I recently attended a five-day work exchange retreat at Viveka gardens which focused on preparing for the annual Orchard day with apple pressing. As soon as I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by Fiona and Manda my fellow worker. I felt the weight of everyday responsibilities fall away in this beautiful location.

I had a lovely simple bedroom with doors out to the garden. The bed was clean and comfortable and a welcome sight at the end of the day. I had shared access to a modern bathroom with shower. We had been well prepped prior to arriving about what to bring and this included plenty of layers as there is no central heating.

We had constant access to a kettle, as well as bread to toast, condiments and a mountain of fruit. We dined in the shared area which linked our accommodation to Fiona’s end of the beautiful building. We also had our own kitchen sink and dishwasher which we regularly loaded & unloaded as one of our tasks.

The morning started with meditation at 7.30, then breakfast. We tended to start work at 9ish. The firs day we focused on sorting/washing/sterilising/drying glass bottles and lids for the apple juice. The afternoon was spent secateurs in hand clearing overgrown honeysuckle and brambles from a tree. I learnt to navigate full wheelbarrows to the compost heap.

I was unsure how hard Fiona would work us and if we’d be flat out for a full six hours. Please be reassured that Fiona is very caring and regularly checks that we aren’t over working ourselves. We had very regular tea breaks and sweet treats as well as a hearty lunch and dinner. The second day focused on more bramble clearing and Fiona had brought reinforcements with machinery. We had use of beautifully designed and very practical gardening gloves.

The third and fourth day mainly focused on apple picking and sorting. It was lovely to be working outside every day. Picking beautiful apples of many varieties in such a stunning location was one of my favourite parts. We were blessed with the weather too.

Another highlight on our weekday evenings was attending Fiona’s yoga class with other students, the yoga studio is spacious with plenty of equipment and gorgeous blankets. Fiona has a real talent for teaching and nurturing. I have since joined her online yoga class on Tuesday evenings.

I really enjoyed getting to know Fiona and our chats, especially about spirituality. I am a Muslim and Fiona was very inclusive, respectful and interested. She checked that the working day routine suited my prayer schedule. I would encourage people of all faiths or none to attend and feel welcomed.

The totally vegan diet is new for me, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so many vegetables! I have a newfound love for onion squash and have been cooking this at home. Fiona is a great chef and I loved to learn about the yogi diet.

The Orchard Day was culmination of the weeks work and what a day it was. We had a slick team in place, and I had a steep learning curve to work out how to use a pasteuriser. The juice was flowing as well as tea and soup. It was immensely satisfying to see the apples through from picking to drinking, the best juice I’ve tasted.

I will definitely be returning to Viveka Gardens in the future, I’d love to see this slice of paradise in all seasons and of course keep up my new apple pressing skills. I would highly recommend coming to Viveka Gardens for Yoga, a day retreat, a longer retreat or a working retreat in whatever capacity you can.