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immediately gives me a mental perk-up. Then, after an afternoon nap in my
wooden-carved, alpaca-quilted bed, I ease my way through a light Pilates session
and feel the restful, restorative effects of giving my body a good stretch.
That night, I sleep a full, magical seven hours (Franks is very proud of the natural
Fairtrade mattress, so it may be down to that – or the fact that no small children crawled
into my bed). I wake up early and get creative with scissors and a Pritt Stick to produce
a vision board, which is next on my itinerary. The idea is that vision boards can help us
clarify our goals, and this is very apt for me right now. My husband, Tom, and I once made
one as a couple and looking back on it now, it is eerily spot-on. We’ve achieved nearly
everything on it, from a house with a beautiful garden, to kids, to a fridge full
of food. So it feels momentous to be creating another one now I’m
entering what feels like a new stage of life. But this time, I decide
it’s going to be less about material things and more a general sense
of where I want to head, so I choose a picture of Cate Blanchett in
a red power suit to represent me, but also have words like ‘glowing’
and ‘workout’, as I feel like I want to be the best version of me.
I add a picture of messy tennis balls to represent family life. And
then there is lots of blue: sea blue, sky blue, International Klein
Blue. Every time I see a nice bit of blue in a magazine, I cut it out. I have
a hankering to live by the sea – or at least spend a little more time in the Ibiza sunshine.
Over breakfast, Franks also tells me about the ‘altar to femininity’ (an alcove
with religious statues inside), which doesn’t focus on one religion, but ‘borrows
elements from about 10’. ‘I was raised a Jew and practised Buddhism, but now I take
what I need from all sorts of religions,’ Franks tells me, before explaining that she starts
every day with meditation and chanting. She says if she’d felt it was ‘my thing’, she
would have asked me to join her. Chanting is meant to soothe the soul and release
tension, so perhaps I should give it a go next time. If chanting is your thing, then
this can be part of your retreat. There is a definite element of light woo-woo,
which I’m happy to dip my toe into. I also like that it isn’t forced upon you.
Talking of the woo, straight after breakfast I have an appointment with Saskia
Marjoram, who creates tailor-made tonics from flower essences (taken from flowers
and mixed with water). She used to be a gardener at Highgrove House, but now
creates these essences, which, she says, contain ‘vibrational energies of plants’. The way
I interpret this is that the flower’s particular attribute is distilled into the tonics. For
instance, rose nourishes the emotional heart, while lily brings peace, serenity and comfort.
Marjoram brings out an amethyst pendulum and says it will ‘choose’ what plant essences
I need. I’m sceptical, but by the end of the session I have a tailored concoction of six essences,
including Star of Bethlehem to soothe life shocks (in my case, childbirth); carrot to help with
organisation and grounding; and willow for flexibility and being open to change. I’m told to
place seven drops under my tongue twice a day. I do this immediately... though Marjoram warns
me that I might feel emotionally low the next day before the positive effects kick in. And by
positive, Marjoram reports that some people make big life changes soon after taking the essences.
Once I’ve seen Marjoram, Franks analyses my vision board. She nods approvingly and we
chat about life and business, and she offers me some advice about running a brand with my other
half, such as never to talk about business in bed and to celebrate each other’s strengths. It makes
me think about which path I’m on next. And, even though I’ve been empowered recently,
I realise that I shouldn’t be so quick to follow just my own ideas – I should listen to others, too.
I walk to my car feeling refreshed and full of optimism. Over the next week or so, this
buoyant feeling grows. There’s no big-bang emotional moment, just amazing focus and
calmness in the face of multiple life and work deadlines, which feels like a massive win.
When it comes to navigating life’s intimate paths, I know there are no silver bullets (more’s
the pity), but I have realised what an exciting time this might be for me. And to be honest,
Franks’ attention to detail and genuine care for her Hub and my wellbeing, plus the
convenience of having all these therapies under one roof, was what really made this
very special indeed. I am happy to dip in and out of the woo-woo, but my time at No.3
gave me a chance to reset and refocus – and what could be more healing than that? PH
O
TOG
RAPHY:^
THE^ LIC
ENSING
PROJECT/HEATHERHAZZAN‘THERE’S NO BIG-BANG
EMOTIONAL MOMENT,
JUST AMAZING FOCUS’
HOW TO
HEAL AT
HOME BY
LYNNE
FRANKSManifest abundance
in all areas of your life
(not just monetary, but
in relationships and
work, too).
Remember: your body is
the most important tool.
Stretch and breathe
for a minimum of
10 minutes a day.
Listen to a poem or
inspiring music every day.
Mentor others and
let yourself be mentored.
Nobody is perfect, but
say to yourself: ‘I am
doing the best I can.’
For daily affirmations
download Franks’
SEED app from
an app store and visit
hubatno3.com to book
a tailored retreat.