practising daily with Pancho and being exposed to his seemingly limitless knowledge and amazing energy. I guess that’s why they offer the 30 day advanced course. It was therefore with apprehension and a little sadness that I packed up and moved on to Barn Suan. It was hard to say goodbye to such beautiful people and that’s not even mentioning Mr Udom and the beautiful three sisters and their amazing massages.
To my surprise Barn Suan Sanctuary was the perfect way to end the retreat and consolidate the whole experience. Don, Jeem and Ed were equally as special - I am still amazed by how many wonderful, truly special people I got to know and meet. Your ayurvedic cooking classes were another highlight. It’s really lovely seeing someone do something that truly lights them up and gives them joy. I look forward to learning more about ayurvedic healing and medicine with you in the future. Thank you Mary so, so much for a wonderful, amazing experience. My heart is full of love and appreciation for you always and forever. xx."
Rachael's experience...
"The Nong Khai experience is really well organised and I felt really safe and clear with all the travel aspects of the trip that Mary had organised. It was seamless and Mary has so many great travel tips that make your travel easy and comfortable! Getting from one place to another was not only easy but fun! The overnight train trip from Bangkok was a real treat after our flight from Australia. The train itself was really comfortable and being rocked to sleep at night by the train is something I will never forget.
Upon arrival in Nong Khai we were taken to Mut Mee which is the little guest house/ laneway/ community where we spent the next two weeks and it was one of the most memorable experiences I will have. Mary introduced us to some incredibly kind and beautiful people who were to become our teachers, healers and friends so it felt like home straight away! We all got bikes and Mary took us on daily rides and trips to familiarise us with Nong Khai which was brilliant! I feel this was a really fantastic way to structure the trip as we got to know the area we could then independently explore and Mary has a very good understanding of the area and community in Nong Khai e.g. we found out where the best vego places were to eat, how to get to the organic market and organic health food shop to name a few which meant we could then explore them over and over. Mary was so generous with her time and always there to help you to find your way (and not just on the streets of Nong Khai as we were to find out). The night markets are also a wondrous sensory experience.
Staying at Mut Mee is a very inspiring, exciting and relaxing experience. Waking up there in the morning was a joy and to just walk to the kitchen and order breakfast down the path from your room was great!!! The food at Mut Mee is delicious and there is also a very special little cafe/bookshop in the laneway or Soi as they call it in Thailand run by Aey who makes the best coconut milk smoothies EVER. We also had cooking demonstrations/lessons with Aey and her friend Noi and she took us on some amazing day trips. A stand out being a sunrise boat trip into a lake full of blooming Lilly pads (one of the most beautiful experiences I have had!) Noi who lives right next to the bookshop does the best herbal body steams that leave you feeling relaxed and cleansed from toxins using a herbal recipe handed down from her family.
Week two of the yoga course was truly mind blowing!!! I learned so much from our teacher Pancho who is just the kindest, most knowledgable human I have met. His passion to pass on life knowledge to truly improve your living is unparalleled in my experience. The yoga is done at your own level so there is no need to worry about being “good” at , or ”flexible enough”. Pancho really explains the practices using muscle and bone charts and a wealth of knowledge from his life and practice. His daily talks were my favourite part of the course. The amazing aspect of this for me was that without realising it (as I hadn’t done yoga for quite a few years prior) that I really did improve in so many ways throughout the week and I will definitely be going back to do more training with Pancho and his wife Beatrice, who is equally as amazing!
In between yoga we were able to have healing sessions with some of the other magical people in the Soi, Including Sylvie and Beatrix who practice a wide range of modalities. I highly recommend the cranio sacral therapy with Sylvie and having an astrology session reading with Beatrice. They are both next level humans!!! The whole time we were at Mut Mee, Mary was there offering support and checking in with how we are going which is invaluable. Mary has herself been going to Mut Mee for a few years and has completed the very training we were doing so she comes from a place of understanding. Mut Mee is a very unique place that has changed the way I not only view life, but now practice life.
The third part of the journey was going to Barn Suan which is still situated in the Nong Khai district It is a series of little huts situated in a divine forest owned by Don and Jeem, who are also delightful, kind and giving people. To have your own little cabin in the forest is just blissful. We met each day in the common kitchen area and this is where we were able to learn about Ayurvedic teachings with Mary. Mary is very knowledgeable in this modality and we all learned SO much from her. Mary is very passionate about Ayurvedic cooking and we were able to experience this first hand each day eventually learning ourselves. The food that Mary prepares is without doubt some of the most nourishing, delicious and cleansing food I have ever experienced and Mary explains with purpose and knowledge why the food is the way it is.
Again, Mary was so kind and generous with her time answering our at times bombarding questions surrounding Ayurvedic food and practices and this really helps to create a sense of how and why this works in your life. Mary has a way of explaining and sharing her expertise that makes sense in a practical way so that we could begin straight away! We learned so much during our time at Barn Suan through her honest, authentic heart and daily sessions. Mary can also assist you to pin point what it is you really want to pursue, what you need to let go of or just to be.
I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone! I wanted to move forward, learn, experience something new and the retreat went way beyond my expectations. Most of what I have learned has been life changing and profound and I will definitely go back to Nong Khai to further my learning.
The best thing about the retreat for me (which is really hard to choose) was that we were able to explore and process our experiences without being rushed or over scheduled. Time to process your learning is so important to enable reflection, questioning and future directions and I definitely felt that we had time to do this without always having to be somewhere which is why the structure of the retreat was so well done. My only suggestion would be make it longer!!!"
"The Nong Khai experience is really well organised and I felt really safe and clear with all the travel aspects of the trip that Mary had organised. It was seamless and Mary has so many great travel tips that make your travel easy and comfortable! Getting from one place to another was not only easy but fun! The overnight train trip from Bangkok was a real treat after our flight from Australia. The train itself was really comfortable and being rocked to sleep at night by the train is something I will never forget.
Upon arrival in Nong Khai we were taken to Mut Mee which is the little guest house/ laneway/ community where we spent the next two weeks and it was one of the most memorable experiences I will have. Mary introduced us to some incredibly kind and beautiful people who were to become our teachers, healers and friends so it felt like home straight away! We all got bikes and Mary took us on daily rides and trips to familiarise us with Nong Khai which was brilliant! I feel this was a really fantastic way to structure the trip as we got to know the area we could then independently explore and Mary has a very good understanding of the area and community in Nong Khai e.g. we found out where the best vego places were to eat, how to get to the organic market and organic health food shop to name a few which meant we could then explore them over and over. Mary was so generous with her time and always there to help you to find your way (and not just on the streets of Nong Khai as we were to find out). The night markets are also a wondrous sensory experience.
Staying at Mut Mee is a very inspiring, exciting and relaxing experience. Waking up there in the morning was a joy and to just walk to the kitchen and order breakfast down the path from your room was great!!! The food at Mut Mee is delicious and there is also a very special little cafe/bookshop in the laneway or Soi as they call it in Thailand run by Aey who makes the best coconut milk smoothies EVER. We also had cooking demonstrations/lessons with Aey and her friend Noi and she took us on some amazing day trips. A stand out being a sunrise boat trip into a lake full of blooming Lilly pads (one of the most beautiful experiences I have had!) Noi who lives right next to the bookshop does the best herbal body steams that leave you feeling relaxed and cleansed from toxins using a herbal recipe handed down from her family.
Week two of the yoga course was truly mind blowing!!! I learned so much from our teacher Pancho who is just the kindest, most knowledgable human I have met. His passion to pass on life knowledge to truly improve your living is unparalleled in my experience. The yoga is done at your own level so there is no need to worry about being “good” at , or ”flexible enough”. Pancho really explains the practices using muscle and bone charts and a wealth of knowledge from his life and practice. His daily talks were my favourite part of the course. The amazing aspect of this for me was that without realising it (as I hadn’t done yoga for quite a few years prior) that I really did improve in so many ways throughout the week and I will definitely be going back to do more training with Pancho and his wife Beatrice, who is equally as amazing!
In between yoga we were able to have healing sessions with some of the other magical people in the Soi, Including Sylvie and Beatrix who practice a wide range of modalities. I highly recommend the cranio sacral therapy with Sylvie and having an astrology session reading with Beatrice. They are both next level humans!!! The whole time we were at Mut Mee, Mary was there offering support and checking in with how we are going which is invaluable. Mary has herself been going to Mut Mee for a few years and has completed the very training we were doing so she comes from a place of understanding. Mut Mee is a very unique place that has changed the way I not only view life, but now practice life.
The third part of the journey was going to Barn Suan which is still situated in the Nong Khai district It is a series of little huts situated in a divine forest owned by Don and Jeem, who are also delightful, kind and giving people. To have your own little cabin in the forest is just blissful. We met each day in the common kitchen area and this is where we were able to learn about Ayurvedic teachings with Mary. Mary is very knowledgeable in this modality and we all learned SO much from her. Mary is very passionate about Ayurvedic cooking and we were able to experience this first hand each day eventually learning ourselves. The food that Mary prepares is without doubt some of the most nourishing, delicious and cleansing food I have ever experienced and Mary explains with purpose and knowledge why the food is the way it is.
Again, Mary was so kind and generous with her time answering our at times bombarding questions surrounding Ayurvedic food and practices and this really helps to create a sense of how and why this works in your life. Mary has a way of explaining and sharing her expertise that makes sense in a practical way so that we could begin straight away! We learned so much during our time at Barn Suan through her honest, authentic heart and daily sessions. Mary can also assist you to pin point what it is you really want to pursue, what you need to let go of or just to be.
I would highly recommend this retreat to anyone! I wanted to move forward, learn, experience something new and the retreat went way beyond my expectations. Most of what I have learned has been life changing and profound and I will definitely go back to Nong Khai to further my learning.
The best thing about the retreat for me (which is really hard to choose) was that we were able to explore and process our experiences without being rushed or over scheduled. Time to process your learning is so important to enable reflection, questioning and future directions and I definitely felt that we had time to do this without always having to be somewhere which is why the structure of the retreat was so well done. My only suggestion would be make it longer!!!"