HOST Festival Weekend

It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and write because things have been super busy, and that's because my beautiful wife and I have been working hard on transforming the land that we are blessed to call home. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions, hard work, and faith that's brought us to where we are today. I once dreamed of sitting here feeling full of love and contentment, I'm gifted and blessed by so much in my life, but today, I wanted to share a little insight on our first festival here at HOST and wow, what a magical weekend it was. 

We have come a long way since the days of teaching and hosting Reiki level 1 & 2 courses in old football clubs, tea rooms, and various locations. What started as just wanting to teach and help others has brought us to where we are today. Although HOST is officially only a year old, Lauren and I have been helping others for years, so we have been known for this kind of work, but that doesn't mean we were always busy. In fact, for a couple of years, we just lived off Laurens's singing career, and at that time, I was moving through my deep healing. The first two years of our relationship, I spent in shadow work as layers of unaddressed emotions and years of pain greeted me most days, and although they were some of the most challenging years of my life, I knew one day those clouds would shift and the sun would shine.

Fast forward four years and the sun has undoubtedly shone. The rainbows are all around me because my trust and faith in the process have led me to what I can only describe as my own little paradise. I've been through hell to get here, but it's only been my own internal hell that I've moved through. And sitting here, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I acknowledge the strength and courage it takes us all to move through our inner worlds, but with faith and guidance, it can be done. This journey of self-transformation is a testament to that.

Around two and half years ago, I woke up one morning and said to Lauren, "Grab a pen", as I proceeded to grab the writing board. I didn't know what I was writing, and I felt the need to express what I was feeling. The first thing I wrote was the 7 Laws Of Self Transformation, and then I proceeded to write them out one by one. I knew I was channelling something at that moment, but I never knew exactly what it all meant until I had finished writing them out. Then it hit me: "These laws are a system for healing". As Lauren gazed over them, she then started to say, "These are linked to the Chakra system", and before we knew it, we were both writing on this board together, connecting the dots. Then, it was clear that this was what we had come to teach, but it would be another year before we even acted on what had been channelled that morning. 

As time passed, more and more information came to us regarding these teachings, and we started to understand more of what it all meant. Those of you who have been in our program, especially the coaches program, will understand the complexity of it all because it is the understanding of how mind, body and spirit function and co-create reality. It has insight into emotional intelligence, shadow work, manfestation and everything you would need to know about human design and how to awaken to the divine. It takes time to reach the different frequencies that HOST holds. For those that just come through the doors, it is about healing and understanding themselves; for those that have been with us longer term, it's about developing their gifts and attunement within themselves; and for those that have moved through those layers, it is about enlightenment, alignment and manifestation. HOST holds individuals at their frequencies, but HOST represents the vehicle for the soul's journey. It's a bridge, an activation and a compass back to oneself.

But HOST is so much more than that because it also teaches us our humanity, it teaches us that we are not alone in the pain we feel. It connects us to one another in the very depths of our being where we remember beneath the surface we are all the same. As HOST has grown, it's more than a brand, business or community. It's a frequency that ushers in a new world, a world that is interconnected, supportive and conducive to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. If I describe this last weekend in one word, it would be transformational. It's a transformation that we all share, a journey we all embark on together.

For all those who attended, it was evident that this was sacred, special, and deeply nourishing. It was a celebration of love, openness and vulnerability. A celebration of ourselves and how far we have come in our healing and a celebration of each other. If I could have collected every tear, I would have had a jar of magic because within every tear is compassion,  love and empathy.  Having witnessed so much human pain, I know the value of a tear that's shed, an emotion that's felt and the love that's remembered. There was so much joy and happiness flowing through us, a testament to the healing and growth we've all experienced. But most importantly, there was so much witnessing and sharing. Human connection is so natural and freeing if only we can let our walls down. I partied, held space, hugged and looked after so many beautiful souls that I'm blessed to call my family. 

The love, effort and attention to detail made the whole place feel magical. The catering truck that cooked us fresh food all weekend was delicious, and the communal spaces we made around the beautiful bell tents made it feel like a little haven away from home. We celebrated Lauren's birthday on a Friday night with a party. Lauren surprised us with her Zumba teacher from her local class at the gym while being blessed with the excellent Hamish, who DJed and played the sax. We did the limbo, played beer pong, danced, drank and partied the night away. There was also no chance that Lauren wouldn't sing, so she blessed us with a few Whitney numbers and gave everyone a taste of just another of her beautiful gifts. One of the highlights was seeing so many of the girls meet in person, having connected for so long over Zoom, and how they embraced each other was heartwarming. For so long, they have developed these intimate relationships, having held and coached each other through their healing journeys, and seeing them connect in person, some for the first time was just so rewarding.

Saturday followed with the wonderful Dale teaching yoga in the morning, and her beautiful energy, connection, and flow reduced some of the girls to tears as she helped guide us back into our bodies. Although my lower back might no longer agree, I always find her yoga classes enjoyable; that's a sign to do more. After drinking coffee and doing yoga, it was time to eat breakfast together. Fresh cream cheese, salmon bagels for those that selected, and avocado on toast for the others. Yummy. After breakfast, we chatted before taking a midday stroll to a spot Lauren and I would love to visit. A silent walk through the horse's field, soaking in the nature around us, ended with us arriving at a circle of oak trees where we got everyone to lie down, breathe, ground and start connecting with themselves and their bodies. We then proceeded to guide them through an emotional awareness exercise in which they could connect with the parts of themselves they had pushed away. We asked each individual to say out loud what blocks they faced before asking what these parts needed. Before we knew it, more tears flowed, hugs were abundant and personal breakthroughs were made. The healing work never ceases to amaze me with its depths, beauty and transparency. 

Seeing others embrace one another, be there for each other and hold space lets you see and feel the power of healing and human connection. An array of emotions were present, from fear to grief and even guilt. We welcomed home all the parts of ourselves that most of us fight against for a lifetime, and we held one another in our tears and joy. I finished with a speech about meeting each other in the depths of our pain, which also helps us meet each other in our humanity. Later that evening, we went on to have a Cacao Ceremony facilitated by two incredible souls, Samantha and Gina, and Samanth's partner, Benji, who filled the space with the soft notes of his acoustic guitar. Samantha facilitated the Cacao ceremony with her bowls, and Gina guided us through her inner channelling of mother Cacao. The time, effort and thoughtfulness of both of them shined forth as the whole experience came together in one beautiful sacred ceremony where we drank Cacao, expressed our gratitude for one another and journeyed with Samantha through the sound bowls. It was a wonderful evening that left us all grateful, fulfilled and ready for bed.

When Sunday morning came around, you could feel how easy and connected the group felt; new relationships were forming, and other relationships maturing. We started the day with breakfast before moving into Reiki Breathwork, hosted by Lauren and me. These breathwork sessions are powerful, especially in person and with the added touch of both of us providing hands-on Reiki. My sensitivity over the years has developed to the point where I can place my hands on someone's feet and feel their whole energy system. It helps me to connect and speak to the parts of themselves that might feel unsafe or parts that might be repressed. As I connect, I create safety, which helps the emotions arise; Lauren also can connect and do the same, making way for lots of powerful releases and making for deeply healing sessions with the guidance of the breath and music. Again, the Breathwork ended with an embrace of one another as couples held each other and we could all witness how profound and life-changing healing can be.

The next day, I would receive a message from one of the girls saying how beautiful it was to see couples so connected and that it showed her what healthy, loving relationships can look like. Sometimes, we need to see that there are other ways to live our lives; it does not have to be unhealthy, unhappy and discontented when we learn to heal and develop healthy, loving relationships within ourselves.

After Breathwork, we grazed over a beautiful spread of food, including cheese, grapes, muffins, hummus, fruit, vegetables, brownies, cakes, and so much more. A feast of colours and different foods which had a little something for everyone. After lunch, the girls made flower crowns while I watched in ore of just how beautiful and sweet femininity is. It's truly a gift for me to see the sweet wonder of the female, and it has taken years of clearing the toxic crap that blinded me from seeing her in all her glory. There is such a sweetness in femininity, but it requires us to first see the sweetness within ourselves. Inner child healing and reconnecting with the parts of ourselves we pushed away is a vital path to seeing our inner beauty from which the femininity in women shines forth.

We rounded the day off with Katie and Kelly holding inner-child healing and somatic movement, which I observed. Again, another highlight was watching both of these wonderful girls hold space and healing for others, and having worked with them both through their healing to see them hold others left my heart feeling full. How far they have both come says so much about the people they are, and their ability to help others heal demonstrates the distance they have travelled within themselves. After connecting to our inner child, we danced, shook and celebrated one another. We finished with group photos, hugged each other, and said goodbye before everyone departed with hearts full of love.

It took me and Lauren a moment to decompress from the whole weekend and the amount of time and effort leading up to it getting the grounds ready. We fell asleep early Sunday evening in one of the bell tents and awakened 12 hours later, feeling fresh but still needing rest. There was a sense of sadness that it had all finished as we watched the hire firm take down the tents. Yet, our hearts were so filled with joy for what we had achieved. To have so many wonderful people from our community and to witness their personal growth and the way they held space for others was truly inspiring. It confirmed how beautiful HOST has become and that the work we put in has come full circle. We were proud, inspired, and ready to take more action to grow and spread awareness of the powerful work we are doing at HOST. Another milestone has been reached in our journey of creating our dream life, and we can't wait to do it bigger next year with all the new people we are attracting into this incredible space we call home.

We cannot thank everyone who attended enough, and we express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who facilitated for others. For everyone at HOST who makes it what it is, we love you dearly and thank you for choosing us. Your presence and contributions have made a significant difference, and we are truly grateful for each and every one of you.

Until next year, much love

David x