A woman who formerly worked as a mental health nurse has said that volunteering at Charlotte Church’s The Dreaming retreat has been the “best decision” of her life. Taryn from Merthyr took part in a four-month Volunteer Exchange programme at the former home of Laura Ashley in the Elan Valley, which has been transformed by Charlotte.
Taryn, 32, said that she had “loved" her job working in mental health but it eventually took its toll on her own wellbeing. “In 2021 I found that life had its own ideas, and it all came crashing down on me in a big way. Because of this, I took a career break and a step back from things to work on my own mental health and wellbeing in the hope of embarking on a healing journey that would get me back on my feet again,” she said.
Taryn added: “I spent a period with local mental health services which were invaluable to me, while at the same time I found myself being drawn to nature and exploring more holistic and alternative therapies too, such as meditation and crystal healing, which were completely different to the clinical practises I’d been trained and involved in all my life.”
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Despite feeling admittedly "better and stronger" at the start of 2023, Taryn’s life came to a crossroads when she was offered a job in London. She explained: “A niggling voice in my soul kept telling me that returning to the clinical field in a big city wasn’t right for me. I still felt a huge pull towards nature, like it was calling me to explore more of it, along with wanting to discover more around the holistic therapies that I'd been discovering.”
Little did Taryn know that her life was about to change when her sister saw an advert for Charlotte Church’s The Dreaming retreat, which opened in the Elan Valley earlier this year. “Within three days I was on a Zoom call with The Dreaming’s founder, Charlotte Church and the retreat’s manager, Hannah,” Taryn recalled. “I’m not going to lie that being in a meeting with Charlotte was quite surreal and I could really feel the nerves kick in."
Speaking of Charlotte herself, Taryn said: “She has this incredible way of making you feel at ease and all my anxieties melted in an instant. This is a gift I came to learn that she has and uses it wisely with everyone around her.”
The Volunteer Exchange Programme meant living full time in Rhydoldog House for Taryn - with all meals featuring food produced from the land. Taryn described how volunteers shared an apartment together in dorm-style living which is part of the communal way of living and working there. She added: “Forming healthy friendships with the volunteers you live and work with is a huge part of the journey there, and they become your support network.”
Volunteers like Taryn commit around 28 hours per week to the retreat, contributing their unique skills to facilitate workshops. Discussing her own role, Taryn said: “In my role as an events volunteer, I maintained the spaces, greeted, and ensured guests' comfort, and led activities such as forest walks, nature crafting, and campfire journaling, which I absolutely loved as it also gave me the chance to spend time with guests from all over the world and all walks of life.
“Outside of this, you are free to enjoy everything the magnificent house and land has to offer with its magical forest walks, cascading waterfalls, and even take part in some of the carefully developed wellbeing workshops led by some of the best practitioners in the world that include sound healing, craft weaving, tree planting, spiritual guidance and so much more.
“After some time and training, I even got to co-facilitate some of the sound healing workshops with Charlotte – which was an absolute pinch me, I’m dreaming at The Dreaming moment!”
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According to Taryn, delving into the holistic therapies of The Dreaming was “insightful” and sparked a “journey of self discovery”. She highlighted that not everyone who is at the retreat is a volunteer and there are some people who are full or part-time staff.
“The best part of the exchange programme for me was getting involved and helping to facilitate the ‘offerings’ – a simple term used at The Dreaming to describe the various wellbeing workshops and programmes offered to guests,” Taryn confirmed. “Before entering The Dreaming, I still had issues with anxiety and my confidence was quite low but working with Charlotte and other practitioners to facilitate some of the offerings changed all of that. Taking part in sessions such as breath control, sound and voice healing really helped me work through things, giving me the tools to deal with my anxiety and boosting my confidence all round.”
Taryn particularly enjoyed the “huge sense of purpose and belonging within a community” at The Dreaming retreat - something she says her life had been missing. She added: “Like any new business, it didn’t come without its challenges, and it wasn’t all cascading waterfalls, zen-living and spiritual serenity daily! But when challenges did arise, The Dreaming always offered a supportive environment to navigate difficult moments.”
In conclusion, Taryn said: “Volunteering at The Dreaming was the best decision I’ve made in my life so far which put me on an incredible path of personal, professional, and spiritual growth. The Dreaming inspired me to set up my own holistic healing service which focuses on life coaching, meditation, nature connection and creative expression and is available for children and adults. It’s called ‘Moonbeam’ and launches this November. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I could do this, but The Dreaming made me realise that I can, and I am.
“I recommend the exchange programme to those interested in health, wellbeing, creativity, nature, horticulture, and hospitality and is open to everyone of all ages and backgrounds. It's a fantastic opportunity for people in transition or on a career break. It transformed my life, and I'm forever grateful to Charlotte and the incredible team.
“I'm back home now, ready to launch my new company. Merthyr Tydfil remains the backdrop of my story, a source of strength in tough times. The Dreaming has revealed my life's purpose, a journey I'll treasure wherever life takes me next.”
More information on The Dreaming’s Volunteer Exchange programme and other opportunities here. Book your stay as a guest at The Dreaming here.
