My Reiki 1 and Reiki 2 courses, Beltain Retreat and Shinpiden Course for Reiki Masters in 2010 all take place at Stanton Guildhouse in the beautiful Cotswold village of Stanton, between Broadway and Cheltenham in Gloucestershire.

Stanton Guildhouse has been a centre for learning, creativity and personal development since the 1960s.  It is a Grade II Listed, Arts and Crafts style Manor House set peacefully on a hillside in 3 acres of grounds, with the Cotswold Way just beyond its boundaries.  It is situated in Stanton, one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds, which unlike many others remains quiet and virtually undiscovered by tourists. (No shops!)   The Guildhouse has a fantastic, large Guild Room (shown in the picture below left) which I use as my main training room. 

This has flagstone floors, an inglenook fireplace, large, comfy sofas, and access to an outside terrace with fabulous views across the Vale of Evesham (see the picture through the arched doorway below).  In addition there is a Dining Room and Library, a separate Breakfast Room (both with wonderful views), with a fully equipped kitchen—including an Aga—plus two toilets on the ground floor. 

As I have hired the whole building for each of my weekend courses and retreats, we also have access to the first floor, where there are 2 smaller lounges (for reading or quiet time), 4 bathrooms and 1 shower room, and 7 bedrooms (1 single, 6 twin) for overnight accommodation, which I hope will make it much easier for students coming from some distance away (and will make my Reiki courses feel more like a tranquil retreat).  Bed and breakfast (Friday and Saturday nights for my Reiki 1 or Reiki 2 courses, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights for the Beltain Retreat and Shinpiden Course) will be available at £35 per night for single occupancy, or £25 per night per person for shared occupancy if you are coming with a participating friend or partner.  Rooms will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, (eg 7 singles, or 6 singles/2 sharing, etc) depending upon the needs of each group of students, (there will be a maximum of 10 students on each course or Retreat) but there are other B&Bs or guest houses nearby if required, for any overflow. 

Breakfast is a substantial continental help-yourself affair,  consisting of cereals, toast, croissants, butter/margarine, preserves, honey, fruit, fruit juice, coffee and tea (most special diets can be catered for with reasonable notice).  Refreshments (tea, coffee, fruit and herbal teas, water, biscuits) will be provided all weekend for residential and non-residential students, as well as a light supper at 6 pm on Friday evening, and 2-course vegetarian lunches on both Saturday and Sunday.  (2-course vegetarian evening meals on Saturday and Sunday are included on the Beltain Retreat and Shinpiden course, which both finish at 10 am on Monday morning, but not on the Reiki 1 or Reiki 2 courses, which finish at 6 pm on the Sunday evening.)  If you require an evening meal on the Saturday (not included in the Reiki 1 or Reiki 2 course costs) there is good pub-grub available at The Mount, which is at the end of the Guildhouse’s long drive.  There are also some excellent pubs and restaurants in the villages of Broadway and Winchcombe, both about 4 miles away. 

Stanton Guildhouse is easily accessible by car, with plenty of on-site parking, and for those wishing to travel by train, the nearest railway stations are Evesham (8 miles), Moreton-in-Marsh (11 miles) and Cheltenham (12 miles).  Taxi fares from the railway stations are approximately £20 from Evesham, £25 from Moreton-in-Marsh and £30 from Cheltenham (one way).