Lotus Retreats at Rossetti Lodge
At our Lotus Retreats at Rossetti Lodge Health Spa, Birchington On Sea on the North Kent Coast, you are invited to travel the path of self-purification and self-development with us.
You will learn how to make your normal life full of good health, good will, mental strength, love and harmony.
Your individuality will be welcomed we will help you to set and achieve your life and health goals.
We aim to make self-development and self-purification a pleasure.
Expect to have an enjoyable, educational and life transforming experience.
The Lotus seed and the path of Enlightenment
The beautiful lotus flower is often found floating on muddy, dirty ponds; yet it maintains its beauty and purity, untainted by the pollution around it. The unique journey of the lotus seeds from darkness to perfection symbolises our spiritual journey.
The Lotus Flower an the Path of Enlightenment
The lotus seeds in the bottom of muddy, dirty ponds, totally surrounded by darkness, with not a glimmer of light. Unlike other seeds, it gently moves up, away from the ground. It is as if an inner knowledge, an inner light that cannot be seen, is guiding it, telling it to drop everything it knows, drop the world, drop its fears and travel up. Eventually it reaches the surface and the light, where it flowers to its true potential, beauty and perfection.
As it starts to open and unfold to its true, inherent beauty and destiny, the lotus flower improves the water around it. The water in the entire dark pond becomes clearer, transparent and allows light and life to flow into the pond.
The lotus flower is the perfect symbol for mind-body detox, as it has been a symbol of the Chinese culture, Buddhism, and the path of Enlightenment.
The path begins with self-examination, leading to self-development, self-purification and eventual self-mastery.
Are we not like the lotus seed; surrounded by darkness, ignorance and pollution, though it may seem as if we are living in advanced, enlightened times? As Gandhi said “Be the change you want to see in the world“, because as you change the world will start to change.
The Tibetan mantra Ohm Mani Padmi Hum refers to the journey of the lotus.
It literally means “God, the Jewel in the Lotus, Us“.
This mantra contains within it the sum total of all that the Buddha taught. As a Tibetan master explained:
There is not a single aspect of the eighty-four thousand sections of the Buddha’s teachings which is not contained in Avalokiteshvara’s six syllable mantra: Om Mani Padme Hum
Events Schedule
We aim to have a retreat every other weekend.
For upcoming, previous and on-going retreats, see our Lotus Retreat Events Schedule
Lotus Retreat Themes
Lotus Retreats are concerned with self-development, self-purification, and self-mastery.
The retreats all have core activities, and also offer a variety of different themes, with as much flexibility as possible.
Lotus Core Detox Retreats
The focus is on Relaxation, Rejuvenation and Enjoyment! The central protocols to effective detox are
- Alkaline Ionized Water
- Infrared Saunas
- Hot Spa
- Herbal Steam
- Yoga and Pranayama
- Fitness and Exercise
These are simple, highly effective ways to detoxify yourself. They form tha basic part of all our Lotus Retreats.
In addition, you will have optional activities to enjoy, such as:
- Aerial or Anti-Gravity Yoga
- Chi Gung
- Meditation
- Neti Douches
- Tongue Scraping
- Skin Brushing
- Chanting
- Massage
- Music and Dance
- Beach Walks
More details of some of these is outlined below.
For Food, we provide super energetic, cellular nutrition as:
- Ionised Water
- Vegetable Juices
- Nutritious Green Smoothies
- Super Greens
- Fresh Fruit
- Hot Herbal Teas
- Real Ground Coffee
- Vegetable Broths and Soups
For groups that like cooked food, we also provide nutritious vegetarian food based on a mix of eastern and western cuisine.
Raw Food Detox Retreats
As Lotus Core, with solid raw foods added to the core liquid detox diet.
- Fresh Seasonal Fruits
- Raw Food Meals such as:
- Raw Food Pasta
- Exotic Fresh Salads
- Sexy Dressings
- Raw Ice Cream
- Tasty Raw Dips
- Raw Chutneys
7 Day Detox Cleanse Retreats
As Lotus Core, with only the Vitratox 7 Day Cleanse Kit Supplements are consumed, with one or two daily colonics per day.
The 7-Day Detox Cleanse Retreat is a life changing euphoric experience.
“The seven day fasting and colon cleansing programme is an integrated system of self purification that combines the benefits of fasting, fibrous intestinal cleansers, nutritional supplements and daily colon irrigations.
It is a complete programme of blood and tissue detoxification that rejuvenates each and every organ, gland, tissue and cell in the body.
It takes exactly seven days to cleanse the entire blood stream by fasting, and it requires seven days to thoroughly rid the lymph system of toxins”
The Tao of Health, Sex, and Longevity – Daniel Reid
For more details, see:
Pictures and Video of the 7 Day Cleanse Programme: Pictures and Videos of the 7 Day Cleanse
We also offer the 7 Day cleanse rogramme using locally sourced::
- Psyllium powder
- Bentonite Clay
- Super Greens
You follow the exact programme as the Irons/Reid original, with daily colonics and ionized water.
Massage, Relaxation and Detox Retreats
As Lotus Core, with daily Massage Training Workshops and Massage Exchange Sessions.
Healing Tantra and Tao Retreats
As Lotus Core, with Healing Tantra and Tao Workshops, Rituals, Presentations.and Talks.
Partner Yoga and Contact Improvisation Retreats
As Lotus Core, with additional Partner Yoga and Contact Improvisation Workshops.
Hiking and Cycling Retreats
As Lotus Core, with Hiking and Cycling along the very popular Viking Coastal Trail cycling and hiking routes.
Martial Arts, Boxing and Self Defence Retreats
As Lotus Core, with Martial Arts, Boxing an Self Defence Classes and Workshops.
Rossetti Lodge: Lotus Retreats Venue
Rossetti Lodge Health Spa , a historic healing space, is the venue for lotus retreats. It was originally built for Birchington’s Reverend in 1910. It is a beautiful 25+ room house by the sea with a nice private garden courtyard space to relax in.
It has a sauna and spa area as well as a large workshop area with Aikido mats, which is ideal for Yoga, Massage, Dance and related workshops.
These are some more pictures of Rossetti Lodge Health Spa
The Main Workshop Area
Location and Local Attractions
Located in the lovely village of Birchington in Kent, a few miles from Margate. It is a few minutes’ walk to the beach, and there are lovely nature walks covering the North Kent Coastline with its very popular Viking Coastal Trail cycling and hiking routes.
The Coast scenary in this area is beautiful all the year round. Attractions close by include the towns and beaches of Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Herne Bay. Sandwich, Deal, Dover and Canterbury are a short drive away.
The beach by Birchington.
The beach with the tide out and the seaweed.
The mysterious Shell Grotto, thought to be dedicated to the Phoenician Goddess Tanit, from whom the “Isle of Thanet” is believed to get its name, is a few miles away.
It is thought that Shell Grotto’s builders may have included the Knights Templar and that it has associations with Phoenicia.
The Tuner Contemporary Art Gallery is also close by.
Canterbury is a 30 minute driive away:
Dover is a 40 minute drive away:
There are lovely beaches and striking coastal scenery all around the Thanet coast:
Travel
Th retreat venue is short walk from Birchington train station, with its regular fast trains to London.
Cost £35.
Take the high speed train to Ramsgate/Margate/Broadstairs, and get off at Birchington.
There are regular National Express buses from Victoria. Cost £15 each way.
It is about an hour and half’s drive from London.
When you RSVP, please say how you will travel and maybe offer or share a ride with someone.
Things to Bring
Please bring towels and toiletries, loose clothing for workshop sessions, warm clothing and walking shoes for out-door activities.
Detox Protocols: Physical and Emotional
An effective mind-body detox has physical release and emotional release aspects, which is why it is good to choose your retreat with care where the retreat space allows for both forms of release.
We cater for your physical detox with protocols such as fasting, colon cleansing, supplements, ionised water, saunas, yoga, aerial yoga, partner yoga.
For the emotional aspects, there is meditation, silent time, aum release, chanting, talks and discussions, listening, feedback, counselling and sympathetic care.
Ionized Alkaline Water
We drink only Ionized Alkaline water on the retreats.
Water ionisers do much more than just filter the water; a water ionizer is like having your own fresh glacier spring water on tap.
Ionized Alkaline water builds the basic foundation for cellular health.
It allows your body to alkalize, mineralize, hydrate and detoxify.
It is great tasting water that is easily absorbed by the body.
It is a powerful, liquid Antioxidant.
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This page gives details information about ionized water: Ionized alkaline water,
This pages explains the central role ionized, micro-clustered water plays in the Basic Protocols of Detox.
Raw Vegetable Juices and Green Smoothies
We use fresh, raw Vegetable juices at the retreats. Raw vegetable juices retain all the potent, active Vegetable enzymes and preserve all the vitamins and other essential nutrients contained in the vegetables.
These are delivered into the stomach in a ready to assimilate liquid form that requires no digestion.
The best Vegetable juices are raw carrot juice mixed with raw beetroot juice, with some raw ginger juiced.
Raw greens such as celery, kale, spinach – any green vegetable from the green grocers.
We also use wild plants and weeds such as: Grass, Stinging Nettle, Dandelion
We also add Super Greens such as Spirulina, Barley and Wheat Grass Powders.
For more details on therapeutic juices and foods for health, see the Therapeutic Juices and Food Profiles page.
Super Greens
Wheat grass, Barley grass and Spirulina powders are called Super Greens due to their super health properties. For more details see: the Super Greens page. Supergreens will be provided in our nutritious smoothies or just with ionized water as supergreen juice.
Transdermal Magnesium Chloride Therapy
Magnesium is the most important mineral supplement for cellular detoxification. It is an essential substance needed by the body for numerous functions. Magnesium is considered an elixir of life and a cell tonic. It is required in over 300 key metabolic functions. At Lotus Retreats you will have options of taking Magnesium Chloride Therapy as:
Magnesium Oil Massage
Magnesium Foot baths
Magnesium Oil Spray
Magnesium Chloride Crystals in Colonic Hydrotherapy
In this video, Daniel Reid, author of the Tao of Detox and the Tao of Health, explains the benefits of Magnesium and its uses during a Detox Retreat such as the Reid/Irons 7 Day Cleanse Programme:
In this video, Dr. Carolyn Dean explains the benefits of Magnesium for Womens’ Health:
Hot Spa Baths: Hydrotherapy
Hot spa baths are ideal ways to relax, de-stress and detox. Hydrotherapy strengthens blood circulation, decreases blood pressure, improves skin tones, relaxes muscles and stimulates the immune system. It beneficially affects the human psyche as well as eliminating anxiety, tension and depression.
When relaxing in a spa, the brain releases endorphins that ease pain, and have an overall relaxing effect and induce a good mood.
The hot spa water soothes and relaxes the muscles. The activity of all the internal organs in the body slows down as you are in a weightless state when immersed in the hot water. You achieve full body relaxation, while benefitting the skin, body and your internal organs.
Our Spa, Sauna and Steam areas are naturist friendly spaces.
Infrared Saunas
The skin is our largest organ and sweating is the most effective way to remove toxins from the body. Saunas have been used for thousands of years and sweating has been proven to be effective for cleansing, relaxation and for boosting one’s general health.
Sweat therapy helps the body detoxify while strengthening the body’s immune system to fight off everything from the common cold to serious life threatening diseases such as cancer.
Infrared heat considerably improves the heating, sweating and energizing effects from the sauna.
At our retreats, have a range of saunas from portable single or two person saunas to custom built infrared sauna rooms for large numbers of people.
A key difference between far infrared saunas and traditional saunas is that the air temperature in infrared saunas is never high, but you do sweat as the rays penetrate deep unside your skin.
Lotus Dome Saunas
For more information, read our Infrared Sweat Therapy page
Neti Douches with Salt Water
Neti, or nasal irrigation with Celtic sea salt water is a means of cleansing the nasal passages of excess mucous and debris. A tea pot filled with warm salt water is used in a specific ritual, followed by specific forced evacuations of the nasal passages.
According to the Yogis and Taoists, Neti promotes good sinus and nasal health, smells become sharper, clearer; and the nose is better above to absorb Chi or Prana from the air via the specific meridians located in the nose for this purpose.
Tongue Scraping
This is a means of removing dead cells, debris other material from the tongue using a scraping tool such as a spoon. Regular tongue scraping has many health benefits, helps you better taste and enjoy your food. It also helps alleviate bad breath, and is an aid for kissing and love making.
Dry Skin Brushing
Dry skin brushing removes dead cells from the skin, stimulates the millions of the nerve endings on the skin, stimulates the nervous system, tones the muscles, tightens the skin, stimulates the skin’s hormone and oil glands, stimulates blood and lymph flow, and reduces cellulite.
It is also another form of nurturing, loving and caring for the body, It helps you feel alive, bringing your focus, attention and awareness to the body and away from the mind.
Urine Therapy: Amaroli Mudra
In Indian, Taoist and other traditions, urine therapy is used extensively for health purposes. Urine is a pure substance that is extracted from the blood. It has high quantities of enzymes, salts, minerals, trace elements and hormones that are very beneficial for ones health.
Urine therapy consists of two parts: drinking urine and by massaging the urine into your body.
Colonic Hydrotherapy (Colonic Irrigation)
The Colema Board
Once a day, throughout the 7-Day programme, a full colon flush will be performed. This involves using a colema board, and 5 gallons of warm water in a gravitational system to gently but thoroughly shift the toxic debris in the colon.
The matter that passes out of your colon has built over a lifetime and you will be shocked by what comes out. Only the original Vitratox Cleanse programme, and enhanced derivatives such as our 7 Day prgrammes are effective at removing the deadly, toxic mucus and other long held rubbish that lives in the folds of the colon.
Unless you do this you will not assimilate nutrients properly, no matter how good your diet.
More details:
This page has a video pf the programme and some pictures of the kind of gunk that you will remove. The toxic substance are only removed in the Original 7 Day Cleanse or our modified programme with locally sourced colon cleanse supplements. These pictures are not for the faint hearted!
Pictures of 7-Day colon cleanse programme evacuations
Silence is Golden!
We encourage silence at our retreats, because silence relaxes the mind, helping us get into our bodies to feel and become more alive, to become more aware.
Talking activates the brain, puts you and other people in the head, it builds and reenforces the ego and dissipates your life energy. One of our aims is to relax the brain, allowing the mind to rest so that the inner awareness can arise.
To facilitate this, we have sacred areas in our retreat space where idle chatter is not allowed, such as the workshop hall and the massage spaces.
Unlike other Yoga retreat spaces that ban taking during eating, we are not rigid about this. You can chat all you want in the sauna, hot tub and garden areas.
Though we would encourage you to use your speech from the heart rather than the head and the ego. You lean to use speech to form bonds with other people, use speech to give love and to learn about the things and practices that really matter to you.
At our retreat space there is the sound of the waves, the sound of birds singing, the feel of being with nature and the smell of fresh seaside air. There will be the sound of healing Classical music, Sufi, Hindi and Tibetan Chants, sounds that will uplift your spirits and heal you.
Self-examination and Self-realization
Self-examination is about understanding your Self. That is who are you behind all the labels. The ancient Greek’s had the words “Know Thyself” engraved at the entrances of their temples and centers of learning.
This page covers the Five Fundamentals to Knowing Thyself.
Nature Walks
Walking and tuning into nature has many health and spiritual benefits. At our retreat space there will be opportunities for nature walks along the coast and the countryside, to connect with nature, breathe fresh air and also get the blood circulation going.
Retreat Workshops and Classes
There may be additional, complementary classes and workshops to supplement the activities each day
They will depend on how the groups feels, your energy levels and what appeals to you.
These workshops will be relaxing, and focussed on calming and energising the mind and body.
A tyipcal day with core activities plus workshops may include nature walks, infrared saunas, meditation, yoga, chi gung, chanting, therapeutic massage, dance classes and sessions, kundalini awakening krias, healing tantra and tao workshops.
Yoga and Meditation
Yoga means Union. The ultimate mission of the Yogi is to achieve liberation and union or become one with the divine. In this path, on the energetic level, the awareness passes through various levels or chakras, that can be thought of as additional senses or perception levels, leading from the base of the spine (the seat of the Kundalini or Life Force), to the crown of the head.
Yoga has many aspects or paths, which could be categorized broadly as having physical/practical elements or having spiritual/meditative elements.
Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga
Hatha yoga and kundalini yoga are two practical or physical aspects of Yoga practiced at Lotus Retreats. They act as a starting point, as the initial preparation tor the meditative or spiritual aspects that need to follow.
Kundalini yoga kriyas are practical, physical practices that seek to activate and raise the kundalini life force located at the base of the spine. The meditative or spiritual aspects that follow the physical are focussed on channelling the kundalini energy up along the spinal column chakras to achieve bliss, ecstasy and union.
Yoga poses (asanas) stretch and balance specific areas of the body. Kundalini yoga kriyas are more dynamic forms of yoga that work on moving the energy along the nadis, the bodies’ energy channel networks.
During the yoga asana practice, specific muscles of the body are stretched, held and then relaxed. When the muscles are stretched and the body is stilled, inner tension is removed. When the muscle is relaxed on exiting the asana, both the imposed muscle tension and the underlying muscle tension caused by stress and other factors is released.
Following the yoga session, where the body is systematically stretched and relaxed, thus relaxing the entire body of tension. With the body fully relaxed, the mind can also be relaxed as it does not have any muscular tensions or stresses to occupy itself with.
With continued meditation training your mind will have nothing to fear, nothing to worry about.
Then, with the body and the mind relaxed, you can proceed with meditation, and true self-examination, self-development and self-mastery.
Aerial Yoga, Anti-Gravity Yoga
Aerial yoga or anti-gravity yoga is an amazing, revolutionary form of yoga and fitness training.
Magic and fun happen when yoga and flying unite!
The traditional yoga class experience of stretching, balance and meditation is combined with aerial training where gravity is eliminated.
With aerial yoga you will have a powerful workout that combines strength, balance, flexibility, core training, all infused with the joy of flying!
Aerial yoga use ropes and hammocks, and includes swinging, inversion and all traditional yoga poses, performed in the air.
Partner Yoga and Contact Improvisation
Partner Yoga and Contact Improvisation is a unique meditation and movement practice that will expand your awareness, trust and communication, as well as build your strength, flexibility and balance. It involves:
Mind Body Centring
Partner Flow Sequences
Inversions
Contact Improvisation
Thai Yoga Massage
Meditation and Relaxation
Meditation practice leads to self-perception and self-observation. First you will learn to relax the body and the mind. Then observe the thinking process, observe the thoughts that come to you without judgement and without attachment to the thoughts.
For more about Mediation, please see our Meditation: Mind Detox page and the Water and the Tao page.
Meditation: Dynamic and Still
At Lotus Retreats we practice both the dynamic and still forms of mediation.
Meditation can be practiced in stillness, that is without movement of the body. This would be the typical form used by Yogis and Buddhists, where the yogi sits still in the symbolic Lotus posture and meditates in silence and stillness.
Meditation can also be practiced with movement of the body, where the meditation is dynamic. This can be done as a martial art such as Tai Chi, breath work such as Chi Gung or even dance forms such as the mind body centering form of contact improvisation. In dynamic forms of meditation, attention is brought into the body (that is, attention is taken away from the mind and the thinking process).
Dynamic mediation is also practiced in the Holistic Five Pillar massage, which is an advanced dynamic meditation and body work practice.
Guided Meditation, Pranayama, and Chi Gung sessions.
At lotus retreats there will be guided meditation, pranayama and chi gung sessions. Meditation and Pranayama help balance mind, body and spirit.
Chi Gung helps develop and focus vital energy for health, sex and longevity.
The Meditation: Mind Detox page has more on Meditation, Relaxation and Pranayama
Sufi, Hindi, and Tibetan Chanting and Darshan
Chanting and Mantras are ways to silence and discipline the mind. Until the mind is silenced and disciplined, you will not make much progress on the path of self-purification, self-development and self-mastery.
Our retreats will have guided Sufi, Hindi and Tibetan chanting sessions, as well as talks and discussions on spirituality.
As well as chanting special mantras, we will also explore the inner meaning and spiritual relevance of the mantra.
Therapeutic Massage Training and Massage Exchanges
We teach non-clinical theraputic massage. For more details, read: Clinical and Non-Clinical Massage Training
Therapeutic massage kneads toxins from the tissues, activates lymph drainage, stimulates glandular secretions, tones the joints, muscles and tendons, and helps the mind and body to relax.
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At the retreat we will offer optional workshops, practice, and one-to-one massage sessions
Tantra Tao Holistic Five Pillar Massage
Tantra Tao Holistic Five Pillar Massage is an inclusive, non-clinical form of massage that has been devised to address the conscious and unconscious needs of the whole person. This includes the physical, the sensuous, the energetic and the spiritual needs of a person.
This inclusive approach contains the best from ancient eastern massage traditions including Tantric, Taoist, Shiatsu and Traditional Thai Massage; as well as the best from modern western massage and bodywork practices including Swedish Massage, Aromatherapy, Contact Improvisation, Reichian Therapy and Psycho-sexual Release work.
Each “pillar” is an independent, self-contained body of knowledge and training that together with the other four makes a comprehensive whole.
The five pillars are:
1. The Art of Breathing and Connecting
2. The Art of Touch: Sensitivity and Skills
3. The Art of Rocking and Releasing
4. Yoga Asanas: Postures, Positions and Movement
5. Massage Techniques and Routines
These are practical training sessions covering massage, energy work, body work and meditation.
Like learning to drive the pillars need to be practiced, practiced and practiced again, rather than read about. Think of it as a sacred physical and spiritual practice, where the thinking mind is allowed or persuaded to rest and not interfere with the enjoyment of the massage experience.
Regular massage practice will make the process automatic, natural, requiring no thought, free flowing and enjoyable to both the receiver and the giver.
Traditional Thai Massage
Shiatsu
Traditional Asian Foot Massage/Reflexology
Hot Aromatherapy Oil Massage
Hot Stones Massage
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Music and Dance
Contact Improvisation
Tango
Belly Dance
Kundalini Dance
Sufi Whirling
Goddess Kundalini Awakening
Kundalini is an enormous reserve of untapped potential within each of us. It is normally depicted as a coiled or sleeping serpent, located in an area towards the base of the spine.
It can be stirred, awakened and guided to rise leading one to union, merging or being one with the Divine.
Healing Tantra andTao Workshops
Tantra yoga is the Royal Path to Union. It is a process of inner awakening, flowering and self-empowerment.
The Taoist traditions are practical ways to live in harmony with nature, attain health, sex, longevity, and an attunement to the Way.
More information at:
Tantra and Healing Tao workshops and classes
Shared House Care (Karma Yoga)
There will be some shared house care work for all, intended to complement the meditation and help instil the qualities of loving kindness, service and mindfulness.
Karma yoga is about doing things for other people, doing them with other people so as to form a bonding based on shared activities and work. We encourage you to feel at home and not expect to be waited on – our retreats are not five star serviced holidays!
If you are a yoga, massage or other therapist or teacher, you could also contribute by helping with or facilitating workshops and sessions.
Retreat Duration and Prices
Lotus Retreat Prices
| Shared Double Room (pp) | Own Single Room | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend Retreats (Friday – Sunday) | £400 | £500 |
| Long Weekend Retreats | £500 | £600 |
| Day Spa & SAUNA (no overnight stay) | £100 | £100 |
| Yoga, Spa & Sauna + Overnight Stay |
£150 | £175 |
| 2 Day Weekday Retreats | £250 | £300 |
| 3 Day Weekday Retreats | £350 | £400 |
| 5 Day Weekday Retreats | £600 | £700 |
| 7 Day Detox Retreats | £1,300 | £1,500 |
