Dear Dreamers,

After five beautiful years, it is time to say goodbye to The Dreaming.

As the year draws to a close, and the land settles into its winter slumber, we find ourselves at the end of a very special chapter.

When we last wrote to you, we shared our plans for The Dreaming to pause, to go fallow, to rest and make space for whatever might come next. At that time, we had hoped this would be a period of hibernation, rather than an ending. Sadly, we have come to realise that this is not simply a time of hibernation, but the end of our journey with The Dreaming.

There is a great deal of sadness in letting go of something that has been so deeply loved, nurtured and cared for. But more than anything, we feel immense gratitude.

Over the last five years, more than 3,000 people have found their way to this little corner of the Welsh hills, each bringing something of themselves and each leaving a little something behind. Together, we've sung, danced, laughed, cried, rested, feasted, wandered through the woods, plunged into cold water, sat around fires and gazed up at the stars. We've shared stories, made friendships, held space for one another and found moments of stillness in a world that so rarely allows us to do so.

For many, The Dreaming was a first step towards a life more aligned with, and with greater awareness of, nature and spirit. Hundreds came as part of our pay-what-you-can scheme, offering as little as £1 per night.

Our free-to-attend retreats for NHS workers and activists remain amongst our proudest achievements, alongside pioneering retreats for Muslim women, melanated women of African and Caribbean descent, and the queer community.

And then there are the hundreds of extraordinary people who joined us through our work-exchange and artist-in-residence programmes. Each, in offering their own gorgeousness to the land, found themselves in receipt of deep teachings that the valley had for them, and them alone. This collaboration, these glorious humans living in reciprocity, will forever be the beating heart of the story that has been The Dreaming.

What a beautiful, wild and wonderful few years it has been. The gifts have been unexpected, exquisite, life-changing and too numerous to even begin listing.

You have made The Dreaming what it is.

To our extraordinary retreat team, those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to lead, organise and care for The Dreaming day in, day out: you have been the very heart and lifeblood of this place, and we simply couldn't have done it without you.

To our wonderful practitioners and facilitators, Deborah, Kerry, Lesley, Danielle, Kirstyn, Becca, Tree, Naoko, Jonny, Briggy, Stuart, Alice and Sinnead, thank you for sharing your gifts, wisdom, creativity and care with The Dreaming. Each of you has brought something entirely your own to this place, touching the lives of so many guests along the way. We are so grateful for everything you've given to The Dreaming and to the people who have passed through its doors.

To our volunteers, artists, makers, gardeners, housekeepers, cooks, healers and every single person who has helped bring this dream to life, we are so very grateful.

A special thank you to our wonderful chefs, Chippy, Meg, Zac, Valentina, Matt, Altaea, Emily, Juliet, Mary, Nancy, Owain and James, whose creativity, care and delicious food have nourished so many people around our tables.

And to all of you who have visited, supported us, shared our story or simply held us in your hearts, thank you.

It is a different world today from the one we started in just a short half-decade ago. As we look clear-eyed at the increasingly complex crises unfolding around us, we have had to reassess, with candour and courage, what it is we should be offering and how best to be of service.

Although The Dreaming is coming to an end, we hope the things you've discovered here will continue to find their way into your lives. The joy of being playful, the nourishment of deep rest, the courage to be vulnerable, the wonder of the natural world and the simple, powerful act of coming together.

These things were never ours to keep. They belong to all of us.

Staying Connected

Although our time as The Dreaming is coming to an end, there are still ways to enjoy some of the wonderful things that made this place so special.

Our Wonderful Practitioners and Facilitators

We've been incredibly lucky to work alongside some truly wonderful practitioners and facilitators, each bringing their own gifts, wisdom and practices to The Dreaming. If you've connected with someone during your time here and would like to continue exploring their work, we hope you'll stay in touch with them and follow wherever their paths may lead.

You can find their individual details, websites and contact information below.

Deborah Coughlin
Email: deborah@therapysessions.uk
Website: www.therapysessions.uk

Kerry Sanson
Website: sansonhealth.com
Instagram: @kerry.sanson

Lesley Asare
Website: www.lesleyasare.com
Instagram: @layasland

Rebecca Wyn Kelly
Instagram: @rebeccaawynkelly
Website: rebeccawynkelly.com

Kirstyn McIver
Website: kirstynconnects.co.uk
Instagram: @mciverkirsten

Tree Carr
Website: luciddreamtree.com
Instagram: @tree_carr

Danielle Arkwright
Instagram: @rootsrememberedcollective
Email: daniellearkwright.dramatherapy@gmail.com

Zac Dutton | Head Chef
Instagram: @zac.dutton
Email: zachary.dutton@live.co.uk

Rhydoldog House

Although The Dreaming will no longer be operating retreats, Rhydoldog House is still available for private hire through Host Your Home.

Whether you'd like to return to rest, play and reconnect with nature, gather your favourite people together or celebrate a special occasion, you can still enjoy this magical place and make new memories here.

If you've fallen in love with Rhydoldog and would like to return with friends or family, you can find out more here.

Zac's Wonderful Food

And for those of you who have been lucky enough to enjoy Zac's extraordinary cooking, we're delighted to share that he'll be available for private cheffing.

His food has been such a huge part of the experience here, nourishing so many of us with love, creativity and care.

If you'd like to enquire about working with Zac, you can contact him directly at zachary.dutton@live.co.uk and follow his Instagram at @zac.dutton.

Keep in Touch

If you'd like to keep in touch with us and hear about any new developments, please sign up to our newsletter at the bottom of this website.

You can also continue exploring The Dreaming through our online course, a companion for anyone wishing to carry a little of the spirit of this place into everyday life, wherever they may be.

And if you feel you have ideas, dreams or thoughts you'd like to share with us, we'd still love to hear from you. Please get in touch here.

Perhaps now, more than ever, we are being called into a deeper relationship with the earth and with one another. To remember that our Great Mother, who has held and nourished us for so long, needs our love, care and protection in return.

To gather our people close, to look after one another and the world around us, and to find the courage to stand up for what we believe in. Even when that means going against the grain, choosing a different path or challenging the ways things have always been done.

If The Dreaming has taught us anything, it's that there is extraordinary power in coming together, in living a little differently and in remembering that we are part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

As we move into the darker months, and onwards into whatever the future holds, our hope is that you'll keep making time for the things that nourish your spirit. Get outside. Look up at the sky. Put your hands in the earth. Sing loudly, dance freely, rest deeply, gather with people you love and never lose your sense of wonder.

Be brave in what you believe in. Protect the things you love. Care for the earth, as she has always cared for us. And remember the power we have when we come together, the magic of connection, community and our beautiful Great Mother Nature is always there for us to return to.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary adventure. We couldn't have dreamed it without you.

Until we dance again, wherever that may be.

With all our love,

The Dreaming x